Pretoria: South Africa’s Presidency of the Group of 20 (G20) has been a significant milestone for African representation in global economic decision-making. This is according to Deputy President Paul Mashatile, who underscored Africa’s strategic vision to reshape global economic frameworks and assert the continent’s interests on the world stage.
According to South African Government News Agency, Deputy President Mashatile delivered a keynote address at the T20 Africa High-Level Policy Dialogue in Pretoria, emphasizing both the continent’s potential and its challenges. He highlighted the need for Africa to tackle economic development issues, political instability, and governance weaknesses, urging a critical evaluation of interventions aimed at strengthening Africa’s priorities, including economic growth, sustainable development, and global governance reforms.
The T20, or Think 20, plays a crucial role in producing, discussing, and consolidating ideas to face current and emerging challenges addressed by the G20. Key themes included leveraging the continent’s young population, promoting the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and tackling systemic challenges such as unemployment, infrastructure gaps, and economic marginalization.
Deputy President Mashatile stressed the importance of digitalization, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies as critical tools for African development. South Africa’s representative underscored the significance of the African Union’s new permanent membership in the G20, calling it a ‘transformational moment in global governance’ and emphasizing the theme of ‘Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability’ to reimagine multilateralism and prioritize the needs of the Global South.
Critical priorities identified during the dialogue include mobilizing finance for a Just Energy Transition, ensuring debt sustainability for developing economies, and creating strategic approaches to critical mineral development that prioritize local value addition. Mashatile believes that this dialogue marks a crucial step in positioning Africa as an active participant in global economic discussions.
He noted that Africa is at a critical juncture in its development journey, with a growing population and vast natural resources but remains underdeveloped. The presence of a youthful population offers various possibilities for the continent’s development, yet challenges facing multilateralism remain apparent.
Mashatile warned that ongoing trade tensions might lead to a rising cost of living due to increased prices, especially for manufactured goods, potentially exacerbating sluggish economic growth across the continent. He called for a collective and decisive African response to increase capacity and reduce dependency.
According to the Deputy President, a fair, inclusive global order is possible with leadership grounded in equity, responsibility, and cooperation. He emphasized that the G20 should be part of uniting country states to develop progressive policies for all and collaborate with like-minded countries and institutions to establish a more equitable international order.
While the G20 is not a substitute for existing international institutions, Mashatile noted that it must complement and accelerate progress on agreed global commitments. Strengthening African agency within this framework empowers African states and enhances the credibility and efficacy of global governance. South Africa’s G20 Presidency commits to accountability to the continent and its people.