Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government, 
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honour and privilege to welcome you all.

As South Africa’s G20 Presidency nears its close, we reflect on the journey we have travelled together to give meaning to the principles of solidarity, equality and sustainability.

We have worked together to reaffirm the role of the G20 as a forum of constructive dialogue and meaningful international cooperation. 

In South Africa we speak of the spirit of Ubuntu.

It teaches us that progress is not a solitary pursuit but a shared endeavour. 

That our strength lies in our shared humanity.

This spirit has guided our Presidency.

It has been reinforced by your support, your collaboration and your shared commitment to a more just, inclusive and sustainable world.

For this, I extend my deepest appreciation to each of you and your countries.

Across the year, we have worked to advance areas that are central to global well-being.

We have deliberated on measures to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, to reduce inequality and to advance debt sustainability.

We have discussed how we can make the world a place where the aspirations of all people to a decent life, lived in peace and with dignity, may be realised.

Today, we have adopted the Leaders’ Declaration of the G20 South Africa Summit, in which we outline the far-reaching actions on which we have agreed to build a better, more equal and sustainable world.

The Leaders’ Declaration is a profound affirmation of the value of multilateralism and the importance of dialogue.

We extend our appreciation for the constructive contribution that all countries have made towards this common vision.

As South Africa, we have sought to place Africa’s development firmly on the agenda of the G20.

We have done so not only because this is the first time the G20 is being held in Africa, but because Africa’s success is so important to progress and prosperity across the globe. 

While our challenges are many, our capacity to confront them is great.

As we share this meal, let us remember why the G20 exists – to bring nations together, to bridge divides, and to forge solutions that none of us could achieve alone.

Allow me to thank all the sponsors who have partnered so willingly with the South African government to ensure the successful hosting of the G20 Leaders’ Summit. We express a special appreciation to Naspers for provision of the luncheon and the dinner we are enjoying.

As the leaders of the G20 and Guest Countries, let us continue to walk this path together, guided by empathy, strengthened by cooperation and united by the responsibility we have towards this generation and the many to follow.

As South Africa hands over the Presidency of the G20, we do so with confidence that the partnerships forged this year will continue to guide the work ahead.

I thank you once again for your friendship, your dedication and your continued support.

May this evening deepen the fellowship that has sustained us and inspire renewed purpose as we look to the future. 

I thank you.

Your Excellencies,    
Heads of States and Government of the G20 Members and Invited Countries,
Heads of International Organisations, 
Foreign Ministers in attendance,
Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Welcome to Session Two of today's programme, which focuses on the role of the G20 in building a more resilient world 

As a global community, we are faced by several formidable and related issues: poverty, unemployment, food insecurity, inequality, environmental degradation and climate change. 

The complexity of these challenges calls for enhanced reforms and collective action.

Resilience is not merely about recovery after a disaster or crisis. 

It is about foresight and shared responsibility for sustainable development. 

A resilient world can only be achieved through inclusive economic growth, strengthening global partnerships and reforming international institutions.

It means we must prepared.

We must, as a matter of urgency, integrate disaster risk reduction into macroeconomic policies, climate financing and sustainable infrastructure development. 

We must ensure that vulnerable countries and communities have equitable access to technologies, finance and the capacity to anticipate and withstand future shocks.

As we look ahead, South Africa believes our collective efforts should focus on three imperatives:

First, we must strengthen global early warning systems. 

For many countries, this means scaling up investment in data, technology and capacity to reach the most vulnerable communities.

Second, we must mobilise innovative financing for resilience. 

The G20 should champion accessible, predictable and equitable disaster risk financing instruments. We need to pool risk, mobilise anticipatory funding and forge public-private partnerships.

Third, we must mainstream disaster risk reduction into all sectors of economic planning, from energy and infrastructure to agriculture and urban development.

Sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth requires that we take measures to address the severe imbalance in vulnerability to the increasing effects of climate change.

Those countries most affected by severe weather events are often those that bear the least responsibility for climate change.

This threatens to further deepen inequality between and within countries.

Developing economies need resources and technical partnerships for effective adaptation and resilience. 

We need to make good on our commitments to fund loss and damage caused by climate change.

As 2025 marks the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, we recognise its historic contribution to fostering universal climate action.

And yet global temperatures continue to climb.

