Africa: SA, AU Commission to Hold Consultative Meeting On the G20

The Director-General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Zane Dangor who serves as South Africa’s G20 Sherpa, will host consultations on the G20 with his African Union Commission (AUC) counterpart, Ambassador Albert Muchanga.

The session will be held on Thursday.

Ambassador Muchanga is the G20 Sherpa and Commissioner of Economy, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals (ETTIM).

It is expected that the two leaders will exchange views on the approaches to the G20 and identify areas of cooperation on the draft outcomes of the Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

They will also talk about the envisioned priorities of South Africa’s G20 Presidency, which South Africa will assume on 1 December 2024 and other possible areas of cooperation during South Africa’s G20 Presidency.

At the recent G20 High-Level Opening Session in New York, held on the margins of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA79), President Cyril Ramaphosa reiterated the timeliness and necessity of the G20’s “Call to Action on Global Governance Reform”.

The President highlighted South Africa’s commitment to the revival and strengthening of multilateralism and the reform of global governance institutions to make them more representative.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) believes that South Africa’s Presidency of the G20 presents a unique opportunity to place Africa’s developmental priorities at the top of the agenda, as well as advocating for economies of the Global South Africa.

“It will enable South Africa to build on the efforts and successes of the Indonesian, Indian and Brazilian G20 Presidencies.”

The G20 Summit held in India in September 2023 granted the African Union (AU) permanent membership of the G20.

“Thus, the inclusion of the AU will allow African countries to own and influence decisions on key issues on the agenda of the G20.

“South Africa has been the only African member of the G20 and advocating for the interests of Africa in the G20. The inclusion of the AU in this important forum will no doubt boost Africa’s voice,” DIRCO said in a statement.

Dangor will be joined by senior officials from various government departments.

The G20 Leaders’ Summit is set to be held on 18 and 19 November in Brazil.