South Africa is sharpening its focus on African trade and debt as it prepares to host the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg next week. Anil Sooklal, the country’s envoy in New Delhi, said the event will highlight the continent’s free‑trade areas and explore ways the G20 on November 22‑23 can deepen ties with Africa.
During an interview with , Sooklal emphasized that debt sustainability tops the summit’s agenda. “COVID‑19 has left many economies, especially in Africa, stretched thin,” he explained. “We built on the 2020 G20 debt framework under Saudi Arabia’s presidency, and now South Africa is making this a primary focus. A large share of African GDP goes toward debt repayment, slowing growth.”
The South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has even appointed a former finance minister to lead an African committee on debt relief. While this isn’t a G20‑led structure, its findings feed into the finance track of the summit, Sooklal added.
Beyond debt, the Group of 20 will tackle critical minerals—key inputs for new technologies and the global green‑energy transition. “Africa is a major reservoir of these minerals,” he said. “But we don’t want to be seen merely as a source of raw materials.” He noted that climate action, and reforms to global institutions like the IMF, World Bank, WTO and the United Nations, will also be front‑and‑center at the Geneva‑style meeting.
South Africa’s message is clear: partner with Africa, reduce debt barriers, leverage mineral wealth responsibly, and push for a more equitable global economic order. The summit will set the stage for how the G20 can support African growth in a post‑pandemic world.
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