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.

His Excellency, the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Paul Mashatile on Friday, 21 November 2025, had a bilateral meeting with Honourable General (Rtd) Dr Constantine GDN Chiwenga, First Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe at the The Catalyst Hotel, Sandton. 

The meeting takes place on the margins of the G20 Leaders’ Summit to be held from 22 until 23 November 2025 at Nasrec Expo Centre, Johannesburg, Gauteng Province.

South Africa and Zimbabwe have cordial and fraternal relations forged during the struggle against Apartheid and colonialism. 

Zimbabwe is one of South Africa’s main trading partners in the SADC region. In 2024, South Africa exported R 69,21 billion worth of goods and merchandise to Zimbabwe compared to R 57,5 billion in 2023.  

In terms of imports, in 2024, South Africa imported R5,4 billion worth of goods and merchandise from Zimbabwe compared to R R4,4billion in 2023.
 
South Africa is one of the top investors in the Zimbabwean economy. There are over 120 South African companies doing business in Zimbabwe in various sectors including, among others, mining, aviation, tourism, banking, property, retail, construction and fast food.

“This meeting is important in the context of solidifying relations between South Africa and Zimbabwe, particularly trade and investment relations, and in advancing the strategic role of SADC at a regional level” said Deputy President Mashatile. 

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria
 

Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, H.E Mr. Pham Minh Chinh;

Minister of Small Business Development, Ms Stella Ndabeni;

Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition of South Africa, Mr Zuko Godlimpi;

Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Thandi Moraka;

Vice Minister of Finance of Vietnam, Mr Do Thanh Trung;

Vice Minister of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam, Mr Nguyen Hoang Hiep; 

Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in South Africa, Mr Hoang Sy Cuong;

Members of the Business Community in South Africa and Vietnam;

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning, and a very warm welcome to you all to Johannesburg, I hope that you have had a pleasant stay in South Africa and have experienced the spirit of Ubuntu that we pride ourselves in as a nation. 

I am honoured to address this gathering of business leaders and investors at such a pivotal moment for both our countries. The convening of this South Africa–Vietnam Business Forum, on the margins of the G20 Summit, is a timely reminder of the vital role that partnerships and collaboration play in shaping an inclusive global economy.

This forum follows closely on the successful State Visit by His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, a visit that has ushered in a new chapter in our bilateral relations.

During that visit, our two governments reaffirmed our shared commitment to strengthen cooperation across a broad range of sectors — from trade and industry to agriculture, science and technology, renewable energy, and digital transformation. The visit not only served to strengthen the profound friendship that exists between our countries, but it also successfully mapped out a distinct course of action for the expansion of economic and developmental cooperation in the years to come.

Over the past years, South Africa has been Vietnam’s first trade partner in the continent, and Vietnam is a potential market for South Africa with a sizable population of more than 100 million, as a gateway to the ASEAN market of nearly 700 million people and a GDP of 4,000 billion US dollars.

Similarly, South Africa continues to serve as the most industrialised and diversified economy in Africa and a strategic entry point into the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which connects over 1.4 billion people in a single market.

The AfCFTA benefits both South Africa and Vietnam's economies by opening up a single, large continental market for goods and services, increasing trade, fostering economic growth, and attracting investment. South Africa could benefit from improved market access for manufactured goods and diversification opportunities, despite some industries facing heightened competition. Meanwhile, Vietnam may expand its manufactured goods exports to Africa, utilising South Africa's infrastructure and financial markets to diversify its trade relations and address its current trade deficit with the country.

As it stands, we are appreciative that bilateral trade between South Africa and Vietnam has grown steadily, surpassing previous records in recent years. Yet, there remains vast untapped potential.

In 2024, South Africa’s exports to Vietnam amounted to US $610.89 million. In the same year, South Africa’s imports from Vietnam were about US $1.14 billion.

South Africa runs a sizable trade deficit in its trade with Vietnam, importing significantly more than it exports, recognising that our trade patterns reveal a challenge. Between 2023 and 2024 we had a trade deficit of 30%.

South Africa largely exports raw commodities—minerals, ores, fuels, and agricultural products—while Vietnam exports manufactured goods of higher value.

This imbalance calls us to move beyond the traditional trade in raw materials and work toward greater value addition, diversification, and industrial collaboration.

We have the opportunity and indeed the responsibility to diversify and deepen our economic engagement, to move beyond the exchange of raw commodities and promote value-added trade and industrial partnerships.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our governments are committed to creating an enabling environment for trade and investment. In South Africa, this includes improving ease of doing business, strengthening industrial infrastructure, and expanding trade finance support through entities such as the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and Export Credit Insurance Corporation (ECIC).

