For the first time in its history, the African continent hosted the Group of Twenty (G20) Leaders’ Summit, a forum traditionally dominated by the world’s richest and most powerful economies – under the presidency of South Africa. The event, held in Johannesburg in November 2025, was widely framed as a symbolic milestone in Africa’s global rise. But as Prof. Christopher Isike reminded participants at the recent ACCPA–ISPS high-level virtual webinar, “history is not made by inclusion alone, but by how your presence at the table is translated into influence”. That distinction underscores a deeper question: will Africa’s G20 moment yield real power or remain high-profile theatre?
Beyond Symbolism: From Hosting to Shaping the Global Agenda
South Africa’s hosting of the G20, under the banner of “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability” – brought Africa’s developmental and structural priorities to the centre of global discussions for the first time. The summit emphasised issues long championed by African leaders: climate finance, debt relief, sustainable growth, and trade reform.
President Cyril Ramaphosa and other African leaders made clear that this was more than a photo opportunity. In meetings with heads of state and at African Union gatherings on the sidelines of the summit, they reaffirmed commitments to strengthening disaster resilience, ensuring debt sustainability for low-income countries, mobilising finance for a just energy transition, and harnessing critical minerals for inclusive growth.
But hosting a summit, even one of historic significance, is fundamentally about influence, not just optics. Prof. Isike’s warning that “inclusion without influence could change nothing” echoes broader expert commentary pointing out that greater representation is necessary but not sufficient for transforming global governance. Without African bloc unity, strategic agenda-setting and follow-through on commitments, this milestone risks ending as a symbolic moment rather than a structural shift.
Despite scepticism in some circles, the Johannesburg summit did produce tangible outcomes geared toward Africa’s aspirations. A 122-point Leaders’ Declaration was adopted, signalling consensus on key policy areas, including financing support for climate resilience and cooperation on food security and disaster response.
Regional and international partnerships also gained renewed momentum. For example:
- The Partnership for African Infrastructure was launched to address critical gaps in transport, energy, and digital networks across the continent, projects long seen as essential for Africa’s industrialisation.
- Commitments were made to support Africa’s digital transformation and sustainable agriculture, bolstering long-term competitiveness.
These initiatives suggest that Africa’s influence over the G20 agenda was not merely rhetorical, but actionable. Yet, translating summit commitments into lasting change will require persistent diplomatic and institutional effort.
Longstanding bilateral relations played out around the summit:
- The European Union engaged with South Africa to deepen cooperation on sustainable development and financing reform, signalling continuity in EU-Africa diplomatic ties while advancing mutual policy goals.
- Brazil, another key Global South partner, has historically collaborated with South Africa through forums like BRICS and the G20, reinforcing shared priorities like multilateral economic reform.
- Vietnam and other emerging economies also participated in bilateral discussions on the summit’s margins, underscoring the expanding network of partnerships focused both on economic cooperation and broader governance reform.
These relationships demonstrate that Africa’s influence is already multi-layered – extending beyond the summit venue into ongoing bilateral and multilateral dialogues.
Prof. Isike and other experts emphasise that internal reform is central to converting presence into power. Africa’s leverage in global governance will depend heavily on the strength and coherence of continental institutions like the African Union (AU). Calls for completing financial reforms and clarifying the division of labour between the AU and Regional Economic Communities are not abstract debates, they are strategic imperatives if Africa is to present unified, decisive positions in future G20 and multilateral negotiations.
Africa’s G20 chapter is both a culmination and a commencement. Inclusion in high-level global decision-making arenas marks progress. But as Prof. Isike warns, “presence must be translated into influence.” Realising that influence will require sustained diplomatic agility, strengthened continental institutions, and strategic bilateral engagements that deepen Africa’s voice in shaping global norms and policies.
