G20 Leadership Summit 2025

The Group of Twenty (G20) is an international platform that brings together the world’s major economies to coordinate macroeconomic policies, promote global financial stability, and address pressing international challenges. G20 members collectively represent around 85% of global GDP, over 75% of global trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population. The group includes 19 countries

The The group includes 19 countries, it has no permanent secretariat. Instead, its presidency rotates annually among countries grouped into five regional groups:

• Group 1: Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, United States
• Group 2: India, Russia, South Africa, Türkiye
• Group 3: Argentina, Brazil, Mexico
• Group 4: France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom
• Group 5: China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea
• The African Union (AU) and European Union (EU)

Each year, a country from a different group assumes the presidency. The G20 Presidency coordinates the agenda and hosts meetings, supported by the “troika” the current, previous, and incoming presidencies. During South Africa’s Presidency, the troika will include Brazil (past), South Africa (current), and the United States (incoming).

Established in 1999 following the Asian financial crisis, the G20 began as a forum for Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors. In 2007, the G20 was elevated to a Leaders’ Summit level, expanding its scope to include broader global issues such as trade, climate change, development, health, energy, agriculture, and anti-corruption.

On 9 September 2023, during the G20 Summit in New Delhi, the African Union was officially admitted as a permanent member, marking a historic milestone. The AU’s inclusion ensures that Africa has formal representation in global economic governance structures, significantly enhancing its ability to shape international policy.

Following its inclusion, the AU Assembly identified six key priorities to guide Africa’s G20 engagement over the next three years:

1. Fast-tracking the implementation of Agenda 2063, Africa’s blueprint for inclusive and sustainable development.
2. Advocating for the reform of international financial institutions to ensure fair representation and responsiveness to Africa’s financing needs.
3. Enhancing agricultural productivity and food security to address hunger, support rural livelihoods, and reduce import dependency.
4. Advancing a just and equitable energy transition, ensuring Africa’s development is not compromised in the shift to low-carbon economies.
5. Promoting trade and investment to accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and strengthen intra-African value chains.
6. Improving Africa’s sovereign credit ratings and attracting investment in vaccine manufacturing, pharmaceutical production, and pandemic preparedness.

AU Participation Governance Structure

To enable effective representation across G20 processes, the AU has adopted structured modalities for engagement:

• G20 Leaders’ Summits: Represented by the Chairperson of the African Union, with support from the Chairperson of the AU Commission.
• G20 Ministerial Meetings:
  • Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meetings: Led by the Chairperson of the AU Executive Council, assisted by the AU Commission Chairperson.
  • Sectoral Ministerial Meetings: Led by the Chairpersons of AU Specialized Technical Committees (STCs), with relevant AU Commissioners.
• G20 Finance Track: Represented by the Chairperson of the AU STC on Finance, Monetary Affairs, Economic Planning, and Integration, assisted by the AU Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry, and Minerals.

South Africa’s leadership of the G20 in 2025 marks a pivotal moment for the African continent. As the first African country to chair the G20 and with the African Union now a permanent member, the presidency strengthens Africa’s ability to influence global policy, attract investment, and assert its strategic role in shaping a more just and inclusive international order.

The African Union plays a key role in supporting coordination among Member States to ensure that Africa’s priorities are fully integrated into the G20 agenda.

Thematic Focus of the G20 under South Africa’s Presidency

Each G20 Summit is structured around a set of themes that reflect the most pressing global challenges, enabling leaders to align national policies and set coordinated international priorities.

For the 2025 G20 Summit, chaired by South Africa, the thematic focus responds to both global shifts and Africa’s development agenda. The following four pillars will shape dialogue and cooperation throughout South Africa’s presidency:

1. Economic Growth and Employment
2. Sustainable Finance and Investment
3. Energy Transition and Climate Action
4. Health and Food Security

The Sherpa Track is led by the personal representatives of the G20 leaders. They oversee negotiations, discuss the issues that form the Summit’s agenda, and coordinate most of the work.

Within the G20, Sherpas represent the leaders of each country and carry the discussions and agreements to the final Summit with Heads of State and Government.

The Sherpa Track is composed of the following 22 working groups:

• Agriculture Working Group: supports Africa’s Agenda 2063 through sustainable, inclusive, and trade-driven agrifood and fisheries systems.
• Anti-Corruption Working Group: corruption hampers Africa’s progress, weakening institutions, draining resources, and undermining the governance, equity, and stability goals of Agenda 2063.
• Culture Working Group: promotes culture as a driver of inclusive development, supporting Agenda 2063’s identity, innovation, and youth goals.
• Development Working Group: fosters inclusive growth, partnerships, governance, investment, coordination, and measurable outcomes in support of Agenda 2063.
• Digital Economy Working Group: supports digital inclusion, skills, innovation, governance, trade, and cooperation in Africa, in alignment with Agenda 2063.
• Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Working Group: enhances resilience, climate adaptation, and sustainable development, in line with Agenda 2063.
• Education Working Group: prioritizes inclusive, future-ready education to empower African youth through equity, innovation, and partnerships.
• Employment Working Group: advances jobs, skills, equity, and social protection, aligning with Agenda 2063 to empower Africa’s youth, women, and economies.
• Women’s Empowerment Working Group: supports employment, skills, equity, and social protection, in line with Agenda 2063 for the empowerment of women, youth, and African economies.
• Energy Transitions Working Group: promotes sustainable energy transitions focused on access, renewables, efficiency, and inclusion, in accordance with Agenda 2063’s transformation goals.
• Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group: prioritizes climate action, sustainability, and resilience, in alignment with Agenda 2063 to ensure Africa’s inclusive and sustainable development.
• Health Working Group: emphasizes health systems, equity, and pandemic preparedness, supporting Agenda 2063 to strengthen Africa’s health and development.
• Research and Innovation Working Group: fosters growth, climate resilience, and digital transformation, in alignment with Agenda 2063 to boost Africa’s competitiveness.
• Tourism Working Group: drives economic growth, job creation, cultural exchange, and sustainability, in line with Agenda 2063.
• Trade and Investment Working Group: supports economic growth, regional integration, and industrialization, in alignment with Agenda 2063’s goals for inclusive development and prosperity.
• Framework Working Group: promotes inclusive growth, in accordance with Agenda 2063’s objectives for sustainable development, infrastructure, and youth empowerment.
• Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI): enhances financial inclusion, in line with Agenda 2063 for inclusive growth, digital services, gender equality, and MSME support.
• Financial Sector Issues Working Group: focuses on financial stability, inclusion, digital transformation, and regulation, supporting Agenda 2063’s goals for economic growth.
• Infrastructure Working Group: supports sustainable and inclusive development, aligned with Agenda 2063’s objectives for regional integration and growth.
• International Financial Architecture Working Group: promotes financial governance, debt sustainability, and climate finance, supporting Agenda 2063.
• International Taxation Issues Working Group: supports G20 tax reforms to promote transparency, combat illicit flows, and strengthen Africa’s financial self-sufficiency.
• Sustainable Finance Working Group: fosters green and inclusive growth by mobilizing climate finance and aligning systems with Agenda 2063.