President Cyril Ramaphosa (right) and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu at Tuynhuys in Cape Town on Tuesday.
(Photo: Elmond Joyane / GCIS) President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa will “keenly” support the bid of Nigeria, “a valued sister country”, to become a member of the G20 club of the world’s major economies, joining South Africa itself and the African Union as the continent’s representatives in the group.
Ramaphosa said there were other key African countries which should also be admitted to the club “so that we can raise the voice from Africa, the neglected continent for the longest time”.
Ramaphosa was speaking in Cape Town on Tuesday at the official launch of SA’s presidency of the G20, which began this month and will culminate in a summit in Johannesburg in November 2025. He was also speaking just before joining Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to co-chair the 11th Bi-National Commission between SA and Nigeria.
Ramaphosa said SA had been the lone voice for Africa in the G20 before the African Union was admitted last year after SA had lobbied for it to become a member.
“We have a voice, we have a presence, and we are going to be the biggest growth story in years to come. Our population is going to grow by leaps and bounds and therefore, as a continent, we are going to be a big noise, and we want that big noise to be recognised in the form of countries that will be part of the G20 right now.”
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Ramaphosa said South Africa was assuming the G20 presidency at a moment when the world was facing serious challenges including a worsening and widening climate crisis, while billions of people were affected by inequality, poverty, hunger and massive unemployment.
“The outlook for global economic growth remains subdued … and many economies carry the burden of unsustainable levels of debt, particularly in the Global South and on our own continent, Africa.
“The geopolitical instability, conflicts and wars are causing further hardships as well as suffering.”
This was all happening at a time of great technological advancement and change, which represented an opportunity, he said.
Guided by its theme of solidarity, equality and sustainability, SA would use its G20 presidency — the first by an African country — to refocus global attention on the social, economic and environmental dimensions of developing the economies of Africa and the Global South.
“This includes a focus on critical issues such as inequality, employment, food security and artificial intelligence.”
South Africa would seek to harness global commitment and capabilities to achieve more rapid and inclusive economic growth; to seek a more just and equal world, in which poverty and hunger are eradicated; and to avert the worst effects of climate change and its devastating impacts, particularly on the poor who live in underdeveloped countries.
In particular, SA would seek to strengthen and advance international efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
The country would focus on action to reduce climate change, which was causing the most devastating disasters in nations that could least afford the costs of recovery.
It would harness global action to ensure debt sustainability for low-income countries as unsustainable debt was a key obstacle to inclusive growth in African countries and limited their ability to invest in infrastructure, healthcare, education and other development needs.
SA would also address sovereign wealth, sovereign credit ratings and fair and transparent processes to enable high-risk premiums for developing economies.
Ramaphosa said SA would mobilise finance for a just energy transition and increased climate finance flows to developing economies.
It would use the G20 to champion the use of critical minerals as an engine of growth and for the development of Africa, which was richly endowed with critical minerals. DM