For South Africa's largest businesses, the last few years have been one battle after another. From enduring electricity and water crises to Covid-19 lockdowns and global trade tensions, the country's business giants have struggled to exude their normal confidence. But for Busisiwe Mavuso, chief executive officer of Business Leadership South Africa, which represents the country's largest corporations, there is a feeling that the country is finally turning a corner - just in time to offer a compelling narrative as host nation of the G20 and its business counterpart, the B20.
"When we started with the G20 presidency we were very clear that we'd like to use this as an opportunity to highlight that South Africa is a country on the mend - to highlight the great work that has been done from a structural reform perspective, to send a message which says South Africa is a market that has a lot to offer and is still the gateway to the African continent," Mavuso says.
'Business dared to intervene'South African business has seized the opportunity to lead the agenda: CEOs of some of the biggest companies headed eight B20 taskforces, which offered 30 recommendations to the G20 on kickstarting economic growth. Mavuso herself serves as B20 advisory council chair.