Indholdsfortegnelse for G20 magazine i G20 Magazine

IT IS with great pride that Independent Media welcomes the G20 community to South Africa, and to the African continent. As one of Africa's leading voices in media, our role is to share South Africa with the world, and to bring the world closer to Africa. In doing so, we honour our rich history, our vibrant culture, and the enduring legacy of Nelson Mandela – whose vision of unity and humanity continues to inspire us today. South Africa is more than a destination; it is an experience of people, heritage and landscapes that leave a lasting impression. We trust that this special G20 edition will provide valuable insight, while also offering a glimpse into the spirit of our nation and the promise of Africa's future. Welcome to South Africa. Welcome…

CHALLENGES SA FACES Managing relations between East and West (BRICS vs G7) Climate finance: difficulty securing funding for vulnerable countries Global retreat from multilateralism and cooperation Risk of alienating the US over de-dollarisation STRATEGIC PRIORITIES Using agenda-setting power to influence discussions Acting as a bridge between conflicting global powers Advocating for incremental reforms for fairer global systems Balancing idealism with practical diplomacy SOUTH Africa, as chair of the G20 Summit 2025, faces a complex global landscape marked by uncertainty and shifting power dynamics. To succeed, it must strategically manage relationships with major powers, balancing interests between the West and the East, say academics. STRATEGIC ROLE The Group of Twenty (G20) is a forum of developed and developing nations working to address global economic and financial challenges. Its presidency rotates annually…

GLOBALISATION can be defined as “the growing interdependence of the world's economies, cultures and populations, brought about by cross-border trade in goods and services, technology, and flows of investment, people and information. Countries have built economic partnerships to facilitate these movements over many centuries.” Since 2020, the world has faced a cascade of major shocks – the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war (2022), the Hamas attack on Israel (2023), and most recently, the Trump administration's sweeping tariffs in 2025. These disruptions have reignited debate over whether globalisation is slowing, fragmenting, or even reversing. In South Africa, rolling blackouts have exposed deep energy insecurity, while concerns around the emerging Southern African “gas cliff” highlight broader issues of energy access across the continent. Modern trade theory sees international trade as a key…

ORDINARILY, one might assume that startups and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in advanced economies are destined to thrive, shielded from the vulnerabilities that cripple their peers in underdeveloped nations. The logic is clear – developed nations boast the “perfect” ecosystem: funding, infrastructure, markets, and institutional support. The 2025 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) highlights ecosystems such as Silicon Valley, New York, London and Tel Aviv, where resources and mentorship converge to fuel innovation. Yet, even there, survival is far from guaranteed. Startups still fail due to poor market fit, weak financial planning, or lack of adaptability. This reminds us that resilience, adaptability, and innovation – particularly in areas such as AI – often outweigh structural advantages. Entrepreneurial survival is earned, not inherited. ECONOMIC BACKBONE Startups and MSMEs are…

DIGITAL connectivity has the potential to deliver transformative economic empowerment, according to Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi. Malatsi said this will allow South Africans to learn new skills and expand access to economic opportunities. To this end, the future of the digital economy and AI innovation will unfold at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg in November. The summit takes place amid global challenges including climate change with its impacts like extreme weather and food insecurity, economic instability such as inflation and poverty, health crises including pandemics, growing income inequality and societal polarisation, and threats from conflict, emerging technologies, and the erosion of truth and democracy. SOLUTIONS Digital economies and innovation are expected to offer solutions by increasing access to essential services such as education and healthcare,…

AFRICA stands at the dawn of a renewable energy revolution that could reshape its economy and energy landscape. Rich in solar, wind, hydro and geothermal resources, the continent has the natural advantages to become a global clean energy powerhouse while addressing persistent energy access challenges. THE RENEWABLE RESOURCE ADVANTAGE Africa's potential is staggering. It enjoys some of the highest solar irradiation levels globally. Morocco, Egypt and South Africa have demonstrated the viability of large-scale solar, while the Sahara Desert alone could theoretically generate enough electricity to meet global demand multiple times over. Wind resources are equally impressive. Extensive coastlines and elevated regions provide vast opportunities. Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa have tapped into this potential, with Kenya's Lake Turkana Wind Power project, producing 310MW, as the continent's largest wind farm.…

