G20 UPDATES

It is not all bad though. Early discussions have included meaningful conversations about policy items affecting the African continent. The South African government has also shown a deliberate intention to use its presidency to forge ahead with policies that impact lives on the African continent and the broader developing world, regardless of who may not be showing up to the table. 

G20 MEETINGS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE

In January and February  2025, the South Africa G20 Finance and Sherpa Tracks hosted a series of technical meetings. These included the following:

• Sherpa Track Meetings
  • First Development Working Group Meeting | 21-23 January
  • First Health Working Group Meeting | 23 January
  • First Education Working Group Meeting | 12-13 February
  • First Digital Economy Working Group Meeting | 17-19 February
  • First Women Empowerment Working Group Meeting | 17-18 February
    Read the IEJ's statement .
  • First Employment Working Group Meeting | 19-21 February
  • First Foreign Ministers Meeting | 20-21 February
    Watch President Cyril Ramaphosa's opening address .
  • First Culture Working Group Meeting | 20-21 February
  • First Research and Innovation Working Group Meeting | 23-25 February
  • First Energy Transition Working Group Meeting | 27-28 February
    Watch the Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa's opening address .
  • First Agriculture Working Group Meeting  | 3-4 March
  • First Anti-corruption Working Group Meeting | 3-5 March
  • First Tourism Working Group Meeting  | 5 March
    Watch Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille's opening address .
  • First Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group Meeting  | 5 March
• Finance Track Meetings
  • First Framework Working Group Meeting | 13-14 January
  • First Sustainable Finance Working Group Meeting | 16-17 January
  • First International Finance Architecture Working Group Meeting | 20-21 January
  • First Joint Finance and Health Task Force Meeting | 22 January
  • First Infrastructure Working Group Meeting | 23-24 January
  • First Deputies Virtual Communique Drafting Session 20-21 February
  • Second Finance and Central Bank Deputies Meeting | 24-25 February
    Watch Deputy Finance Minister Duncan Pieterse's opening address .
  • First Finance and Central Bank Deputies and Ministerial Meeting | 24-27 February
    Watch President Cyril Ramaphosa's opening address .
• Joint Meetings (Sherpa and Finance)
  • First Task Force Meeting: AI, Data Governance and Innovation for Sustainable Development | 25-26 February
  • First Task Force: Food Security  | 5 March
  • First Task Force on Inclusive Economic Growth, Industrialisation, Employment, and Reduced Inequality | 17 March
    Read the IEJ's statement .

KEY THEMES AND DEVELOPMENTS

• Geopolitical Considerations
  • Donald Trump caused a storm when he signed an Executive Order cutting a projected $439 million (R8.2 billion) in aid to South Africa. This was followed by the notable absence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the First Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bassent at the First Finance Ministers’ Meeting. The US still attended the meetings, sending the acting Ambassador Dana Brown to the Foreign Ministers meetings, who resigned shortly afterwards . 
  • Despite diplomatic tensions between the US and South Africa, other G20 foreign affairs ministers were in attendance and in support, including the Norwegian Minister who openly disagreed with the US stance on South Africa .
  • South Africa has used the G20 platform to continue calls for a more reformed UN Security Council and the broader international system of global governance .
  • While the Foreign Minister Meeting was relatively well attended, Finance Ministers from the US, China, Japan, India Canada and the EU  did not participate in the Finance Ministers Meeting .
  • These tensions will likely make achieving consensus a difficult exercise in any multilateral fora given a Trump administration that has gone as far as to reject the Sustainable Development Goals outright . 

• International Financial Architecture  
  • G20 Foreign Ministers have endorsed South Africa’s G20 African Expert Panel . The panel will be chaired by Trevor Manuel.
  • The panel is established in line with South Africa’s efforts to address the rising debt crisis in developing countries. Addressing the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa stated that “[their] G20 presidency will be addressing the high cost of capital faced by developing economy countries as one of the main barriers to sustainable growth .” 
  • Ramphosa’s calls for debt justice are amplified by the African Union, its G20 Sherpa, Albert Muchanga pointed out the urgent need to address Africa’s debt crisis, alluding to the fact that currently there are 21 economies at risk of default . The AU’s support for the panel is also driven by the hope that the panel will address unfair crediting rating practices.
  • African Ministers have used the sidelines of the G20 Finance and Central Bank Ministerial Meeting to continue calling for the transformation of global financial institutions. Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, Rania Al-Mashat, used a G20 side meeting to call for more substantial financial reforms . 
  • A group of former African heads of state organised under the African Leaders Debt Relief Initiative (ALDRI) met in Cape Town and called for urgent action towards creating a comprehensive plan to tackle the current debt crisis facing African countries . 

• Climate Change and Food Security
  • South Africa has prioritised climate finance in its G20 Presidency, speaking at the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Ramaphosa highlighted that “significantly more funding is required to limit global temperature rise in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement, and to do so in a manner that is equitable and just. ” Ramaphosa further called on G20 countries to champion the drive towards setting ambitious targets for climate action at the COP talks in Brazil later this year. He wants more significant concessional and grant funding to support the energy transition in developing countries.
  • South Africa’s ambitions are likely to be a significant point of contention with the US since Trump has made it clear that he wishes to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and has largely campaigned on a move away from an energy transition.
  • The AU has welcomed the establishment of the Food Security Task Force because its deliverables are consistent with the AU’s Post Malabo Agriculture Development Programme .

• African Voices in the G20
  • The African Union became a permanent member of the G20 in 2023 during India's G20 Presidency.
  • Nigeria and Egypt have been made “permanent guest countries” in the G20 as of this year. This is a similar position to Spain, which has been a permanent guest country since 2008.
  • South Africa invited five of the African development regions to participate this year, although this is unlikely to continue in future meetings. This includes:
    • Arab Maghreb Union (UMA)
    • Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
    • Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)
    • Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
    • Southern African Development Community (SADC).

• Finance Minister’s Meeting
  • A Chair’s Summary was produced in the first Finance and Central Bank Ministers meeting. This happens when there is not sufficient consensus to produce a Communique that represents the views of all countries.
  • There is a debate underway about what it would mean for the US to pull out of Institutions related to International Financial Architecture (IFA) - including the World Bank and IMF. While this is unlikely, the US has already applied heavy tariffs to its neighbours and China, and pulled out of both the UN Tax Convention negotiations and the Paris Accord leaving unanswered questions about how far the shock therapy of the IFA will go.

UPCOMING G20 MEETINGS

The meetings listed below are scheduled for March but may be subject to change. Please refer to the official G20 Events Calendar for the latest updates.

• Sherpa Track Meetings
  • First Trade and Investment  Working Group Meeting  | 18-20 March
  • Second Health Working Group Meeting  | 26-28 March
  • First Climate and Environment Sustainability Working Group Meeting  | 26-29 March
• Finance Track Meetings
  • Second International Finance Architecture Working Group Meeting  | 17-18 March
  • Second Infrastructure Working Group Meeting  | 20-21 March
  • First Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion Meeting  |  24-25 March
  • Second Sustainable Finance Working Group Meeting  | 24-25 March
• Joint Meetings (Sherpa and Finance)
  • Second Task Force Meeting: Inclusive Economic Growth, Industrialisation, Employment and Reduce Inequality | 21 March