We encourage Vietnamese companies to explore investment opportunities in our Special Economic Zones (SEZs), which offer world-class infrastructure and incentives. Likewise, we welcome South African businesses to invest in Vietnam’s dynamic industrial clusters and technology hubs.

Through our Joint Trade Committee and bilateral cooperation frameworks, we will continue to address trade barriers, facilitate market access, and enhance cooperation between our chambers of commerce and industry bodies.

This forum is not only about economics — it is about partnership, shared growth, and solidarity. It is about recognising that South–South cooperation offers a path to inclusive development, innovation, and resilience.

In this era of global uncertainty, both South Africa and Vietnam stand as advocates for multilateralism, sustainable trade, and equitable growth. As hosts of the G20 Summit, we emphasise the importance of collaboration among emerging economies to reform global trade systems and ensure that development benefits all.

To our distinguished business leaders, you are the engine of this partnership. The opportunities before us will only be realised through your innovation, your entrepreneurship, and your commitment to building bridges across borders.

Let us use this platform to identify bankable projects, establish joint ventures, and promote technology and skills exchange that can advance industrialisation and inclusive growth in both our countries.

Our government, together with our Vietnamese counterparts, stands ready to support you every step of the way.

Let us build on the momentum of President Ramaphosa’s State Visit and the spirit of this G20 Summit to propel South Africa–Vietnam relations to new heights.

This commitment was similarly reaffirmed during the reciprocal visit when Vietnam's Vice President visited South Africa in September 2023, and during my visit to Vietnam in December 2023, which included opportunities to engage with business leaders aimed at strengthening bilateral relations in sectors such as trade and investment.

The forthcoming agreement to enhance bilateral relations signifies that both parties want to establish camaraderie while also ensuring mutual benefits for their populations.

Together, we can create a model of partnership that demonstrates how developing nations, through mutual respect and shared ambition, can achieve prosperity that is both inclusive and sustainable.

I thank you.
 

His Excellency, the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Paul Mashatile will on Friday, 21 November 2025, lead a South African delegation taking part in the South Africa-Vietnam Business Forum.

The Deputy President will also hold a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Vietnam, His Excellency Pham Minh Chinh at the Capital Empire Hotel in Sandton.

Vietnam will host a Business Forum in the country as part of the programme for the Vietnamese Prime Minister’s participation in the G20 Summit in Nasrec Expo Centre, Johannesburg, Gauteng Province.

This significant interaction  follows the successful State Visit by President Cyril Ramaphosa to Hanoi, Vietnam on 23–24 October 2025,  representing a pivotal moment in South Africa’s engagement with Vietnam and the broader Southeast Asian region.

The visit was the culmination of sustained diplomatic efforts, including Deputy President Mashatile’s visit to Vietnam in 2023, which laid the foundation for elevating the bilateral relationship to a higher level.

Vietnam’s rapid economic growth, recording 7.09% GDP growth in 2024 and targeting at least 8% in 2025, combined with its influential role in ASEAN, positions it as a strategic partner for South Africa’s diversification agenda.

"Strengthening ties with Vietnam not only opens access to dynamic Asian markets but also enhances South Africa’s ability to leverage regional supply chains, attract investment, and promote its foreign policy priorities within multilateral platforms," said the Deputy President.

The Business Forum is organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in South Africa in collaboration with the South African Chamber of Commerce.

• ⁠Over 180 SA companies have registered to attend the Business Forum.
• ⁠The Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam will be accompanied by a number of Ministers and close to 20 Vietnamese companies.
• ⁠Two of the Vietnamese companies that will be participating, (PetroVietNam and MK Group) had meetings with President Ramaphosa and his delegation during the recent State Visit to Vietnam.  
• The MK Group is scheduled to sign MOU with Reutech Radar System and Tower 35. 

- The third MOU is expected to be signed between Viettravel and Airlink.

Details of the event are as follows:

Date: Friday, 21 November 2025
Time: 10h30 (Media to arrive at 10:00)
Venue: Capital Empire Hotel, Sandton.

Members of the media who wish to cover the South Africa-Vietnam Business Forum should RSVP to Sthembiso Sithole (The Presidency) on 078 356 4355.

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

1. President Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the European Council, Mr António Costa, and President of the European Commission, Dr Ursula von der Leyen met on the margins of the G20 Summit on 20 November 2025.
    
2. This meeting follows a series of engagements between the leaders, including at the multilateral fora such as the UNGA80 in New York, the EU’s Global Gateway Forum in Brussels and the recent ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.  
    