We have no choice but to fully and effectively implement the Paris Agreement and its temperature goal.

In doing so, we must hold fast to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. 

Just transition pathways are key enablers for climate action. 

These should encompass a whole of economy and whole of society approach.

Just transitions must support efforts to eradicate poverty and promote human rights, workers' rights and gender equality. They must foster meaningful social and economic opportunities.

In the face of persistent hunger and escalating climate pressures, we face a sobering reality: according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, as many as 720 million people are experiencing hunger worldwide. 

Excessive food price volatility continues to undermine purchasing power, especially for low-income communities.

We applaud the G20 for continuously keeping food security at the centre of its developmental agenda. 

South Africa made food security one of the priorities of our G20 Presidency, building on the excellent work of previous presidencies, including the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty established under the Brazilian Presidency.

Platforms such as the Agriculture Working Group, Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists and the Food Security Task Force have delivered outcomes that underscore the importance of building inclusive, diverse, resilient and sustainable food systems.

Since it was formed, at a time of crisis, the G20 and the world has had to confront several crises.

Unless we act now to build resilience and sustainability, the crises we face tomorrow will be more devastating, more damaging and more lasting.

I thank you. 
 

Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government, 
Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany,
President of the World Bank, Ajay Banga,
Distinguished Ministers and Central Bank Governors,
Heads of International Organisations,
Distinguished Guests,

It is my honour to welcome you to this G20 Compact with Africa event on economic growth and jobs.

This event allows us to reflect on the progress that has beenachieved through the Compact with Africa, and to discuss the promise of its next phase, known as Compact with Africa 2.0.

The Compact aims to deepen investment, create jobs and build sustainable prosperity through stronger partnerships with the private sector. 

Since its establishment during Germany’s G20 Presidency in 2017, the Compact with Africa has made steady progress.

It has supported participating countries in implementing ambitious reforms and mobilising investment.

It has strengthened dialogue between governments, private investors and international partners.

We welcome the increased interest by African countries in joining the initiative. This underscores its relevance and value. 

This year, we have made revitalising the Compact with Africa a central priority, with a focus on expanding membership through enhanced visibility within the G20 and across theAfrican continent.

Over the course of 2025, and in close collaboration with the German Federal Government, we convened a series of high-level events to showcase and profile the Compact.

These included a Ministerial Dialogue held on the margins of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in July.

This was followed by a Ministerial Outreach on the margins of the 8th African Union Specialised Committee on Finance in October.

The Ministerial Outreach was an important platform to inform AU Member States about the benefits and achievements of the Compact. 

The last high-level event was convened on the margins of the 2025 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund.

Supported by the World Bank, this event marked the official launch of the new Multi-Donor Trust Fund, designed to support the next phase of reforms and investment within the Compact with Africa framework.

We welcome Germany's commitment to provide the initial contribution of 10 million Euros towards this new instrument. 

Today’s dialogue reaffirms the importance of strong cooperation between the G20 and Africa, underscoring the vital role of the private sector in driving growth, creating jobs and promoting shared prosperity.

I trust that through this engagement, we will strengthen the Compact as a key channel for partnership, reform support and increased private sector involvement. 

We are confident that it will continue to unlock investment and help build resilient, inclusive economies across the continent.

In closing, I would like to thank the German Federal Government for its steadfast leadership of this initiative since its inception.

I acknowledge our valued partners – the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group, the African Development Bank, the African Center for Economic Transformation and the African Union – for their continued support. 

Lastly, we recognise the Compact countries for their efforts in reforming their economies and ensuring that investment flows into Africa.

Let us move forward with renewed partnerships and newinvestments.

Let us work together to secure growth, jobs and shared prosperity for all Africans.

I now invite Chancellor Merz to deliver his remarks.

I thank you.

Distinguished Heads of State and Government of G20 Members and Invited Guest Countries,
Heads of Regional Economic Communities,
Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr António Guterres,
Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Paul Mashatile,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Heads of International Organisations,
Members of the diplomatic corps,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Distinguished Guests,

It is an honour and a privilege to welcome you all to the first G20 Leaders’ Summit to be held on African soil. 

We gather here at the Cradle of Humankind to affirm our common humanity.

We gather here to affirm the value of partnership and cooperation, to finding common solutions to shared problems.

