24/11/2025
South Africa’s G20 presidency praised as summit ends in Johannesburg
President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa’s leadership of the G20 has strengthened the country’s place on the global stage. In his weekly newsletter, he explained that the main focus was putting Africa’s development, debt challenges, and economic growth at the centre of the G20 discussions. He added that world leaders agreed on the need to ease Africa’s debt burden and increase global investment in climate action, which supports South Africa’s fair and balanced energy transition.
Ramaphosa also described this year’s gathering as a People’s G20, thanking South Africans for showing unity and the spirit of Ubuntu throughout the summit. The event, held in Johannesburg, ends today after two days of discussions on food security, debt relief, and the shift to cleaner energy.
Many Johannesburg residents welcomed the improved safety and cleaner streets during the summit. They said the city looked better than usual and hoped the positive changes would continue even after the global event. However, some residents criticised the clean-up efforts, saying they were done only to impress international visitors instead of addressing long-standing service delivery issues.
In response, Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero said the clean-up was not a once-off project. He said his administration is committed to fixing the city and improving service delivery. Morero explained that part of his work has been to strengthen management teams and remove barriers that slow down progress. He assured residents that service upgrades and maintenance work will continue from Tuesday onward.