South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile has called for strengthened cooperation between the G20 and the African Union (AU) to advance shared priorities such as climate action, inclusive development, and peace-building across the continent.
The appeal was made during his opening address at the T20 Africa high-level dialogue in Pretoria, a two-day conference organized by South African academic institutes and the African Union Development Agency.
South Africa, which assumed the G20 presidency in December 2024, aims to integrate AU objectives into the bloc’s agenda, emphasizing six key focus areas: fair finance, global governance reforms, climate resilience, inclusive growth, industrialization, and inequality reduction. Mashatile highlighted the establishment of three G20 task forces to address these issues, alongside joint AU initiatives to leverage artificial intelligence and innovation for food security and agricultural development.
“By investing in agricultural innovation, supply chains, and rural industrialization, we can ensure food sovereignty and economic empowerment,” Mashatile stated, underscoring South Africa’s commitment to aligning its G20 presidency with pan-African interests. He also urged G20 support for AU peace operations, including sustainable funding mechanisms tied to the “Silencing the Guns” initiative, which aims to eradicate conflict and political instability in Africa by 2030.
The T20 dialogue, a platform involving think tanks from G20 member states and guest nations, serves as a strategic forum to shape policy recommendations ahead of the G20 leaders’ summit in November 2025. Partners such as the University of Johannesburg’s Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation emphasized the need for actionable frameworks to address Africa’s unique challenges, from climate vulnerabilities to economic disparities.
The call for deeper collaboration reflects broader efforts to position Africa as a proactive stakeholder in global governance. Analysts note that South Africa’s presidency offers a critical opportunity to bridge resource gaps and amplify continental priorities on the international stage, though success will hinge on sustained diplomatic engagement and tangible commitments from G20 nations.
As the dialogue continues, stakeholders are expected to refine proposals on technology transfer, green financing, and conflict resolution key areas where AU-G20 synergy could drive transformative outcomes for Africa’s development trajectory.
