President Cyril Ramaphosa opened the first-ever G20 Leaders’ Summit on African soil on Saturday with a powerful call for global co-operation, shared responsibility, and accelerated action to address the world’s most pressing challenges.
Photo: GCIS
Speaking at Nasrec Expo Centre, Johannesburg, Ramaphosa said the summit marked a historic moment not only for South Africa, but also for the entire African continent.
“We gather to affirm our common humanity,” he said, emphasising that partnership and collaboration remain the most effective tools to tackle global crises.
Quoting Nelson Mandela, Ramaphosa reminded delegates that South Africa has long sought to take its “rightful and responsible place in the community of nations”, a responsibility now magnified by its role as G20 President.
Over the past year, South Africa has hosted more than 130 meetings across the continent and abroad, guiding the bloc’s work with a focus on restoring trust in multilateralism and ensuring the G20 remains a premier forum for international economic co-operation.
Ramaphosa emphasised that the group’s decisions shape the lives of billions, with issues now spanning trade, development, health, science, agriculture, energy, climate, and inequality.
South Africa selected the theme Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability to frame its presidency, a vision the president said is essential for ensuring that developing nations, and especially those most vulnerable, are not left behind.
Solidarity, he argued, acknowledges the interconnectedness of global challenges; equality demands fair opportunities for all countries and peoples; and sustainability insists that growth today must not compromise future generations.
Ramaphosa reiterated South Africa’s longstanding commitment to ensuring that Africa’s development priorities are deeply embedded in G20 outcomes. Advancing the needs of the Global South, he said, is critical not only for regional progress, but also for global stability, investment, and security.
“Thriving economies lift people out of poverty, encourage greater investment and trade, and generate the revenue needed to invest in public goods,” he noted.
The president also highlighted the four priorities guiding South Africa’s presidency: strengthening disaster resilience, ensuring debt sustainability for low-income countries, mobilising finance for a just energy transition, and harnessing critical minerals for inclusive and sustainable development.
In addition, he highlighted progress made on inclusive economic growth, industrialisation, inequality, employment, food security and artificial intelligence.
Key analytical work feeding into this year’s deliberations, including the G20@20 Review, the Africa Expert Panel led by Trevor Manuel, and the Committee on Global Inequality chaired by Joseph Stiglitz, was acknowledged for offering practical pathways to unlock large-scale investment, reform global financial governance, and tackle inequality.
Framing the summit as a moment of continental pride and global significance, Ramaphosa urged leaders not to allow “anything to diminish the value, the stature or the impact” of the first African G20 presidency.
He praised delegates for negotiating in good faith toward a strong outcome document and said the adoption of the summit declaration would send a clear message: that multilateral co-operation remains alive and capable of delivering results.
“It tells the world that as the leaders of the G20, we will keep fast to our solemn pledge to leave no person, no community and no country behind,” Ramaphosa said.
“This is the first G20 Summit to be held in Africa. It carries the hopes and must reflect the aspirations of the people of this continent and of the world, we should not allow anything to diminish the value, the stature and the impact of the first African G20 presidency.
From… pic.twitter.com/qfk8UunAuz
— Farmer’s Weekly (@FarmersWeeklySA) November 22, 2025