Shortly before the dawn of a democratic and free South Africa in 1994, the founding father of our democracy President, Nelson Mandela, said: “The time has come for South Africa to take up its rightful and responsible place in the community of nations.”

Today, as we open this G20 Leader’s Summit, South Africa is deeply aware of the profound responsibility that membership of the community of nations places upon us.

We also understand the responsibility of being entrusted with the Presidency of the G20. 

In the execution of its task as the President of the G20, South Africa has throughout the past year – through its stewardship of some 130 meetings in various parts of South Africa, in other countries on the African continent and beyond our shores – sought to undertake this task with care and diligence.

We have sought at all times to preserve the integrity and stature of the G20, a premier forum of international economic cooperation.

The deliberations of the G20 have an impact on the lives of all members of the global community.

From its initial focus on broad macroeconomic issues, the G20 is now engaged on matters such as trade, sustainable development, health, education, science and technology, agriculture, energy, environment and climate change, among others.

As the G20 countries, we understand that progress on each and all of these issues is a necessary condition for strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth.

In pursuit of, and in conformity with, the founding mission of the G20, South Africa adopted the theme of ‘Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability’ for its G20 Presidency.

Through solidarity, we can create an inclusive future that advances the interests of people around the world who are at the greatest risk of being left behind. 

This is important in an interconnected world, where the challenges faced by one nation affect all nations.

By promoting equality, we strive to ensure fair treatment and equal opportunities for all individuals and nations.

The disparities in wealth and development within and between countries is not only unjust and unsustainable. It is also one of the greatest impediments to sustainable growth.

It is essential that we break down divisions of economic status, gender, race and geography. 

Sustainability involves meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

As a founding member of the G20, South Africa has sought to ensure that the development priorities of the Global South and the African continent find expression firmly and permanently on the agenda of the G20.

This is important not only for the people of Africa and the Global South 

It is vital for global stability and security, alleviating resource pressures, managing population movements and reducing the risk of conflict. 

We seek stability because it attracts investment, improves planning and reduces the risk of global economic shocks. 

And we prioritise inclusive and vibrant markets because they drive innovation and efficiency. 

Thriving economies lift people out of poverty, encourage greater investment and trade, and generate the revenue needed to invest in public goods. 

The threats facing humanity today – from escalating geopolitical tensions, global warming, pandemics, energy and food insecurity to inequality, unemployment, extreme poverty and armed conflict – jeopardise our collective future. 

It is therefore essential that we make greater and faster progress towards the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. 

We welcome the Sevilla Commitment adopted in June this year, which sets forth a renewed global framework for financing for development.

We must use this framework to catalyse development investments at scale in developing economy countries.

We must continue the reform of the international financial architecture, ensuring that institutions are strengthened, are more inclusive and are equipped to meet the challenges both of the present and the future.

At the beginning of our G20 Presidency, we identified four high-level priorities.

Firstly, we focused on action to strengthen disaster resilience and response.

While climate-induced natural disasters affect countries around the world, they have a particularly devastating impact on countries that cannot afford the costs of recovery and rebuilding. 

We have agreed that it is essential for the global community, international financial institutions, development banks and the private sector, to scale up post-disaster reconstruction. 

Secondly, we agreed that we must take action to ensure debt sustainability for low-income countries.

The G20 needs to renew its efforts to advance debt sustainability, with a particular emphasis on African countries. 

Thirdly, we said we should mobilise finance for a just energy transition, increasing the quality and quantity of climate finance flows to developing economy countries. 

Fourthly, we emphasised the importance of harnessing critical minerals for inclusive growth and sustainable development through the beneficiation of the minerals at the place of extraction. 

In addition to these four priorities, we have prioritised issues of inclusive economic growth, industrialisation, inequality, employment, food security and artificial intelligence. 

Much of the work of the past year will be presented and considered at this meeting.

We commend in particular the G20@20 Review, which provides a detailed account of the path we have travelled as the G20.

It describes both our achievements and our challenges, and makes proposals on how we can organise ourselves to be more focused on our core mandate.

We welcome the work of the G20 Africa Expert Panel, led by South Africa’s former Minister of Finance Mr Trevor Manuel.

The panel argues that African efforts to accelerate productive investment require new global partnerships and strong multilateral cooperation. It calls on the G20 to support this effort by building a global policy framework that unlocks long-term finance at lower cost and investment at scale.