AS PART of the global logistics and business community, I see every day how decisions made by G20 economies influence opportunity across sectors. These choices shape whether people – especially women – can access credit, find decent work, and rely on social safety nets during challenging times. With South Africa chairing the G20 for the first time, we have a unique opportunity to turn aspirations around gender equality and inclusive growth into sustained action. That said, the global picture shows how much work remains. Only 17% of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are on track to be achieved by 2030. Goal 5, focused on gender equality, continues to face significant barriers. As economic pressures rise, it's often services linked to education, health, and women's empowerment that experience cutbacks. We…

AS South Africa nears the end of its G20 presidency, it stands at a defining moment – not only for the nation but for the continent it represents on the global stage. As the only African member of the G20, South Africa has carried the weight of advocating for Africa's interests in a forum that shapes global economic and political agendas. This is a crucial period in geopolitics. The world finds itself amidst multiple conflicts, trade tariffs and barriers and an urgent need for the Global South to become more of a decision-maker in world politics. The summit takes place just two years after the African Union's historic admission as a permanent G20 member in 2023. Expectations are high that the AU will push for tangible commitments from wealthier nations.…

AS THE world gathers under the G20 banner, I am honoured that this year's meetings of Heads of State and their forums are hosted for the first time in South Africa. This moment is more than a diplomatic milestone, it is a chance for our nation and continent to showcase Africa's creativity, resilience, and vast potential. Over the past two decades, I have participated in several multilateral institutions and forums, including the UN General Assembly Private Sector Forum and the World Economic Forum's Annual Meetings in Davos. The G20 remains a pivotal institution that shapes the global economy and politics, uniting the world's 20 largest economies whose collective output drives global progress. The inclusion of major Global South nations such as China, India, and Indonesia marks a new era in…

THIS is a moment of great significance for South Africa, for Africa and for the world. It was on this continent that the capacity for human cooperation first took root. The G20 represents more than two-thirds of the global population. Its decisions must therefore reflect the needs and aspirations of all people – in particular the poor, the marginalised, women and young people. Our presidency is guided by the principle that all voices must be heard and all views must count. We must act with determination to promote inclusive growth, underpinned by trade and investment that lift incomes and expand opportunity. South Africa is advancing a trade agenda that prioritises sustainable value chains, industrial development and fairer trade terms. Developing economies remain vulnerable to global shocks, particularly when unilateral measures…

SOUTH Africa stands at a pivotal moment. With the 2025 G20 Summit in Johannesburg and the second Future of Jobs Summit™ taking place alongside it, the nation has an opportunity to turn ambition into action and co-create one million new jobs by 2030. The blueprint exists. In 2023, India hosted the G20 and turned the summit into a national accelerator. Through targeted investment, infrastructure upgrades, SME support and skills alignment, India created over a million jobs in under two years. South Africa can draw from this playbook – and potentially surpass it – by aligning national priorities and fostering collaboration across business, government and labour. POWER OF CO-CREATION Co-creation is not a slogan. It is a disciplined process where stakeholders come together to solve complex challenges that no single sector…

SOUTH AFRICA'S G20 presidency comes at a time of intersecting global crises – climate change, inequality, geopolitical instability and rapid technological transformation. With the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability” and the philosophy of Ubuntu at its core, the country has the opportunity to shape a digital future that's inclusive, ethical, and locally grounded. “Countries that attempt to prosper alone amid widespread poverty and underdevelopment contradict the essence of Ubuntu and our collective humanity,” reads the G20 presidency's official message. GLOBAL LESSONS The digital divide is no longer just about who's online – but who can meaningfully participate in the digital economy. Dr Jonathan Shock, associate professor at UCT's Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, highlights models from around the world that offer insight. Estonia's secure national platforms, Singapore's industry-academia training programmes,…

