As the G20 summit came to an end on Tuesday, South Africa became the first African nation to assume the presidency of the Group of 20 major economies — a year-long term that will officially begin on Dec. 1, 2024.
“We will use this moment to bring the development priorities of the African continent and the global south more firmly onto the agenda of the G20,” said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, after the head of the G20’s current presidency, Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, symbolically handed over the role in Rio de Janeiro.
Ramaphosa then announced South Africa’s G20 theme: solidarity, equality and sustainability. Beneath that umbrella, the country will prioritize inclusive economic growth, food security, and artificial intelligence, he added — not just through the G20 summit, but through 130 meetings in South Africa throughout next year.