We are also grateful for the work of the G20 Extraordinary Committee of Independent Experts on Global Inequality, led by Professor Joseph Stiglitz.

The recommendations of the Extraordinary Committee provide a solid platform on which to launch a renewed global effort to tackle inequality.

As this is the first G20 Leaders’ 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 or the impact of the first African G20 Presidency.

This G20 Leaders’ Summit has a responsibility not to allow the integrity and the credibility of the G20 to be weakened.

We thank all the delegations that have worked together with us in good faith to produce a worthy G20 outcome document for this historic leaders’ meeting.

The G20 underscores the value and relevance of multilateralism.

It recognises that the challenges we all face can only be resolved through cooperation, collaboration and partnership. 

The adoption of the declaration from the summit sends an important signal to the world that multilateralism can and does deliver.

It sends a message of hope and solidarity.

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.

I thank you
 

President Cyril Ramaphosa met today, Friday 21 November 2025, with African Heads of State and Government, the African Union (AU), and African organisations, on the margins of the 2025 G20 Leaders’ Summit, to further reaffirm South Africa’s commitment to advancing Africa’s development priorities within the framework of the G20, and to enhance and strengthen regional, multilateral and international cooperation and partnership.

African leaders congratulated South Africa for its successful steering of an historic G20 Presidency, the first on the African continent, under the theme “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability.” This theme is consistent with the spirit of the African philosophy of Ubuntu, which emphasises the interconnectedness of individuals within a broader communal, societal, and environmental context.

President Ramaphosa reaffirmed the G20’s renewed commitment, expressed during South Africa’s Presidency, to its partnership with Africa within the strategic framework of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and its emphasis on the importance of economic growth, jobs and prosperity, including the key role of private sector investment in unlocking the economic potential of the continent. 

The meeting discussed the four high-level priorities that anchored the work of South Africa’s G20 Presidency, namely:

•⁠  ⁠Strengthening disaster resilience and response;
•⁠  ⁠Ensuring debt sustainability for low-income countries;
•⁠  ⁠Mobilising finance for a just energy transition; and
•⁠  ⁠Harnessing critical minerals for inclusive growth and sustainable development.

African leaders welcomed the initiatives introduced during South Africa’s G20 Presidency in support of Africa’s aspirations for sustainable growth, resilience, and global partnership. These include the AI Initiative for Africa; the Ubuntu Principles on Food Security, Nutrition and Price Volatility; the G20 Africa Cooperation Agenda on Trade and Investment, which seeks to mobilise G20 support for Africa’s economic integration and investment in its productive sectors and infrastructure; and the broadened Compact with Africa. 

They further welcomed the G20 Africa Engagement Framework agreed under South Africa’s G20 Presidency, which comprises a medium-term framework, spanning from its launch to the end of 2030, for G20 Finance Track engagement with and support to African countries and the African continent. This will ensure that the issues of greatest importance to Africa remain on the G20 agenda for discussion and action.

President Ramaphosa highlighted the rising debt burden on African countries as an issue that requires action by the international community. The President expressed deep concern that over 3.4 billion people now live in countries spending more on interest payments than on health or education. African leaders stressed the urgent need for coordinated action to address the immediate burden of high debt service costs and confront the root causes of recurring debt crises, and expressed strong support for the G20 Ministerial Declaration on Debt Sustainability, which clearly articulates the importance of this challenge and provides a basis for further concrete action to be taken. The meeting committed to advance these and other objectives outlined in the Lomé Declaration on Debt and the Common African Position on Debt.

African leaders supported the creation of a global Borrowers Platform to strengthen technical cooperation and amplify borrower voices, with a UN entity as its secretariat. The establishment of the platform will improve the governance and operation of the global debt architecture. African leaders committed to working together in a spirit of cooperation to establish the Borrowers’ Platform over the next year, and welcomed South Africa’s offer to convene the inaugural meeting of the platform in 2026.

The Africa Expert Panel, chaired by former Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel, presented its report to African leaders, who welcomed its proposals. The report puts forward simple, straightforward actions to accelerate investment in Africa, including disclosing project-level financial data to reduce investment costs; making simple adjustments to global banking regulations to unlock more finance for infrastructure and development; ensuring that the methods of credit rating agencies are sound, their sources fully disclosed, and their actions subject to regulatory oversight; and strengthening debt transparency and ensuring that creditors participate in reconciling debt data. President Ramaphosa committed to take the proposals of the panel forward not only in the G20 but in other international fora, working closely with the African Union and other partners. 