AS GLOBAL leaders gather for the G20 summit, discussions centre on fortifying global health systems with an urgent focus on pandemic preparedness, universal health coverage and equitable access to healthcare. Experts are calling for African-led solutions, combined with increased investments and enhanced manufacturing capabilities, to ensure a resilient health infrastructure on the continent. South Africa, serving as the 2025 G20 president, hosted working group meetings that brought together representatives of UN Member States, invited countries, and various international agencies and organisations. These meetings aimed to forge collaborative strategies that address the complex health challenges of the 21st century. AFRICAN FOUNDATIONS Robyn Hayes-Badenhorst of Supporting Health Initiatives (SHI), a division of Wits Health Consortium, said as the G20 meets in South Africa under the theme ‘Strengthening Global Health Systems’, SHI emphasises…

AS THE world's most powerful economies descend on Johannesburg, South Africa sends a clear message: it's time for global power to serve people, not just profit. The country has pushed for lasting commitments in its G20 presidency – especially on youth employment, climate justice and economic inclusion. The Group of Twenty (G20), made up of 19 countries, the EU and the African Union, represents 85% of global GDP and over 75% of trade. WHY THE SUMMIT MATTERS First G20 leaders’ summit on African soil  South Africa's theme: “Solidarity, equality and sustainability” More than symbolic – it shifts priorities toward the global South. One of the challenges the presidency explored was youth unemployment. The stats below show the ticking timebomb: 4.8 million South Africans aged 15–34 are unemployed Global youth joblessness…

THE world is different now and that's quite a thing. I don't know how I feel about it. It's been far from perfect but much of the growth the world has seen in the last 80 years has been an outcome of more trade. Not all of it of course, and much of the gains have been quite unevenly spread, but it's hard to imagine a world where globalisation did not happen and feel okay about it. There are around 7.2 billion smartphones in the world and not one of them is less powerful than the computer that sent the first people to the moon. Now think of the amazing things almost every human on earth takes for granted by simply having a smartphone. This device has altered humanity, and…

WHAT do K-pop and amapiano have in common, and how can there be any commonality between rugby and Japanese cuisine? They seem worlds apart, don't they? All of these are tied to one straightforward idea: Soft Power. This refers to the subtle influence a nation's traditions, culture, arts and cuisine can wield in shaping its global identity. And the topic comes into sharp focus as South Africa prepares to host the G20 Johannesburg Summit, the twentieth meeting of the Group of Twenty, a meeting of heads of state and government to be held from November 22 to 25, the first to be held on the African continent. When American political scientist Joseph Nye first coined the term soft power in the late 1980s, he offered a framework for understanding how…

SOUTH AFRICA'S G20 presidency comes at a pivotal moment – where our ongoing efforts to address climate change and protect vulnerable communities are being tested by the urgent need to secure affordable energy and reignite inclusive economic growth from its current stagnation. In this context, bold and decisive action by world leaders at the G20 will be critical to advancing a development pathway that is both just and sustainable. CLIMATE RISKS ARE INTENSIFYING The frequency and intensity of extreme weather events have brought home the realisation of climate risks for businesses, people's lives and livelihoods. Climate change has ceased to be a distant environmental concern – it is already undermining livelihoods, deepening poverty and placing new burdens on those least equipped to bear them. PRESIDENTIAL CLIMATE COMMISSION Formed in 2020,…

I still remember stepping into the Birchwood Hotel in Ekurhuleni, my exhibitor badge swinging around my neck, and thinking, this is history in the making. For the first time, the Y20 Summit, the official G20 youth engagement platform is on African soil. And there I was, not just watching from the sidelines, but right in the middle of it. The theme said it all: “Uniting for Solidarity, Championing Equality, Driving Sustainability.” But what really struck me was how the words leapt off the banners and into real conversations. Young people from across the globe weren't just repeating policy talk; they were rolling up their sleeves and saying, this is what we're building, this is how we're changing things. From my corner in the exhibition space, I watched it unfold like…