South Africa was in the international spotlight, with world leaders from all over the world attending the two-day Group of Twenty (G20) Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg. Cameras flashed insistently, like lightning in a Highveld thunderstorm. Flashy motorcades rolled through the streets of Johannesburg, as if the “City of Gold” had been transformed into a film set for a blockbuster movie.
You could almost hear the soundtrack fading as the sirens of the convoys cut through traffic with the confidence of people who had never seen, let alone hit, a pothole. The bigshots in town made the atmosphere feel bigger. It felt like South Africa was throwing a gigantic family gathering where half the cousins were emperors and superstars. Yet it also felt strange that the same country, which is grappling with a fragile energy system, occasional dry taps, and half-fixed roads, was nevertheless holding a global summit without skipping a beat.
However, some people felt a surge of pride in their hearts, such as when Springbok captain Siya Kolisi led South Africa to its historic fourth Rugby World Cup victories. Over the weekend and the days preceding the G20 gathering, some people also felt a sense of doubt and anxiety about an event of such international magnitude.
Nonetheless, the host president, Cyril Ramaphosa, had been moving around like a punctilious grandfather who wants the homestead spotless before a royal lobola delegation arrives. He pushed the city bosses hard. Pavements were patched, streets were cleaned and gardens were trimmed until they resembled freshly cut hair. Fences and walls were repaired and renovated so quickly that the paint had barely dried. Johannesburg suddenly began to glow, as if someone had wiped the city’s face and instructed it to smile for visiting royalty.
Victory lap
The venue itself, Nasrec, served as a victory lap for the president. He knows that place like a taxi driver knows every shortcut in Soweto. He has done the Nayi Le Walk there twice. First in 2017 and again in 2022. Both times he entered with nervousness and left with the ANC presidency. Stepping into Nasrec for the G20, he undoubtedly felt like he was returning to home ground, where he had already lifted the trophy twice. It gave him some swagger and unwavering confidence.
Yes, South Africa has done this before. It has hosted numerous international sporting events, including the 2010 Fifa World Cup, Cricket World Cup, Rugby World Cup, Netball World Cup, Hockey World Cup, World Table Tennis Championships and World Cup of Golf. It had previously hosted several high-profile political events, including the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the UN’s anti-racism conference, two BRICS summits, the WEF Africa meeting, and the Organisation of African Unity Summit, which ultimately led to the formation of the African Union. Remember Zakumi, Waka Waka, from the 2010 World Cup, which felt like a six-week festival with one anthem and one giant vuvuzela blaring across the land?
South Africa often welcomes all backgrounds. It can host saints on stage and scoundrels in leafy suburbs at the same time. Dignitaries with impeccable credentials come to the country through our international airports. Rogue elements with questionable backgrounds arrive through the same gateways to buy houses in Cape Town and elsewhere, where the manicured lawns are always green and the neighbours never ask too many questions. Hospitality is our thing. Anyway, South Africa was recently named the friendliest country in the world.
Domestically, the G20 allowed the government to stretch its capabilities. For once, most of the news headlines did not focus on negativity, but rather on a country that was pulling itself together to show the world that it was capable of hosting the most prominent names without a hitch. Ordinary people who were not part of the glamorous event at Nasrec may have developed a sense of pride and hope that maybe the country still has more to offer beyond the summit. Yes, the agenda was set and delivered.
Internationally, the moment was even more significant. For a few days, South Africa was the centre of global attention, with the host setting the agenda and shaping the mood. Africa spoke strongly and firmly to assert its importance in the global arena. Many participants appreciated being in a space where Africa was not politely asking to speak, but instead directing the conversation. The message was loud and clear: South Africa can convene, lead and hold the world’s attention without shaking.
The president is familiar with this kind of unprecedented pressure. In May this year, he had led a working visit to the White House in the United States (US), at the invitation of a narcissistic and bullying host, President Donald Trump, who turned what should have been a simple bilateral engagement into a long, mindless ordeal. Nothing humbles a visitor like dealing with a host who believes the ancestors follow his orders.
Undue airplay
The story about the US boycotting the G20 was only partially accurate. President Trump was in Johannesburg, even if he never boarded Air Force One. He joined the proceedings through official channels and social media, which gave him undue airplay. His presence was digital and loud. He interrupted, misdirected and bullied the proceedings. He chased attention as if it owed him unpaid rent at New York City’s Trump Towers.
Yes, Trump’s shadow was present, and he made some noise with unsavoury narratives and unpleasant threats, including advising South Africa not to push for a joint declaration at the summit. He even added a touch of drama by sending a junior official to collect the “garter”, something no groom-in-waiting would ever do at a real wedding. Everyone is familiar with and understands the fundamental rule: if you want to be the next groom, pitch yourself. You step onto the dance floor. You take the garter in your own hands. But subtlety was never his style. He nonetheless released his weekend statement because he never missed an opportunity to bask in his own notoriety. Guess what: even his closest allies from Nato ignored him. Check their social media pages: the wedding was great!
While world leaders dined in polished halls with soft lighting and silent air conditioning, the harsh reality of home whispered loudly. Children in some crime-ridden areas such as Alexandra, Westbury, Khayelitsha, Inanda and the Cape Flats prepared for and wrote exams with loud, persistent gunshots outside – bang, bang, bang! And somewhere in the polity, some scoundrels were hard at work, skimming to loot public resources.
During the charming weekend, delegates took photos like schoolchildren, beaming like young stars on a world tour. And if you didn’t get a picture with a G20 backdrop and lanyard, you’re the biggest loser of the 21st century. Outfits gleamed in ways that made political halls resemble fashion runways. The flags floated above the gloom like cheerful parrots refusing to be quiet. For a few days, Johannesburg felt like a place where magic could happen without asking permission.
As delegates moved through safe corridors and wandered through curated gardens like couples choosing flowers for a wedding, residents dodged broken robots and potholes so deep you could hide a lunchbox in them. Thousands of police officers were on hand to safeguard VIPs at the venue, but ordinary people often complained that they were missing when they were desperately needed to combat crime in their communities. The summit not only concealed this contrast, it amplified it. The shine made the cracks sharper, so to speak.
After the glittering lights faded, the question remained: Would Johannesburg return to its harsh rhythm of crime and grime? Will the current sparkle last longer? Or will it vanish like fireworks after New Year’s Day?
Safe and secure environment
South Africa knows how to bring the world together under one roof. It knows how to create a safe and secure environment for serious conversation and joyful noise, as well as provide a platform for nations to deliberate on contentious matters. The G20 summit in Johannesburg served as both a political forum and a diplomatic showcase. It was a weekend of magic with a domestic mirror and a global spotlight.
The theme “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability” not only championed calls to address critical global socioeconomic and political challenges, particularly focusing on Africa’s development, but also served as a reminder of South Africa’s past wounds. Our beautiful country is a place where beauty and chaos coexist, yet it remains a destination that the world continues to return to. It is alive with possibilities.
Meanwhile, when the flags came down and the flowers wilted, and the flashlights faded, the real test remained. Will South Africa seize this moment to overcome its socioeconomic challenges, particularly the triple challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality? Or will it pack away the shine and wait until the next big gathering and arrival of new guests before cleaning the house again?
Whatever happens, the world will fondly remember the past weekend. Johannesburg not only hosted a successful G20 Leaders’ Summit, the first to take place on African soil, but also delivered an impressive and memorable global event. It reminded everyone why South Africa remains the hope for renewal and reconstruction in the Global South. DM