President Cyril Ramaphosa was blessed by Pope Leo XIV, the Chicago-
born pontiff, last week. Photo: Supplied
Africa’s first staging of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg next weekend has seen host South Africa score a diplomatic high with blessings from the Pope at Vatican City—even as the White House snubbed the gathering.
We may be described as a hadada nation — loud, noisy, and quarrelsome over wealth and state tenders — but South Africa is rising. Fresh from winning the interim leadership of the lacklustre SADC, even as Madagascar slips into coup-inspired chaos, the country prepares to host heads of state and delegates from 20 nations and observer countries.
It is “cometh the moment, cometh the man” time for our billionaire-rancher president, Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa, blessed by Pope Leo XIV, the Chicago-born pontiff. At the Vatican, Ramaphosa outlined South Africa’s vision for the G20: solidarity, equality, sustainability, empowerment of the marginalised, and justice for all. “We meet at a time when humanity faces immense challenges. To many, it seems easier to fund wars than invest in peace,” he told the Pope.
Ramaphosa invited the pontiff to visit South Africa under the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference banner: “We would be greatly honoured to host you in our beautiful country. I will carry these blessings and spirit of hope back to our people in South Africa.” The papal protocol, coupled with SADC leadership and G20 timing, strategically positions Pretoria as a regional and continental powerhouse.
Ramaphosa highlighted South Africa’s unique role: home to almost four million Catholics, representing a cross-section of a multicultural society, with faith-based communities historically at the forefront of democracy, human rights, and social justice. “Drawing on our history, mindful of the state of the world today, we are preparing to host the G20 Leaders’ Summit under the theme of ‘Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability’ … we must act to tackle ecological harms … and ensure debt burdens do not chain successive generations to poverty.”
So, for the nation’s 64 million, soaking up the sun, or driving through Johannesburg’s streets—what is all the fuss about G20?
The G20, or Group of Twenty, is a forum of 19 countries and the European Union, representing the world’s major economies. Founded in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis, it addresses economic, political, and development issues, including trade, climate change, and global health. Members include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK, and the US, alongside the EU.
The G20 complements BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), a coalition of emerging economies advocating a more balanced global economic order. BRICS champions developing nations’ interests, while the G20 offers a broader platform for collaboration between developed and emerging powers. South Africa’s participation in both underscores its strategic role as a bridge in global diplomacy, especially as it assumes G20 leadership.
Johannesburg would be buzzing when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi touches down, hundreds will be lining streets to welcome the leader of world’s largest space-age democracy and economy, many bound to sing India’s freedom song, Vande Mataram, a melody that inspired a colonised nation’s quest for independence 150 years ago.
On the flipside, the absence of US Vice-President JD Vance has drawn attention, particularly among South African Indians eager to meet his Indian-American spouse, Usha Vance.
Amidst the protocols, ceremonial guards, photographers, fluttering flags and red carpet, diplomats will offer handshakes, while security will move with disciplined precision.
The unfolding spectacle could capture the essence of the G20: a convergence of power, protocol, and diplomacy, with South Africa at the centre.
Geopolitically, South Africa stands to gain. Hosting the G20 and leading SADC reinforces its role as southern Africa’s anchor state amid regional instability—from Mozambique’s insurgency to Zimbabwe’s economic fragility. A stabilising, assertive South African voice can resonate regionally, particularly if Pretoria promotes economic integration and energy cooperation.
Globally, the G20 elevates South Africa as the only African member among the world’s largest economies, providing a platform to project Africa’s collective interests—industrialisation, climate finance, and equitable trade—while showcasing its democratic credentials and foreign policy acumen. Dual leadership of SADC and the G20 enhances Pretoria’s diplomatic leverage, a “north-south bridge” and “African gateway.”
Success at this level could also bolster South Africa’s campaign for a permanent African seat on the UN Security Council, enhancing its moral authority within BRICS and the G20. Yet true powerhouse status relies on credibility: stable governance, low corruption, energy reliability, and effective migration policies. The world—and Africa—will be watching whether South Africa can translate diplomatic prestige into tangible outcomes.
The G20 is coming to town.
Our ululating, marching, and singing democracy is poised to dance to the tune of the world in a leap of faith, friendship, and fraternity.