3. The Leaders reviewed progress on the key political and economic outcomes agreed to at the 8th South Africa – EU Summit held in March 2025, in Cape Town.
    
4. ⁠In the context of South Africa’s G20 Presidency and ahead of the 7^th AU-EU Summit on 24-25 November in Luanda, Angola, this meeting took place against the backdrop of growing challenges to multilateralism and the ongoing conflict in Sudan. Leaders reiterated their March commitment to a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in Ukraine and in the occupied Palestinian Territories. They also recalled the importance of multilateralism, the centrality of the United Nations Charter and the support for a renewed global financing framework for sustainable development, following the 4^th International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville from 30 June to 3 July 2025 and Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP30) from 6 to 21 November in Belém, Brazil.  
    
5. The Leaders welcomed the signature of the EU-South Africa Clean Trade and Investment Partnership (CTIP), which will create new trade and investment opportunities, while supporting decarbonisation objectives through a tailored, flexible, and targeted approach taking into account the priorities of South Africa and the EU. In addition to facilitating trade and investment in clean supply chains, this partnership will also serve as a forum for regulatory cooperation between the EU and South Africa in areas of mutual interest.
    
6. The Leaders also welcomed the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a Strategic Partnership on Sustainable Minerals and Metals Value Chains, which will promote value addition and beneficiation of critical minerals close to the source of extraction and will enhance economic and industrial integration between South Africa and the EU. 
    
7. Delivering on the commitment taken up at the EU-South Africa Summit earlier this year, the two sides launched the South Africa - EU Energy Dialogue in September 2025 and agreed to raise it to Ministerial level in 2026. The Dialogue provides a platform to deepen collaboration in areas such as transmission, clean energy technologies and additional just transition initiatives. Both sides also reiterated the commitment to work together towards future export of electro Sustainable Aviation Fuel (e-SAF) to the EU market in line with the commitment made during the SA-EU Summit in March 2025. 
    
8. Leaders reiterated their commitment to facilitate bilateral trade in animals, plants and their products. In particular, South Africa reaffirmed its commitment to enable trade of poultry, including through a conclusive discussion on regionalisation, as well as further assess and process EU market access applications based on the information to be provided by exporting countries as a matter of priority. The EU signaled readiness to advance listing South Africa as eligible to export shelf-stable composite products to the EU market. South Africa has shared progress report on various EU market access requests. Both sides committed to identify tangible deliverables to demonstrate progress in fulfilling their respective commitments by the next Trade and Investment Dialogue.
    
9. The two sides commended the agreement to facilitate bilateral cumulation of batteries through a temporary derogation from the Rules of Origin under the provisions of the EU – SADC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) to be submitted by South Africa. This derogation would aim at promoting battery manufacturing in the EU and South Africa and facilitating South Africa to employ batteries made in the EU and South Africa to export electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles to the EU market under the EU-SADC EPA. 
    
10. ⁠The EU announced five projects as part of the implementation of the Team Europe Global Gateway Investment Package for South Africa of nearly EUR 12 billion, unveiled at the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels on 9 October 2025. These projects included  three blended finance and technical assistance facilities on green hydrogen, minerals and metals in the e-batteries value chain; a European Investment Bank (EIB) loan to Transnet to support the decarbonisation of South Africa’s transport sector; as well as support from EIB under the EU-supported Human Development Accelerator initiative to boost South Africa’s vaccine’s manufacturing capacities. The two sides acknowledged the role of the implementing partners, including the Development Bank of Southern Africa, the Industrial Development Cooperation, Transnet and Biovac, as well as the EIB, the German Development Bank (KfW) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). 
     
11. The Leaders acknowledged the ongoing negotiations on the Horizontal Aviation Agreement, and the commitment by both sides to strengthen cooperation on maritime security in the context of the Djibouti Code of Conduct. 
     
12. The two sides noted the recent high-level discussions and technical exchanges dedicated to strengthening cooperation on environment, specifically on issues related the water sector.
     
13. The Leaders took note of ongoing efforts to advance cooperation on peace, security and defence, notably by establishing a dedicated Dialogue as set out in the Summit Declaration of March. It will strengthen cooperation, including on countering terrorism, cybersecurity, maritime security and mediation. They further concurred that tackling the underlying drivers of conflict remains essential for achieving durable peace, security and stability.
     
14. The meeting took place in the same spirit of partnership and cooperation that characterised the Summit in Cape Town. Both sides undertook to redouble efforts to address the outstanding issues to foster shared prosperity based on the principles of equality and mutual benefit. 
     
15. The EU looked forward to hosting the 9^th South Africa – EU Summit in Brussels on a mutually suitable date to be agreed between the parties.
     

