African Heads of State and Government

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.