South Africa's presidency of the G20 in 2025 arrives at a moment of critical transition. Global trade policy, finance mechanisms and climate commitments set in the G20 reverberate rapidly through open middle-income economies like ours.

With the G20 Leaders' Summit taking place in Johannesburg on 22/23 November, on African soil for the first time, South Africa has a unique platform, but also a unique test to turn diplomatic visibility into meaningful economic outcomes.

The global backdrop is sobering. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), emerging markets remain the primary engine of growth among G20 economies, yet many face rising debt burdens, fragile investor confidence and volatile capital flows.

Domestically, South Africa's economy is beset; growth in 2024 ran at only 0.6% year on year. Unemployment remains deeply entrenched, with the official rate at 33.2% in Q2 2025, affecting about 8.4 million people. Youth unemployment (ages 15-34) is at 46.1%, and inequality endures, with the Gini coefficient forecast near 0.63. These realities frame the stakes: growth alone cannot deliver broad-based prosperity without deliberate policy alignment.

In this context, the G20 presidency is not ceremonial; it is a lever for change. The challenge is to shift the narrative from one where...