Johannesburg: President Cyril Ramaphosa has updated the National Assembly on South Africa's preparations to host the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg in November. The country will host the summit under the theme: 'Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability', marking the first time an African nation leads the forum of the world's major economies.
According to South African Government News Agency, President Ramaphosa, during his oral replies to questions from members in the National Assembly on Tuesday, stated that South Africa's G20 Presidency has received 'strong support' from G20 members, invited countries, and international organizations. He noted that South Africa's G20 Presidency has entered its final 90 days, with approximately 87 of the 132 official meetings on the G20 calendar already concluded. These meetings have addressed urgent global challenges, focusing on sustainable and innovative solutions through dialogue, collaboration, and cooperation.
President Ramaphosa highlighted South Africa's priorities, which include strengthening disaster resilience and response, ensuring debt sustainability for low-income countries, mobilizing finance for a just energy transition, and harnessing critical minerals for inclusive growth and sustainable development. He emphasized that South Africa is also championing broader issues such as reforming the multilateral trading system and international financial architecture.
Despite divergences on some issues, President Ramaphosa noted strong support for South Africa's priorities among G20 members. Negotiations for the G20 Working Group Ministerial Declarations and Outcomes are ongoing, with final Ministerial meetings scheduled for this month and October.
President Ramaphosa described the Third Meeting of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, held in July 2025, as a 'significant milestone'. The meeting resulted in a communiqu© agreed upon by all members, with discussions covering Africa, global economic outlook, macroeconomic stability, international financial architecture, sustainable finance, and more.
Additionally, the G20 Extraordinary Committee of Independent Experts on Global Wealth Inequality was launched in August, chaired by Nobel Laureate Professor Joseph Stiglitz. This initiative aims to focus global attention on inequality and propose practical actions to address disparities in income, wealth, and opportunity.
The G20 Ministerial Meetings are integral to the G20 Leaders' Declaration, which will be adopted at the leaders' summit. President Ramaphosa concluded by stating that South Africa aims to produce an ambitious Leaders' Declaration to promote the development agenda of the Global South and the African continent.