In a milestone for both Africa and the global business community, Johannesburg will host the B20 South Africa Summit from November 18-20, in the lead-up to the G20 Johannesburg Summit.
As world business leaders descend on Sandton under the banner “Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity through Global Cooperation”, the summit promises to rewrite how Africa fits into the global sustainability narrative by putting economic and sustainability imperatives front and centre.
Hosted by South Africa under its G20 presidency, the B20 is a strategic platform aligning private-sector mobilisation with government policy priorities.
Africa’s economy is projected to grow by 3.8% in 2025, outpacing the global average of 2.8%, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Yet, the continent attracts less than 3% of global foreign direct investment. This is a gap the B20 aims to close by unlocking capital for sustainable infrastructure investment, strengthening trade and local industrialisation.
What distinguishes this B20 summit is its embedding of sustainability into its core architecture. Under eight task forces, themes ranging from “Energy Mix & Just Transition” to “Sustainable Food Systems & Agriculture” and “Finance & Infrastructure” are all geared for business-led solutions and finance.
In the climate and energy space, South Africa’s wider G20 agenda, encompassing “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability”, anchors the country’s presidency in tackling the just energy transition, mobilising finance for energy shifts, ensuring beneficiation for communities with critical minerals, and aligning industrial strategy with environmental stewardship.
South Africa alone will need an estimated R8.5-trillion over the next three decades to fund its just energy transition, according to National Treasury. Yet less than 20% of that financing has been firmly committed.
“For South Africa, this summit is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to attract investment and showcase innovation,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The B20’s task forces, launched earlier in the year, are finalising policy recommendations for handover to G20 leaders.
Key issues, such as integrating Africa into global value chains, strengthening developing-country access to low-carbon technology, and bridging infrastructure investment gaps, will dominate the substantive agenda.
For the everyday South African, the implication of B20’s economic and sustainability focus will draw new investment that can translate into jobs, skills development, infrastructure and inclusion.
Youth unemployment in South Africa remains stubbornly high at 45.5%, according to Stats SA.
B20 task forces have identified small business financing and digital skills as top levers to reverse that trend, especially since SMEs already contribute nearly 40% of GDP and employ over 60% of the workforce in many African economies.
For local business and entrepreneurs, the policies and frameworks developed may create new export avenues through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), international investment flows, and partnerships.
The AfCFTA alone could lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty and boost intra-African trade by 81% by 2035, according to the World Bank. Yet, infrastructure shortfalls still cost African economies an estimated $170-billion annually.
However, calls for cautious optimism on the B20 and G20 offerings remain valid, pressing for a move beyond talk shops.
South Africans have heard it all before, from big pledges to glossy declarations and little to no delivery. Without concrete action, the B20 could easily slip into the long tradition of high-profile talk shops.
As Johannesburg rolls out the red carpet this month, policymakers and business leaders will be under pressure to deliver on their “legacy initiatives”.
Will the outcomes reflect Africa’s priorities? Will investment match the rhetoric? And will sustainability become a defining feature of the next decade of growth? When the lights dim on the B20 Summit, the real test of whether Africa’s boardrooms can match ambition with action will begin.
Dr Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, B20 South Africa chair, is quoted, “This is not another talk shop. It’s Africa’s boardroom for the future… and if we can green our industries and empower our youth, we can redefine global capitalism from Johannesburg.”
