SA's G20 presidency advances

Although all eyes will be on the Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg and whether it will result in a consensus

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Protesters from Greenpeace stand in front of a projection on a building in Sandton, Johannesburg, projected by the Glasgow Actions Team during an anti-G20 protest on 19 November, ahead of the two-day Leaders' Summit at the Nasrec Expo Centre on 22 and 23 November.

(Photo: Kim Ludbrook/EPA)

The headlines ahead of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg have been dominated by the US's attacks on President Cyril Ramaphosa's G20 priorities and even South Africa's core agenda of solidarity, equality and sustainability — and its push for a formal Leaders' Declaration.

Nevertheless, South Africa has used its G20 presidency to shine a spotlight on some critical global issues such as debt and inequality, which could evolve into the country's — and Ramaphosa's — greatest G20 legacy, regardless of the highly contested formal outcome of the summit.

South Africa has battled to persuade other G20 members to adopt its proposed G20 Leaders' Declaration after the US pulled out completely from the summit and said it would block any outcome framed as a consensus G20 position, reported Bloomberg.

Yet South Africa has succeeded to a degree in putting critical development issues that are particularly important for Africa on the global agenda.

Throughout its presidency, South Africa championed four key themes: ensuring debt sustainability; strengthening disaster resilience and response; mobilising finance for a just energy transition; and leveraging critical minerals for inclusive growth.