His Excellency, the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Paul Mashatile will on Friday, 21 November 2025, host his Excellency, the President of France, Mr Emmanuel Macron, to commemorate the French citizens who played a role in the fight against apartheid in South Africa.

The French President will be in the country to join other leaders who will be attending the Group of Twenty (G20) Leaders Summit scheduled for 22-23 November, under the theme - " Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability ".

South Africa and France enjoy cordial bilateral, political and economic relations in areas such as Trade and Industry, Defence, Science and Technology, Energy, Education, Transport, Arts and Culture, among others.
 
The ceremony follows South Africa’s recent successful visit to France, which further strengthened the historic warm relations between the two countries by expanding on existing cooperation projects through mobilising investments, as well as identifying new areas of cooperation with specific focus on trade and investment.

Members of the media are invited to cover the Wreath-Laying Ceremony as follows:
Date: Friday, 21 November 2025
Time: 18:15 (Media to arrive at 17:30)
Venue: Freedom Park Heritage Site & Museum, Corner Koch and 7th Avenue, Salvokop, Pretoria 

Members of the media who wish to cover the Wreath-Laying ceremony should RSVP to Ms Tshiamo Selomo (The Presidency) on 066 118 1505 and Mr Tristan Roussignol Rètif (Embassy of France) on 082 610 2953.

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria
 

His Excellency, the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Paul Mashatile, met with VISA's Regional President for Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Mr. Tareq Muhmood, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Government Affairs, Mr. Bobby Thomson, and their delegation on the sidelines of the B20 Summit at the OR Tambo House in Pretoria.  

Deputy President Paul Mashatile expressed his gratitude to VISA's executives for their ongoing support and commitment to improving local infrastructure and the digital environment, significantly bolstering economic development and sustainability. 

The meeting reaffirms Visa's long-term commitment to South Africa, anchored by a R1 billion investment over the next three years. A key component of this investment is the establishment of South Africa's first domestic Visa data centre, the first of its kind in Africa. 

"As a government, we remain receptive to new avenues or concepts for investment, and we are committed to enhancing partnerships to augment investment in our beautiful nation. Your commitment to our country's infrastructure development has not gone unnoticed," said Deputy President Mashatile. 

Deputy President Mashatile emphasised the importance of VISA's partnership and investment in South Africa, as it will help localise transaction processing, improve payment service reliability, support innovations such as digital wallets, and, most importantly, empower SMEs, enhance township economies, and promote youth development through training and mentorship. 

The Deputy President concluded the meeting by extending an invitation to VISA Executives to attend the 2026 South Africa Investment Conference. “South Africa will host the Investment Conference in March 2026, and we would like to encourage you to participate in this event as we explore further areas of investment and partnership that will benefit you as a company as well as South Africa and its people, especially the youth,” said Deputy President Mashatile. 

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria
 

Programme Director,
B20 Co-Chairs, Ms Nonkululeko Nyembezi and Mr Mxolisi Mgojo,
B20 South Africa Sherpa, Mr Cas Coovadia,
Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Parks Tau,
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Ronald Lamola,
AU and EU Commissioners,
Members of the Local Business Advisory Council,
Members of the International Business Advocacy Caucus,
Ambassadors and High Commissioners,
B20 Sherpas,
Delegates,
Distinguished guests,
Friends,

It is a great honour to address this gathering of business people from across the globe who, by their presence here, have affirmed their commitment to a better Africa and a better world.

The G20 is meeting for the first time on African soil.

From every corner of the earth, people are returning to the Cradle of Humanity – to reflect on the state of our world and to chart a way forward to a more inclusive, more prosperous and more sustainable future.

This is a moment of great significance for Africa. It is also a moment of great opportunity.

It is an opportunity for Africa to assert its place in global affairs.

To affirm its position as a leader of economic growth and social progress in the years and decades before us.

Africa has some of the fastest growing economies in the world.  

It has the youngest population.

It is endowed with abundant natural resources: with the critical minerals that will build the economy of the future, with the fertile lands that can feed the world, and with the sun and the wind that will power a revolution in energy.

The African Continental Free Trade Area provides an unprecedented opportunity to harness these resources for the good of the people of the continent.

It promises a new area of trade and investment across the borders that have for so long held Africa back.

The African Continental Free Trade Area promises greater alignment of rules, regulations and standards.

It promises the seamless movement of goods and provision of services across a market of 1.4 billion people.

As the work done by the B20 has made clear, Africa has the potential to be the next frontier of global production, commerce and innovation.

We call on the global community to embrace Africa’s rise.

A more prosperous Africa is a more prosperous world.

