From the very outset of his tenure, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa was clear that this would be the G20 in which African issues are truly centred. Invited only as recently as 2023, the continent has long been something of an afterthought for the annual summit, a platform that is widely perceived as being the key venue for international cooperation, second only to the United Nations. And if the Leaders' Declaration that capped off the 2-day summit is anything to go by, Ramaphosa can claim the credit for making good on his promise. For the first time, it would seem, Africa is not peripheral to the document, it is central to it, with mentions spread liberally across its 29 pages.
A Summit forged in the spirit of Ubuntu
Indeed, the declaration opens with a recognition of an intensely African concept. "Held in Africa for the first time, this G20 Summit is of special significance to us all. In the spirit of Ubuntu, we recognise that the individuality of each of us is shaped by the interconnection and oneness of all of us," it notes, a nod to the multilateralism that Ramaphosa has used his period as president to mount a strong defence of. That, as well as the acknowledgment of current geopolitical instability and the commitment to pursue "multilateral cooperation to collectively address shared challenges," can be read as a triumph for the South African leader's efforts.