This afternoon His Excellency, the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile had a Courtesy Meeting with Premier LI Qiang of the People’s Republic of China at the NH Hotel, Sandton. 

The meeting provided an opportunity to advance South Africa’s strategic objectives in trade, investment, industrialisation, multilateral cooperation and governance, while deepening political and diplomatic ties with China. 

During the meeting, Deputy President Mashatile emphasised South Africa’s readiness to expand value-added exports, attract greater Chinese investment in beneficiation, manufacturing, renewable energy, and digital sectors, integrating South African firms into Chinese and global value chains for inclusive growth and job creation, especially for the youth.

Following by President Ramaphosa’s State Visit and Deputy President Mashatile’s visit to China in July 2025, this high-level engagement was to consolidate and leverage the All-Round Strategic Cooperative Partnership in the New Era. 

On Friday, 21 November 2025, G20 leaders adopted the Declaration by an overwhelming consensus at the G20 Leaders’ Summit at the Nasrec Expo Centre, Johannesburg, Gauteng Province. Deputy President Mashatile, expressed his appreciation of the Chinese’ substantive and financial support for South Africa’s G20 Presidency and in its other developmental efforts.

“I would like to reaffirm South Africa’s appreciation for China’s support, including its generous contributions of RMB 2 million (R5.34 million) to DIRCO and an additional USD 2 million (R36.8 million) in support of South Africa’s G20 Presidency and Leaders’ Summit,” said Deputy President Mashatile. 

Africa will soon participate in the 4th Session of the South Africa-China High-Level People-to-People Exchange Mechanism (PPEM) and the 13^th South Africa-China Strategic Dialogue to be held back-to-back in Beijing in December 2025. In March 2026, South Africa will host the Bi-National Commission (BNC)  in South Africa.
 

Media enquiries: Mr Keith Khoza, Acting Spokesperson to the Deputy President on 066 195 8840

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Leaders of the G20 Member States and Invited Countries,
Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr António Guterres,
Heads of International Organisations,
Ministers,
Distinguished Guests.

I extend my deepest gratitude for the steadfast support you have shown throughout South Africa’s G20 Presidency. 

Your commitment has been vital in reaffirming the G20 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation, and ensuring that it continues to drive progress on our most important challenges. 

We have met this year in the face of significant challenges, and demonstrated our ability to come together even in times of great difficulty to pursue a better world.

South Africa’s Presidency marks the first time that the G20 has been hosted on African soil. 

Recognising the importance of this milestone, we have sought to place Africa’s growth and development at the heart of the G20’s agenda.

The greatest opportunity for prosperity in the 21st century lies in Africa. 

Harnessing that opportunity will require a strong partnership between Africa and the G20, and indeed between Africa and the rest of the world. 

Recognising our interconnectedness as a global community of nations, we have called for an end to conflicts and wars around the globe and for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace.

This summit has taken place at a crucial moment, as calls around the world grow louder for progress on the imperatives of our time: to end poverty in all its forms, to reduce inequality within and among countries, and to take urgent action to combat climate change.

This year, we have recognised the growing debt burden faced by many developing economies as a major obstacle to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The G20 has pledged to extend support to low‑ and middle‑income countries as they confront debt vulnerabilities. 

Together, we must create a virtuous cycle of reduced debt, higher public investment and more rapid and inclusive economic growth.

When we began our Presidency, we pledged to mobilise the G20 to strengthen disaster resilience and response. 

Climate‑induced natural disasters spare no country, but their toll is heaviest on those without the means to recover and rebuild. 

We therefore called on G20 Leaders to urge the global community to scale up post-disaster reconstruction. 

In this regard, South Africa introduced the High-Level Voluntary Principles for Investing in Disaster Risk Reduction and encouraged international collaboration to strengthen investment in preventing and responding to disasters. 

We have made progress in mobilising finance for a just energy transition.

Climate change touches every nation, but its impacts are unevenly felt. 

That is why we have together pledged to increase the quality and quantity of climate finance to developing economies, to strengthen multilateral development banks, to support country platforms like the Just Energy Transition Partnership, and to unlock private capital. 