African leaders further welcomed the Report of the G20 Extraordinary Committee on Global Inequality which was commissioned under South Africa’s G20 Presidency and supported the Committee’s proposal to create a permanent International Panel on Inequality which will provide policymakers, the private sector, and the public with authoritative assessments on inequality, and.ensure that inequality continues to be discussed by leaders as in the G20 and other multilateral fora. 

African leaders commended South Africa’s G20 Presidency for convening outreach meetings in the continent, including the G20 High Level Dialogue on Debt Sustainability, the Cost of Capital and the Reform of the International Financial Architecture in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Food Security in Cairo, Egypt, and the meeting on Industrialisation and Agriculture in Abuja, Nigeria. 

The meeting reaffirmed the determination of African leaders and organisations to work collectively with the G20, international institutions, and partners to accelerate Africa’s transformation, strengthen resilience, and unlock the continent’s full potential for inclusive and sustainable development.


Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Your Excellency, President Emmanuel Macron;
Ministers and Delegates from the French Republic;
Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie;
Distinguished Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening and thank you for your presence at this very important occasion. We are gathered this evening on sacred ground built to honour all those who paid the ultimate price for freedom, justice, and human dignity in South Africa.

As an anti-apartheid activist myself, I am deeply moved by this ceremony, as it brings back the memories of the struggle, the conviction, selfless and discipline that many of our comrades displayed even during the most difficult times under apartheid.

This place is indeed a reminder of the history of our country and the price paid for our freedom. The Freedom Park stands today as a testament to the collective sacrifices that made our democracy possible. It is a reminder that the struggle against apartheid was not waged by South Africans alone, but supported by courageous men and women across the world.

This evening, alongside President Macron, we remember and pay tribute to the French citizens who stood firm against apartheid. These were activists, freedom fighters, journalists, scholars, and ordinary people of conscience who refused to look away. Many of them gave their voices, their talents, and, in some cases, their very lives so that South Africans could one day be free.

Their solidarity travelled across oceans. Their conviction strengthened our resolve. Their sacrifices form part of the long moral arc that bent toward justice in our land.

As we lay this wreath, we do so in deep gratitude — recognising that the bonds between South Africa and France are rooted not only in diplomacy and partnership, but also in shared values and shared struggle. These are bonds forged in the pursuit of human rights, equality, and enduring peace.

May this moment remind us of the responsibility we carry:

• to protect the freedoms so dearly won;
• to advance social justice at home and abroad;
• and to ensure that the stories of those who fought for our liberation continue to inspire future generations.

Your Excellency, thank you for this solemn act of remembrance. May the spirits of those we honour today continue to guide our nations toward a future marked by friendship, cooperation, and hope.

I thank you.

Your Excellencies,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are honoured to welcome you to Johannesburg on the eve of the G20 Leaders' Summit. 

This is a moment of historic significance for our beloved Continent.

This is the first time an African country presides over the G20 and the first time the Leaders’ Summit is hosted on African soil.

It takes place two years after the African Union was admitted as a member of the G20.

This represents another significant step forward in Africa's aspiration to become a strong, united and influential global player and partner.

Africa is a continent on the rise.

Deepening our economic cooperation is essential for continental development and integration, building our resilience and self-reliance. 

It is imperative that we build deeper collaboration and resilience within and between our countries.

Investment and trade expansion must be at the centre of our economic engagements, particularly in the face of unilateral trade actions, tariffs and erosion of WTO rules. 

We welcome the progress made in implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area. 

Countries trading under AfCFTA preferences are already seeing the benefits.

Four days ago, I met with senior executives from South African companies with investments across the continent. 

Many of them outlined plans to substantially increase their investments over the next five years.

At the same time, we know of companies from elsewhere on the continent that are invested and intend to invest in South Africa.

These are links that we must nurture and encourage if we are to realise our continent’s potential.

To strengthen these trade and investment links, I plan to host a Pan African Investment Conference in 2026, where African companies can showcase their investments in other countries and outline their future investment plans.

We know that peace and security are essential for meaningful social and economic development. 

We must be deeply concerned about ongoing conflicts in our continent. 

