South Africa's G20 Presidency

The G20 is on, and all eyes are on South Africa, the anchor runner on Relay Team South, much as all eyes were on V.K. Vismaya when she grasped the baton from Arita Gayakwad during the 2018 Asian Games.

- Thomas Pogge

The world's most powerful multilateral organization, the G20 has had four southern Presidencies in a row: Indonesia (2022), India (2023), Brazil (2024) and now South Africa (2025). Much has been achieved, including the first-ever admission of a new member the African Union under India's watch. Yet much remains to be done as southern populations continue to suffer greatly from poverty, hunger, disease, pollution, inequality, debt, violence, exploitation, and corruption. And there isn't much time, as the G20 Presidency will rotate to Trump's USA in November.

South Africa has wisely chosen continuity over originality in setting its three priorities. It will guide the G20 to focus on (1) inclusive economic growth, industrialization, employment, and inequality reduction; (2) food security; and (3) artificial intelligence, data governance, and innovation for sustainable development.

These keywords indicate crucial monumental challenges for humanity, particularly for the global South, and they were prominent in G20 proceedings in the preceding three years. The crucial task now is to capstone the work under the Southern presidencies with precise, actionable reforms.

To clarify, let me give two examples, one serving South Africa's first two stated priorities, and the other serving the third.

Universal School Nutrition