We reaffirmed our dedication to energy security, affordability and universal access, and the importance of supporting developing economies in their transition to low carbon emissions.

We recognised the need for deep, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and the need to substantially scale up investment and climate finance from all sources.

During this summit, we reaffirmed our support for the G20 Critical Minerals Framework, a cooperative blueprint to ensure that critical mineral resources drive prosperity and sustainable development across the globe. 

Our Presidency coincided with the end of the first cycle of G20 Presidencies. 

Following the mandate given to our Presidency at the 2024 Rio de Janeiro Summit, we undertook the G20@20 Review, drawing on the diverse perspectives of participating members and guest countries.

It is our hope that recommendations of the Review will serve as a helpful guide for the G20 to ensure that it remains fit for purpose in an ever-changing world. 

At the heart of our Presidency lies a conviction that the G20 must act boldly, and act together, to create an environment of inclusive growth, reduced inequality and sustainable development. 

South Africa has used this Presidency to place the priorities of Africa and the Global South firmly at the heart of the G20 agenda. 

Building on the developmental agenda of previous Presidencies in Indonesia, India and Brazil, we have prioritised the issues that matter most to developing economies.

The G20 South Africa Summit Leaders’ Declaration is more than words – it is a commitment to concrete actions that will improve the lives of people in every part of the world. 

Our agreement on a declaration during this summit demonstrates the value of the G20 as a forum that can facilitate joint action on issues of shared concern.

More than that, it reaffirms our renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation and our recognition that our shared goals outweigh our differences.

Together, we must accelerate progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the Pact for the Future.

We have laid the foundation of solidarity; now we must build the walls of justice and the roof of prosperity.

Let us move forward together, demonstrating to the world that we have the capacity to confront and overcome the world’s challenges. 

Through partnerships across society, and by remembering our common humanity, we can create a more secure, a more just and a more prosperous world. 

Together, we can ensure that no one is left behind. 

I thank you.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen

It is an honour to welcome you to South Africa and to this IBSA Leaders’ Meeting.

The world in which we live is changing rapidly and dramatically.

It is clear that the countries of IBSA are ready to be part of global change and to work for a better future.

India, Brazil and South Africa are not merely participating in global economic governance, but are working to shape the global agenda. 

IBSA stands out as a testament to the durability of principled and constructive cooperation.

Our grouping affirms that diversity is not a fault line but a source of strength.

It reminds us that collaboration among equals is indispensable to global peace, prosperity and stability.

Our cooperation is grounded in the daily realities of our people.

Together, we must champion ambitious reform of the global governance institutions.

We must reinvigorate commitments to climate action and deepen cooperation on just energy transitions.

We must safeguard food and health security, and ensure that the benefits of technological progress are shared equitably.

We must position ourselves as co-architects of a more representative and responsive multilateral system.

The structural fault in the global economy – the growing gap between the rich and the poor and deepening poverty and underdevelopment – can only effectively be addressed through a new paradigm of inclusive economic growth.

Through initiatives like the IBSA Fund, we continue to demonstrate the practical value of our association, particularly in the assistance provided for those most in need.

I am therefore delighted that we will be signing a collaboration agreement on foundational learning as a follow up of the agreement that has been signed by the three IBSA Education Ministers.

South Africa wishes that, as IBSA, we revitalise our interactions and renew our determination to advance our founding goals.

I hope that we will soon hold our Leaders’ Summit on a mutually-agreed date.

We have always been proud of the frankness of our discussions, our appetite for reflection and our continuous quest for lasting solutions to the economic and social challenges that confront all of us.

As South Africa assumes the chair of IBSA, these are the qualities which we intend to sustain and to enhance.

As we gather under the G20 Presidency theme of "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability", let us recall that IBSA is more than a forum for dialogue.

IBSA is a catalyst for global transformation.

Together, we represent not only the aspirations of our own citizens, but the hopes of a Global South that seeks dignity, respect and partnership in shaping the future.

I thank you.

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.