These deadly conflicts are taking a devastating human toll.

They are impeding Africa's developmental trajectory and jeopardising our collective future.

By prioritising peace initiatives alongside economic development, we aim to foster sustainable growth and stability. 

We must collaborate with one another and with our regional organisations to address the root causes of conflict: poverty, inequality and competition for resources.

South Africa and the African Union have worked closely during our Presidency to amplify Africa's voice in global economic governance. 

We have used the G20 platform to promote Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. We have sought to position Africa as a vital partner in advancing equitable development.

We have advanced priorities such as disaster resilience, debt sustainability, finance for just energy transitions, and harnessing critical minerals for inclusive growth.

We established an Africa Expert Panel to reinforce Africa's voice on debt sustainability, the cost of capital, and financing for productive investment. 

We are encouraged by the Ministerial Declaration on Debt Sustainability, which outlines a clear acknowledgement of the growing debt burden on African countries and provides a basis for concrete action.

We must work together to ensure that the commitments in this declaration, including to strengthen implementation of the Common Framework and extend support to countries facing liquidity challenges, are translated into meaningful action.

To reflect our support for a stronger voice for borrower countries in the global debt architecture, we have offered to host the inaugural meeting of the Borrowers Platform in South Africa next year in order to give impetus to this initiative and ensure that it is led from Africa.

We have secured agreement on a G20 Africa Engagement Framework, which will enable a continued focus in the G20 Finance Track on the issues that matter most to Africa over the next five years. 

By advocating for Africa's interests globally, we have sought to ensure that the Continent's voice is heard on climate change, debt governance, trade and humanitarian assistance.

Fair trade, inclusive prosperity, reformed global governance and multilateralism are fundamental to our vision for a more equal world.

Yesterday, we concluded a G20 Social Summit, welcoming civil society organisations, think tanks and academia to strengthen partnerships around the challenges that our people experience and confront.

The outcomes from the Social Summit confirm the relevance and value of the priorities of our G20 Presidency.

As African countries, let us use this G20 to advance our agenda.

By harnessing our collective strengths, we can build resilient economies that thrive despite adversity.

We are convinced that our beloved continent can overcome its challenges and become a leader in prosperity and development. 

South Africa's approach to its G20 Presidency reflects our foreign policy principles: respect for multilateralism, international law, peace, justice and equality.

Nelson Mandela taught us that everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success through dedication and passion. 

Let us work together to make our continent prosperous, peaceful, democratic and united, and contribute to a more just and equitable world.

I thank you.

FIRST INTERVENTION

Your Excellency Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and co-host of the 8th Global Fund Replenishment,
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

At a time when multilateralism has come under increasing strain and global cooperation in health is being sorely tested, this 8th Replenishment Summit of the Global Fund is a milestone for global health.  

Building resilient health systems, scaling-up local manufacturing of medicines and diagnostics, and securing sustainable financing are vital for both social and economic development.  

Without a healthy population, nations cannot prosper.

It is therefore essential that we close gaps in access to medicines, diagnostics and financing, so that every country can protect its people and achieve health equity.  

Today, we celebrate the collective effort to end HIV, TB and Malaria across the globe.

We reflect on the difficult journey we have travelled and the great progress we have made.  

This Summit reflects our shared commitment to invest in universal health coverage today for social protection and resilient health systems.

It is up to us to demonstrate that solidarity and collective action can prevail over division.  

It has been an honour and a privilege to co-host the summit over the past year alongside the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

We are deeply grateful to all partners who have made early pledges of nearly 4.3 billion US dollars so far.  

These initial pledges laid the groundwork for a robust campaign throughout 2025

I am pleased to announce that the South Africa government and private sector is pledging a total of 36.6 million US dollars toward this replenishment.  

This is the equivalent of R630 million.

Of the South African contribution, a total of 5.5 million US dollars has been pledged by the Goodbye Malaria organisation and 4.5 million US dollars by Anglo American, as they indicated earlier

We commend them for their unwavering commitment to improve the health of the people of our country, our continent and the world.

The South African private sector has indicated that more pledges will follow.

I call on the private sector in our country and elsewhere to step up and be counted amongst those that made a smart investment towards the elimination of HIV, TB and Malaria

Our pledge represents our confidence in the Global Fund partnership and in its ability to deliver on its promises.  

