On the sidelines of the G20 Summit at Nasrec, leaders of the G20 Compact with Africa convened a high-level side event focused on boosting economic growth and job creation across the continent. The communiqué issued after the meeting reflects renewed commitment from G20 partners and African governments, along with private-sector players, to deepen investment, support reforms, and mobilize capital for sustainable development.
At the heart of this gathering was a clear signal: the Compact with Africa, launched under Germany’s G20 presidency in 2017, is entering a new chapter. Deputy President Paul Mashatile, speaking to heads of state, international institutions and business leaders, described the Compact’s evolution as critically tied to the future of long-term prosperity in Africa. “The Compact aims to deepen investment, create jobs and build sustainable prosperity through stronger partnerships with the private sector,” he said.
The communiqué underscores that the 2025 event is not mere symbolism. Key to the Compact’s relaunch is a newly established Multi-Donor Trust Fund, backed initially by the German government with a pledge of €10 million. That fund is intended to kickstart what the side event described as Compact with Africa 2.0, a more ambitious and better-resourced phase of the initiative, one that foregrounds structural reform, investment-friendly governance, and industrial transformation.
Many countries participating in the Compact have struggled to attract long-term investment because of weak institutional capacity, regulatory bottlenecks and perceived risk. By channeling G20 resources into a trust fund that can de-risk investments, the Compact’s next phase promises a more stable pipeline of capital, particularly for projects that generate jobs, whether in infrastructure, agribusiness, or manufacturing. Mashatile made this point directly, tying job creation to resilient, reform-based growth.
The communiqué also calls on international partners, multilateral development banks, the private sector and bilateral donors, to align around common objectives and to scale up support for African-led reforms. These reforms include improving the business environment, strengthening public-private partnerships, and fostering regional integration. In Mashatile’s view, the Compact must not just bring money to Africa, but catalyze a transformation in how investment is planned and delivered.
One striking aspect of the communiqué is its emphasis on sustainability: economic growth, in this vision, must go hand in hand with social development and environmental resilience. Rather than short-term deals, the Compact aims to support long-horizon investments that lift entire value chains, providing work, improving livelihoods, and helping African economies industrialize in a low-carbon way.
For many African nations, job creation is not only a social imperative but also a climate resilience strategy: more local employment in green sectors reduces vulnerability and strengthens adaptive capacity.
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The communiqué reflects a pragmatic recognition of the limits and potential of the Compact. It does not promise a radical redistribution of wealth, but it does commit major players to deeper engagement. The establishment of the trust fund is a concrete step, but its success will depend on follow-through: whether G20 countries actually channel capital, whether African governments meet reform milestones, and whether private investors are willing to partner on riskier projects.
Civil society and development analysts are likely to watch closely in the coming months. For them, the side event must translate into measurable outcomes: more and better jobs; transparent allocation of funds; and clear reporting on how Compact-funded investments support sustainable growth. They will want to see not just pledges, but impact.
On the African side, the communiqué gives policymakers a mandate, but also a challenge. Finance ministries and reform teams must lay out credible investment plans, identify sectors where private capital can scale, and deliver governance frameworks that reassure investors. For countries that have long struggled with capital scarcity, this could be an opportunity. But it is an opportunity that demands political commitment, technical capacity, and honest partnerships.
The participants welcomed Zambia and Angola joining the G20 Compact with Africa under the South African G20 Presidency. The side event at Nasrec, as captured in the joint communiqué lays out a renewed Compact with Africa that aims to be more than a G20 talking point. It aims to be a mechanism for real, measurable change, not just in investment flows, but in the kinds of jobs Africa builds, the value chains it develops, and the institutions it strengthens.
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