Africa's G20 Summit: Redefining Global Influence and Cooperation

Dr. Reneva Fourie

The United States has overreached and now finds itself absent from the first G20 Summit to be held on African soil. Its attempt to strong-arm South Africa into abandoning its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice by boycotting the event produced almost no traction. Only Argentina aligned itself with Washington, a decision shaped by President Javier Milei’s ideological leanings and dependence on a USD 20 billion bailout. 

What was intended as a display of power by the United States became a stark revelation of strategic decline. More than 130 preparatory meetings were completed without disruption, and the Leaders’ Summit on 22 and 23 November will proceed with full international commitment. The entire episode has ended up demonstrating the country’s increasing irrelevance and waning status as a global hegemon.

The G20 emerged in 1999 after the turbulence of the Asian financial crisis of 1997 and 1998. It began as an informal mechanism through which finance ministers and central bank governors from major industrial and emerging economies could address challenges to global economic stability. The mandate has broadened with each passing year. The forum is now led by heads of state and encompasses a wide range of issues related to trade, climate action, sustainable development, public health, agriculture, energy, environmental protection, and the fight against corruption.

The membership comprises nineteen states which are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The group also includes the European Union and the African Union. Together they account for approximately 85% of global GDP, over 75% of world trade, and roughly two-thirds of the world’s population. 

For the African continent, hosting the world’s premier forum for international economic cooperation is a substantive political achievement. It indicates that the global centre of gravity is no longer confined to the North Atlantic world. South Africa’s presidency arrives at a moment when geopolitical tensions, protectionist impulses, and widespread mistrust have disrupted established patterns of cooperation. In this climate, the location of the Summit provides a platform that can rebalance global priorities. 

Africa is repositioned from the margins to a place of real consequence. The continent’s interests, whether related to climate finance, debt restructuring, or institutional reform, gain direct access to the heart of global deliberation. The presence of the African Union as a permanent member reinforces this shift by giving formal voice to continental aspirations within the world’s most influential economic forum.

This year’s G20 stewardship by South Africa – a founding member – generates distinct socioeconomic benefits that flow from its enhanced global standing. Its theme ‘Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability’ aligns closely with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and focuses on dismantling structural barriers that entrench poverty and inequality.

Debt distress remains a critical challenge. Nearly 60 per cent of low-income countries face repayment burdens that hinder long-term development planning. The Summit aims to accelerate reforms to the Common Framework for debt treatment, advancing the Sustainable Development Goals Stimulus proposal to mobilise at least USD 500 billion annually for developing countries.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the world’s largest free trade area by participating states, now features prominently on the G20 agenda. The Africa Engagement Framework, aligned with AfCFTA objectives, prioritises investment in productive sectors, infrastructure, and the digital economy to strengthen continent-wide trade and promote sustainable, inclusive economic growth.

Africa’s youth, which accounts for approximately 70 per cent of its population under the age of thirty, is central to this transformation. Consistent with the UN Summit of the Future and its Global Digital Compact, the G20 will address inclusive connectivity, digital public infrastructure, innovation ecosystems that empower MSMEs, and approaches to artificial intelligence that are just, equitable, and development-oriented.

Women, often limited by restricted access to formal credit, stand to benefit from three-year, recommendation-based initiatives delivered with partner organisations. These programmes aim to support inclusive economic recovery, enhance climate resilience, and strengthen health systems across Africa and the wider global South, ensuring long-term, equitable development.

Climate justice is another core priority. African states have long called for fair recognition of their heightened vulnerability to climate impacts. The operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund after COP28 marks progress, yet current pledges fall far short of the USD 200–400 billion required annually by 2030. 

The G20 aims to promote a development model that fosters resilience, enhances technological capacity, and strengthens local economies. Rather than perpetuating aid dependency, the emphasis is shifting toward fairer global markets, predictable finance, and the transfer of skills and knowledge. These foundations are essential for sustainable and self-reliant growth across the continent.

There is also a psychological dimension that carries lasting significance. The Global South has often been framed through narratives of fragility, dependence, and crisis. South Africa’s competent management of the G20 presidency overturns these narratives. It demonstrates institutional capability, diplomatic sophistication, and strategic clarity. The choice of Johannesburg as the host city reinforces this message. As the economic hub of sub-Saharan Africa, the city represents a vibrant and complex urban landscape that challenges outdated assumptions about the continent’s capacity to serve as a centre of global deliberation.

The United States’ disregard for multilateral platforms illustrates a profound shift in global affairs. The fundamental erosion of American unipolar hegemony confirms that it can no longer single-handedly dictate the terms of international engagement. Influence is dispersing across a broader range of actors. Middle powers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are asserting agency and shaping global agendas with increasing confidence. 

The architecture of power has moved into a multipolar phase in which authority is dispersed across a far wider constellation of actors. Emerging centres of influence are now shaping global discussions with growing confidence, and the G20 Summit in South Africa serves as a clear marker of this shifting distribution of power across the international system.

* Dr Reneva Fourie is a policy analyst specialising in governance, development, and security.

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.