We remain grateful to the global health community that has supported us over the past few decades as one of the countries most severely affected by HIV/AIDS and TB.

We urge partners to maintain the momentum that we have achieved and continue to make bold, transformative commitments that match the scale of our common challenges.

It now gives me great pleasure to invite my co-host, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, to make his remarks.

I thank you.
 

SECOND INTERVENTION: ANNOUNCING THE OUTCOME

Excellencies
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today’s Summit has been a defining moment for global health and for global solidarity.  

With just five years to go before the deadline for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, we have taken to heart the call to accelerate our efforts.

The 8th Replenishment Campaign has been extremely robust over the past year and we can say that today we have reached a milestone in our partnership.  

The total pledge value of the 8th Replenishment is US$ 11.34 billion dollars.

This is an extraordinary achievement. We hope that future generations will look back on this moment as a turning point in the global fight against HIV, AIDS, TB and Malaria.  

The pledge amount is no mere number. It is a solid foundation for impact and a renewed impetus for transformation and change.

Millions of lives will be saved.  

Stronger, more resilient health systems will be built.

This outcome is the result of the determination of a diverse coalition that has come together in the interest of global health security. But we are not done yet- more countries, regional organisations and companies will rise up and meet us on this occasion

We must remain unified behind the purpose that makes the Global Fund unique and effective in equal measure.

As part of our commitment to the Lusaka Agenda on global health initiatives, we need to work smarter and more efficiently.  

We need to eliminate waste and duplication and address the fragmentation of the global health financing system.

Let me take this opportunity to thank all donors and partners for their pledges and leadership throughout the Summit.

This continued partnership – guided by solidarity, sustainability, innovation and equality – will   be essential if we are to deliver on our commitments and sustain progress.

I thank you.

Your Excellency Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission,His Excellency Micheál Martin, the Prime Minister of Ireland
Mr Hugh Evans, CEO of Global Citizen,
Distinguished delegates and viewers from around the world,

From the outset of South Africa’s G20 Presidency, we said that this would be an African Presidency.

We said that we would strive to bring the priorities of our continent to the centre of global dialogue. It would be a Presidency that advances solutions through genuine collaboration and partnership.

On the eve of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, it is a privilege to join you for the culmination of a year-long effort to expand energy access across Africa. 

Africa represents the ultimate energy paradox. 

We have some of the world’s most abundant renewable energy resources: solar, wind and hydro. Yet some 40 percent of Africa’s population has no access to electricity.

This energy poverty impacts nearly every facet of life, from clean cooking to access to medicines, to quality education, to economic activity.

The Scaling up Renewables in Africa initiative was born of the need to expand energy access across the continent.

We support an energy-secure future for Africa that harnesses the human and technological potential of the continent.

Over the past year, through the G20, South Africa has advanced the Action Plan for Clean Cooking supported off-grid energy solutions.

We have promoted the Principles for Clean, People-Centred Just Energy Transitions.

Today, we call on all our partners to build on this momentum. 

Let us ensure that the progress we celebrate today is felt in the daily lives of all of Africa’s peoples.

Africa’s vast potential must be harnessed for the benefit of its people and the world. 

Through decisive action and global solidarity, we can accelerate Africa’s clean energy revolution and create enduring opportunities for all our people.

I thank you.

Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,

The scale of the commitments we have witnessed today are extraordinary. 

They affirm the relevance of our G20 theme of Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability.

South Africa remains firmly committed to a just energy transition that supports workers, uplifts communities, strengthens local economies, and ensures that young people and entrepreneurs are central participants in building a new energy future. 

Our Just Energy Transition Investment Plan and the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan continue to guide our efforts.

Today, South Africa benefits from more than 17 gigawatts of installed renewable energy.

We aim to increase this to 45 gigawatts by 2035, making renewable energy a central element of our national energy mix.

These initiatives will ensure that the next gigawatts of renewable energy are built through local skills, local manufacturing and local innovation.

Scaling renewables across Africa is essential for inclusive economic development.

The funding pledged today is only the first step. The real test will lie in implementation. 

This will require discipline, partnership and an unwavering commitment to action.

As we scale renewable energy across our continent, African ownership must be at the heart of this revolution. 

This is more than an energy shift. It is a transformation of our economies, our capabilities and our collective future.

I thank you.