An Africa that is at peace, that is stable, that is well governed and that has the means to meet the needs of its people, makes for a better world.

If the G20 is to realise its mission of fostering a more stable and prosperous world, then Africa’s growth and development must be a priority.

This calls for investment in infrastructure and industry. It calls for investment in people and technology. It calls for a massive increase in finance for climate action and a just transition for African economies.

Africa’s growth and development calls for more deliberate and more decisive action towards debt sustainability on the African continent.

Many African countries are unable to invest in their people, in infrastructure or in productive activity because of the cost of servicing their debt.

Removing this burden will unleash the potential of many African economies and the contribution that they can make to global growth.

This task has been bolstered in recent days by the release of the report of the Africa Expert Panel chaired by former South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel.

The panel’s report highlights the high cost of capital faced by African countries, which are higher than in other regions with similar fundamentals.  

It recommends measures to mobilise significantly more concessional funding from multilateral development banks and African trade and finance institutions.

The report says we need to address biased risk perceptions of Africa by mandating greater transparency and accountability from credit rating agencies.

Taken together, the detailed recommendations of the expert panel could create the conditions for an investment boom in Africa.

Through its deliberations over the past year, the B20 has done much to reinforce the value of Africa’s rise, and it has outlined in detail the actions that need to be taken and the conditions that need to be met to realise Africa’s rise.

The B20 has done much to position business as a force for progress.

The B20 could not have been clearer: the global business community is prepared, willing and able to drive inclusive, sustainable and resilient growth.

The global business community has made itself a reliable partner, keen to work with governments, with multilateral bodies, with social partners and with communities in pursuit of the common good.

The B20 has made it clear that growth must be inclusive.

Those who have been marginalised – women, youth, persons with disabilities, the unemployed – must become active and beneficial participants in the global economy.

This is a matter of social and economic justice. But it is so much more.

It is an opportunity to harness the capabilities, talents and effort of billions of people to unleash the productive potential of humanity.

This calls for an approach that invests in people. It must start in the earliest years of life, establishing through quality foundational education a platform for learning that produces the skills that the economy of tomorrow will need.

It calls for accessible, quality health care, for affordable social security and focused poverty alleviation measures.

It calls for support for micro, small and medium enterprises, for entrepreneurs and for informal businesses.

Workers need to be skilled and re-skilled as methods of production change, as new industries emerge, as old industries decline and as technology advances at an ever-increasing rate.

The B20 has said that growth must be sustainable.

For the last two centuries, the extraordinary growth of the global economy has been achieved at the expense of the very resources on which our species relies for survival.

We now know that unless we change course, urgently and resolutely, the conditions of life on this planet will become intolerable.

The move to a low carbon economy cannot be delayed. Indeed, it must be accelerated.

As we undertake this transition, we must be sure not to further deepen inequality between and within countries.

We cannot disadvantage those countries that bear the least responsibility for climate change, yet are today most vulnerable to its effects.

We therefore need a massive increase in financial support for just and inclusive transitions in developing economies. We must share knowledge, expertise and technology.

At the same time, we must be wary of unilateral trade measures that seek to promote cleaner energy, but that further restrict fair market access for economies that are still developing.

We need to pursue fair, transparent and multilateral trade arrangements that do not punish countries for a climate crisis that they did not make.

From the experience of recent years, we are clear that growth must be resilient.

We have seen the huge disruptions to production and trade that can be caused by global pandemics, war and conflict, and geopolitical turbulence.

At such times, we appreciate the value of multilateral institutions and a rules-based world order.  

We appreciate the importance of diverse and resilient supply chains, regulatory coherence and predictable trade relations.

As we work to reinforce the resilience of our economies and the resilience of the global economy, we must direct greater effort towards reducing inequality.

A more equal world, in which political and economic power is more fairly distributed, in which all people have an equal voice and an equal stake, such a world is more stable and more resilient.

The G20 Global Inequality Report produced by Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz and his committee of independent experts provides valuable guidance on the actions we can take towards such a world.

The recommendations contained in the committee’s report reinforce many of the priorities and actions that have been put forward at this B20 Summit and indeed throughout the year’s B20 engagements.

South Africa embarked on its G20 Presidency determined to advance the principles of Equality, Solidarity and Sustainability.

Over the course of the past year, most of the countries of the G20 have rallied in support of these principles, understanding that they are fundamental to our shared future.

We commend, applaud and thank the B20 for having imbued these principles with meaning and relevance.

I congratulate the B20 team and everyone from across the globe who participated in this worthy effort, and who are now determined to be part of the important work that lies ahead in building a better future for all.

I thank you.