As the first African country to lead the trillion-dollar G20 group, South Africa will spend 2025 pushing debt relief, climate change and international justice issues. This means there's a lot at stake for Brics and developing nations.
"We will work towards solidarity, equality and sustainable development that will have an impact on many people around the world," President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his New Year address last night.
"Every South African will be part of the journey towards a better future for all."
Pretoria aims to put African development priorities firmly on the G20 agenda - and more broadly, those of the Global South.
South Africa took over the rotating presidency of the grouping in December, and will host its main annual summit in November 2025, before handing over to the United States.
'Not unexpected'
The forum unites 19 of the world's largest economies plus the European Union, who meet regularly to coordinate global policies on trade, health, climate and other issues. The group granted the African Union membership in 2023.
South Africa is the last member of the G20 to hold the presidency of the group, which was set up in 1999 to create a platform for the world's most dynamic economies beyond the G7.
William Gumede, of the University of the Witwatersrand's School of Governance in Johannesburg, says it's important not to overstate the significance of an African country taking the helm.
"The G20 has a rotating presidency, so it was at some point coming to South Africa. It is not out of the ordinary, it is not unexpected," he told RFI.
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"The only irony is that this comes after Brazil and it appears that all the Brics countries in the last couple of years have been taking over the presidency. But, it is just by rotation," he added, referring to the economic bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates.
A challenging time
South Africa's G20 presidency comes as the country and its governing African National Congress (ANC) party faces significant internal challenges.
Economic stagnation, high unemployment and political uncertainty have cast a shadow over the country's leadership aspirations.
But its leadership also stands to create opportunities for growth.
"Such events help improve infrastructure and create at least temporary jobs, which is happening now, especially in Cape Town," he said.
Events throughout the year, including cultural performances with international guests, will allow South Africa to showcase itself to global partners.
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Accept Manage my choices Key issues
Debt relief, climate change and peacekeeping are expected to dominate this year's G20 discussions.
"The climate change crisis is worsening," Ramaphosa said in early December, as he unveiled his G20 priorities. "Many economies carry the burden of unsustainable levels of debt."
Pretoria's new coalition government, formed in June last year, is also advocating for a transition to cleaner technologies, such as solar power, which is increasingly being adopted in southern Africa.
And it wants to promote unity and diversity as a positive tool not only for South Africa, but more broadly for developing economies.
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Foreign affairs
The presidency is likely to influence South Africa's foreign relations, particularly with the United States.
Some key summit dates remain unconfirmed, possibly awaiting news of Donald Trump.'s plans following his inauguration on 20 January.
If Trump attends the G20 summit, it will mark his first major global appearance outside industrialised nations.
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"Putin is not going to come, but speculatio is raging about Trump. For him, it would be big and symbolic," Gumede said.
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But it may not be smooth sailing for relations between the US and South Africa.
Cameron Hudson, a senior fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in DC, noted that tensions between South Africa and the US could complicate matters.
"Pretoria has long had pro-China, pro-Russia and anti-Israel positions, which will not work well with Donald Trump," he said.
Talks at this year's forum could potentially influence South Africa's foreign policy, shifting it to a more neutral stance, Gumede suggested.
"The new unity government has shared no criticism of Trump so far, not even from the ANC," he told RFI. And that could help improve relations between the US and the African continent in general.
