Chairing the Group of 20 (G20) grouping of nations will not only give South Africa international exposure for the year-long term, but it will give Pretoria the opportunity to champion policies that favour the global south and Africa, says an expert.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the summit, which starts today and at which South Africa will be expected to take over as chair of the organisation.
Dr Jan Venter, international relations analyst at North West University, said South Africa’s term as the G20 president would be similar to that of Hungary which now chairs the European Union.
Will anything change with SA at the helm of G20?
Hungary has faced hostility from fellow EU members because of its friendship with Russia.
‘Thank you for leading us well’: President Ramphosa far from home as he turns 72 [VIDEO]
Budapest, although a European Union member, has refused to observe economic sanctions imposed by the West on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
South Africa has resisted pressure to condemn Russia and it maintains close relations with both Moscow and the West, citing its non-aligned foreign policy.
Venter said South Africa could also use the opportunity to push other countries to change their policy of isolating Russia over Ukraine.
“This will also present an opportunity for South Africa to tell the international community and investors it is ready to do business.
“They must really work hard to attract investment. Ideology is one thing but practicality is another,” Venter said.
‘Green scam’
The gathering will be the last for US President Joe Biden before he is replaced by climate change denialist Donald Trump, who prefers fossil fuels over renewable energy which he labels as the new “green scam”.
Trump is expected to attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg next year.
As the next chair of the body, Ramaphosa will be expected to continue with the global south’s advocacy for the prioritisation of social inclusion, the fight against hunger and poverty, energy transitions, the promotion of sustainable development and the reform of global governance institutions.
G20’s importance
The G20 is the premier forum for global economic cooperation and global governance representing 85% of global GDP, 75% of global trade and two-thirds of the world’s population.
It is a vehicle for promoting effective multilateral cooperation by bringing together the world’s leading economies to ensure global economic stability and sustainable growth.
