Cyril Ramaphosa’s message to the world
President Cyril Ramaphosa told delegates at the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos that solidarity, equality, and sustainable development will improve the world.
During his address, he highlighted South Africa’s objectives and priorities for the G20 Summit that will be held in Johannesburg in November 2025.
For the first time in its history, the G20 is being hosted on the African continent following the admission of the African Union as a member of the G20.
“This is a moment of great significance for South Africa, the African continent and the world in that it was in Africa,” Ramaphosa said.
He said cooperation was the bedrock of human civilisation and that the G20 was established to foster cooperation to deal with the world’s challenges.
“Cooperation has been one of the key markers of human development, from survival and social organisation to technological and cultural progress,” he said.
“Without cooperation and collaboration between individuals, groups, peoples, nations, humanity cannot progress.”
He said the world faces geopolitical tensions, unilateralism, nationalism, protectionism, and isolationism.
He added that rising debt levels affected poor countries and that there was a declining sense of common purpose.
“This is a moment when we should be standing together as a global community to resolve the problems that confront humanity by ending the wars and conflicts,” he said.
“We are called upon by the exigency of the moment to act together with greater urgency to halt the destruction of our planet.”
He urged countries to harness resources and technologies to overcome poverty and inequality, unemployment, especially youth unemployment, and the abuse of women.
Ramaphosa wants to use the G20 to focus more on enhancing solidarity and ensuring that no person and no country is left behind in the pursuit of progress for all.
“The rights and freedoms of one people cannot be separated from the rights and freedoms of all peoples. This is the foundation on which solidarity is built,” he said.
“In the world we inhabit today, the pursuit of equality and the practice of solidarity cannot be separated from sustainable development.”
Climate change

Ramaphosa also touched on climate change, saying South Africa will use its G20 Presidency to mobilise finance for a just energy transition.
“We will seek agreement on increasing the quality and quantity of climate finance flows to developing economies,” he said.
“We will continue to call on global financial institutions on the redirection of Special Drawing Rights, which are left unused.”
He claimed it was unfair that over 60% of Special Drawing Rights go to a handful of wealthy countries.
“These drawing rights should be redirected to enable countries in Africa and other parts of the Global South to realise their developmental aspirations,” he said.
“Global finance institutions should derisk and support more financing for emerging and developing economies.”
He urged countries to support country initiatives to address climate change, such as the Just Energy Transition Partnership in South Africa.
“As we accelerate the transition to low-carbon economies, we must recognise the damage climate change has already wrought,” he said.
“South Africa has therefore made the strengthening of disaster resilience another of the priorities of its G20 Presidency.”
“The increasing rate of climate-induced natural disasters is affecting countries that can least afford recovery and rebuilding costs.”
“To address this, special financing and insurance mechanisms must be made available to scale up funding for post-disaster reconstruction.”
Harness critical minerals

Another of South Africa’s priorities for its G20 Presidency is to harness critical minerals for inclusive growth and development.
“We need a G20 framework on green industrialisation and investments to promote value addition to critical minerals close to the source of extraction,” he said.
“We must also develop low-carbon manufacturing value chains that support decarbonisation and industrial development.”
He said there is a need to promote beneficiation and local value addition of resources at source, resulting in an additive rather than an extractive relationship.
As mineral extraction accelerates to match the energy transition needs, the countries and local communities with these resources must benefit the most.
“We will use this G20 to champion the use of critical minerals as an engine for growth and development in Africa and the rest of the Global South,” he said.
This will be the first G20 summit held in Africa, making it a valuable platform to demonstrate Africa’s promise.
Making Africa the next frontier of global growth

Ramaphosa punted Africa, which has unrivalled natural resources, as the next frontier of global growth and productivity.
The continent has the youngest population and continues to be an expanding market for goods and services.
“The African Continental Free Trade Area has the potential to change the economic and social fortunes of the continent,” he said.
“We will seek G20 support for the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund that will enhance inclusive growth, sustainability and regional integration.”
South Africa wants to consolidate various G20 initiatives related to Africa into a flagship agreement for cooperation.
It includes implementing investments in productive sectors in Africa in areas such as infrastructure. “An infrastructure revolution is propelling Africa’s growth,” he said.
“We seek investments in developing skills for Africa’s youth and the economic empowerment of its women,” he said.
In the health sector, Ramaphosa wants the G20 to support the production of pharmaceutical products, such as therapeutics and vaccines, to deal with pandemics.
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