Ramaphosa hopes review of G20 under SA presidency will serve as guide to ensure collective remains fit for purpose

While French President Emmanuel Macron has questioned the value and longevity of the Group of 20, President Cyril Ramaphosa said he hopes the review of the collective conducted under South Africa’s presidency will serve as a helpful guide to ensure the G20 remains fit for purpose in an ever-changing world.

Closing the two-day leaders’ summit in Johannesburg on Sunday, Ramaphosa said the review should continue into 2026.

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South Africa has used its presidency to place the priorities of Africa and the global south at the heart of the G20 agenda.

Following on from the presidencies of Indonesia, India and Brazil, the 2025 G20 prioritised the issues that matter most to developing economies.

While incoming G20 president Donald Trump has indicated that under his leadership, the bloc will return to its core mandate of attendingto economic issues, Ramaphosa said that the declaration reached at the start of the summit commits to improving the lives of people across the world.

“We have laid the foundation of solidarity, now we must build the walls of justice and the roof of prosperity. Let us move forward together, demonstrating to the world that we have the capacity to confront and overcome the world’s challenges.”

The summit has mobilised financing for a just energy transition, commitments to respond to the effects of disaster and climate change and ensuring that critical minerals drive prosperity.

“We recognised the need for deep, rapid and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and the need to substantially scale up investment and climate finance from all sources.”

Ramaphosa said G20 leaders had the responsibility to accelerate progress towards the 2030 sustainable development goals and the pact for the future.