President Cyril Ramaphosa opened the G20 Leaders’ Summit (22-23 November 2025) by calling on world leaders to confront global crises with “solidarity, equality and sustainability,” setting the stage for negotiations on debt relief, climate finance, industrialization and disaster resilience.
Delegations from the world’s largest economies gathered at the Cradle of Humankind to determine how international cooperation and global finance can be reshaped to meet the needs of countries facing deep climate and economic stress, with African nations placing their priorities at the center of the agenda.
In his opening statement, Ramaphosa reminded leaders that South Africa’s role in hosting the summit carried both symbolism and obligation. “The time has come for South Africa to take up its rightful and responsible place in the community of nations,” he said, quoting the father of South Africa’s democracy late Nelson Mandela before adding that the presidency “has throughout the past year sought to undertake this task with care and diligence.”
He told the assembled heads of state and international organizations that the G20’s decisions “have an impact on the lives of all members of the global community,” and insisted that this gathering must serve those who “are at the greatest risk of being left behind.”
The summit opened with a recognition that the G20’s agenda has expanded far beyond macroeconomic coordination. Ramaphosa noted that it now spans trade, sustainable development, education, agriculture, technology, and climate change. He argued that progress on these fronts is essential for “strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth,” a point that resonates across a continent where public finances are tightening and climate impacts are accelerating.
Debt levels in many African countries have climbed into ranges that strain annual budgets, with debt service often matching or exceeding spending on health, infrastructure and adaptation. Several governments have faced refinancing challenges in recent months, illustrating why Ramaphosa urged the G20 to “take action to ensure debt sustainability for low-income countries.”
Climate finance became one of the most tangible areas of discussion. Although flows into Africa have risen, as reported at the almost concluded COP30 in a joint report released by world’s largest climate funds, they fall far short of the scale required for resilient infrastructure, renewable energy expansion and climate-smart agriculture. Many African utilities still borrow at double-digit interest rates, making the economics of large-scale clean energy projects difficult without concessional support.
Ramaphosa argued that climate-exposed countries cannot recover from disasters or plan for adaptation without reliable finance, saying that nations already facing climate shocks “cannot afford the costs of recovery and rebuilding” on their own. This point gained urgency in light of recent storms, drought episodes and infrastructure losses across East and Southern Africa.
The Sevilla Commitment, adopted earlier in the year, formed a key pillar of the summit’s financial discussions. Ramaphosa described it as “a renewed global framework for financing for development” and urged leaders to “use this framework to catalyze development investments at scale.” Negotiations in Johannesburg translated that principle into proposals for deeper reform of multilateral development banks, greater use of concessional windows for adaptation, and more predictable debt workout procedures for vulnerable countries.
The intention is to reduce borrowing costs and align investment flows with national development plans rather than donor-driven timelines.
Africa’s resource endowment also featured prominently in the talks. The continent holds sizeable reserves of cobalt, lithium, manganese and other minerals essential for batteries and renewable technologies. Ramaphosa emphasised that these minerals must support value creation at home, calling for “the beneficiation of the minerals at the place of extraction.” Discussions touched on the infrastructure and finance needed for processing, including power reliability, logistics and more blended finance arrangements to reduce investment risk. Governments signaled that they want partnerships that develop regional industrial capacity, not simply extractive trade.
The summit broadened its scope to include inequality, employment, food security and the governance challenges of artificial intelligence. Ramaphosa acknowledged the extensive analytical work carried out by expert bodies during South Africa’s presidency. He cited the G20 Africa Expert Panel, which argued that accelerating productive investment in Africa requires “new global partnerships and strong multilateral cooperation.” He also welcomed recommendations on addressing global inequality, saying the committee’s findings “provide a solid platform on which to launch a renewed global effort.”
As negotiations progressed, leaders grappled with the geopolitical tensions that increasingly influence global decision-making. Ramaphosa urged delegates not to let political divisions weaken the summit’s outcome, saying the G20 must not allow “the integrity and the credibility of the G20 to be weakened.” When the final declaration was adopted, he described it as a signal that cooperation is still possible in a fragmented world. “It sends a message of hope and solidarity,” he said, adding that leaders were committed “to leave no person, no community and no country behind.”
For African governments, the results of the Johannesburg summit will now be tested in ministries and parliaments. Policymakers must translate political declarations into bankable projects that match national priorities: energy transmission lines capable of absorbing renewable power, coastal protection systems in rapidly warming regions, processing hubs for critical minerals, and transparent public debt registries that give lenders confidence. Implementation will depend on national capacity, access to concessional capital and the willingness of global financial institutions to follow through on their commitments.
What Johannesburg offered was a clearer framework, sharper tools and a political signal that the world’s largest economies recognize the cost of inaction. Whether these commitments will reshape Africa’s development and climate trajectory will depend on the months ahead, as governments move from carefully worded declarations to the practical mechanics of contracting, financing and building.
As Ramaphosa put it in closing, multilateral cooperation remains indispensable: “The challenges we all face can only be resolved through cooperation, collaboration and partnership.”
Source: South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
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