President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to officially open and address the much-anticipated Group of 20 (G20) Foreign Ministers’ meeting on Thursday afternoon, hosted in Johannesburg. Taking place at the Nasrec Expo Centre from February 20 to 21, the two-day event is a pivotal moment for South Africa’s G20 Presidency. Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, is overseeing the gathering, which is integral to South Africa’s leadership of the G20 this year.
South Africa’s G20 Presidency began in December 2024, and the country is on track to host a significant number of meetings throughout 2025. These include around 130 working group meetings and 23 ministerial-level meetings. This year’s theme for South Africa’s presidency, “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability,” reflects its commitment to driving collaborative action on pressing global challenges.
The Foreign Ministers’ meeting will focus on a wide range of key issues, including global geopolitical dynamics. South Africa is set to review its G20 Presidency High-Level Deliverables and reflect on the impact of the G20 over the past two decades. Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for the Presidency, explained that G20 Summits bring together leaders from the world’s largest economies to address significant global concerns and foster economic cooperation.
Since its creation in 2008, the G20 has expanded its focus from being primarily a platform for crisis management to a forum that now addresses financial stability, climate change, global health, and sustainable development. During its presidency, South Africa has placed a strong emphasis on advancing Africa’s development, with key priorities rooted in the African Union’s Agenda 2063, known as The Africa We Want. These priorities include inclusive economic growth, industrialisation, reducing inequality, food security, and harnessing emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and data governance to promote sustainable development.
Ramaphosa is scheduled to address the opening session at 2 p.m. However, there has been some diplomatic tension as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he would not attend the meeting. The US’s decision not to participate is linked to concerns over South Africa’s land reform policy, particularly following President Ramaphosa’s signing of the Expropriation Bill into law. Instead of Rubio, the US will be represented by embassy staff at the event.
