What the G20 Is and Why the Summit Is Being Held in Africa for the First Time
Established in 1999, the Group of Twenty brings together 19 countries and two regional blocs—the European Union and the African Union (AU).
This year, the presidency passes to South Africa, which is hosting the summit on African soil for the first time.
The G20 accounts for 85 percent of global GDP and roughly two-thirds of the world’s population.
South Africa remains the continent’s only G20 member state, although in 2023 the AU was admitted as a separate group.
South Africa’s Priorities: From Debt Sustainability to a “Just Energy Transition”
South Africa has outlined the core themes of its G20 presidency: strengthening resilience to natural disasters, ensuring debt sustainability for low-income countries, financing a just energy transition, and leveraging critical minerals to support inclusive growth and sustainable development.
The presidency’s slogan is framed as “Solidarity, Equity, Sustainability”.
South Africa, which the World Bank describes as “the most unequal country in the world”, has convened a panel of experts to examine the global wealth gap and draft proposals for the summit.
The team, led by Nobel laureate in economics Joseph Stiglitz, has urged the creation of an intergovernmental body to address what it calls an “inequality emergency” that leaves 2.3 billion people facing hunger.
Why the United States and Argentina Are Not Attending—and What It Means for the Summit
President Donald Trump said this month that the United States would not send a delegation, calling South Africa’s presidency “a complete disgrace”.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has repeatedly subjected South Africa to sharp criticism on a range of issues, including circulating false claims about a “white genocide”.
He has imposed a 30-percent tariff on the country—the highest among states south of the Sahara.
Although the US boycott may complicate Pretoria’s ability to advance its presidency agenda, South Africa has said Washington’s absence is “its own loss” and expressed confidence that the summit will proceed successfully.
Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, a Trump ally, will also be absent and is sending his foreign minister instead.
As with previous summits, Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, will not attend.
Where the Meeting Will Take Place—and the State of Infrastructure in the Country’s Largest City
The G20 leaders’ meeting will be held at the Nasrec Exhibition Centre, South Africa’s largest purpose-built conference venue.
The venue sits on the edge of the historic township of Soweto and was chosen as a symbol of post-apartheid “spatial integration”. It regularly hosts major events, including the annual conference of the ruling African National Congress.
Nearby is the stadium that staged the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Preparations for the summit have once again drawn attention to the state of Johannesburg—a city born of the late-1880s gold rush and home, according to official July estimates, to around six million people.
Despite containing Africa’s “richest square mile”, the city struggles with decaying infrastructure, inadequate services, and chronic administrative dysfunction.
In March, President Cyril Ramaphosa sharply criticized the state of the urban environment and demanded that repairs be accelerated. In July, the African Development Bank approved a $139 million loan to upgrade the infrastructure.
What Will Change After the Summit and How Trump Is Challenging the Format of the Grouping
Once the summit concludes, South Africa will hand over the G20 presidency to the United States, marking the end of a succession of presidencies held by countries of the Global South—Brazil, India and Indonesia.
Trump has already signaled his intention to drastically scale back the grouping, which over the years has expanded far beyond its original financial mandate, adding numerous working groups and a broad array of social issues.
The American president also questioned “whether South Africa should remain in the G at all,” triggering renewed debate over the future of the G20 format itself.