From inclusion to influence: Africa’s evolving role in architecting global financial reform

AS THE world’s economic centre of gravity continues to shift, Africa is no longer content with the call for inclusion.

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It is taking the reins, crafting, co-creating, contributing, and actively shaping the future of global financial governance.

From the recent G20 gathering in Durban, a clear message emerged as policymakers, economists, and financial leaders convened for an official side event under South Africa’s G20 Presidency for a high-level forum exploring Africa's role in reshaping global finance.

The world’s financial architecture is in transition - buffeted by geopolitical shocks, widening fiscal pressures, and a growing crisis of multilateral trust. As the system fragments, the Global South faces a pivotal question: will it remain a policy-taker, or help shape the rules that will define the future?

Africa is choosing the latter

Under South Africa’s G20 presidency, there's growing momentum to redefine Africa's role; not as a recipient of global economic decisions, but as a contributor and participant in decision making. This shift is not just overdue; it’s essential.

The continent’s economic resilience, financial innovation, and development priorities must be an important part of the world’s most consequential policy debates.

The urgency is clear. The international system remains tilted in favour of advanced economies, even as the world’s most dynamic growth increasingly emerges from the Global South. Persistent imbalances - capital flowing out of regions that need it most, stalled debt negotiations, and uneven recovery trajectories - underscore the fragility of the current economic order.

Global reforms must be aligned with Africa’s realities