Try GOLD - Free

The opportunities for South Africa in the G20 year

Farmer's Weekly

|

January 31, 2025

The year 2025 is going to be very different from what we experienced in 2024.

- Theo Venter

The opportunities for South Africa in the G20 year

In the previous year almost half of the global population was subject to elections and we had several surprising outcomes.

There will be fewer elections in 2025, but some of the developments of 2024 will only come to fruition this year, such as the recent inauguration of US President Donald Trump for his second non-consecutive four-year term.

In South Africa, we will continue to watch the functioning of the Government of National Unity (GNU), but everything will be dominated by the role that the G20 will play this year, since South Africa holds the chair for 2025 and will facilitate all the meetings from February 2025 until the G20 Summit in November 2025.

VUCA ENVIRONMENT

We are still facing a VUCA environment where volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity will increase with the re-emergence of Trump onto the international stage.

Even more significant will be the fact that the US will take over the G20 chair in December 2025 for 2026. That almost certainly means that the American president will attend the G20 Summit in November 2025 in Johannesburg.

Apart from all the government-to-government planning during this year, there will also be a parallel B20 process where businesses from the G20 countries will also have several meetings and joint ventures between the G20 and the B20.

MORE STORIES FROM Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

South Africa's unique coral trees

Every year in late winter, South Africa's eastern coastal belt is set ablaze with the scarlet and orange flowers of certain coral tree species from the genus Erythrina. Mike Burgess investigates the diversity of this special category of highly adaptive deciduous trees that includes the peculiar ploughbreaker.

time to read

2 mins

November 7-14, 2025

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

Jaecoo J5 is ready to make waves

Chinese carmakers have been growing their local market share at the rate of knots over the last few years. The introduction of the Jaecoo J5 will further ensure the upward curve

time to read

2 mins

November 7-14, 2025

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

Farm watches take charge of rural safety

With rural crime on the rise and police resources stretched thin, farm watches across South Africa are stepping up to protect farming communities. These volunteer-led safety networks are preventing millions in losses, deterring criminal activity and helping police solve major crimes, proving that when farmers unite, the benefits ripple far beyond the farm gate.

time to read

8 mins

November 7-14, 2025

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

How to start a farm watch in your area

Rural safety initiatives like farm watch systems are guided by the framework laid out in the national Rural Safety Strategy. Dr Jane Buys, safety risk analyst for Free State Agriculture, talks Sabrina Dean through the concept of a farm watch and how to establish one

time to read

9 mins

November 7-14, 2025

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

'Farm attacks are a national crisis'

The rural safety crisis in South Africa remains dire, with farm attacks and murders continuing at alarming rates. This calls for rural crimes to be declared priority crimes as a matter of urgency, according to

time to read

3 mins

November 7-14, 2025

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

Advancing real-time data collection in South African agriculture

Dr Mahlane Godfrey Kgatle, Research Coordination Manager at Grain South Africa, spoke to Octavia Avesca Spandiel about how the Information Hub at Innovation Africa, University of Pretoria, is transforming agricultural research through real-time data integration and collaboration across disciplines.

time to read

3 mins

November 7-14, 2025

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

Stellenbosch in November: a seasonal gem and the perfect time to visit

Brian Berkman suggests you clear your diary to spend more time in November in the beautiful Eikestad.

time to read

3 mins

November 7-14, 2025

Farmer's Weekly

Adapting to the Climate Change Act: how agro-processing SMEs can build resilience

Wynand Deyzel, commercial sales manager at Solenco, spoke to Octavia Avesca Spandiel about how the Act is shaping the operational durability of small to medium-sized agricultural enterprises and the role of indoor air management in adapting to climate impacts.

time to read

3 mins

November 7-14, 2025

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

KWV shines at Veritas Awards with top accolades

KWV made history at the 35th Veritas Awards when it clinched the prestigious Duimpie Bayly Vertex Trophy – the award for the best wine in the show, excluding Museum Class Wine – for the second year in a row and third time overall.

time to read

2 mins

November 7-14, 2025

Farmer's Weekly

Co-operation needed to build a resilient food system

From governments and international organisations to farmers, researchers, businesses, and consumers, including the youth, everyone has a role to play in shaping the transformation of agrifood systems of the world

time to read

2 mins

November 7-14, 2025

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size