How SA hosting the G20 boosts Africa’s image
Mbongeni Mguni | Friday November 21, 2025 14:44
The negative global perceptions of Africa are not harmless or something to brush off or live with. They have a real cost to the continent; about $75 billion annually in disproportionately high interest rates on loans Africa seeks from the world. Known as the “African premium” that huge cost means governments dig deeper to finance development and their citizens’ most primary needs, when compared to the rest of the world.
South Africa’s hosting of the G20 presents an opportunity to roll back perceptions and rightly position Africa as the continent of the future. Member states of the Group of 20 collectively account for around 85% of the global economy, 75% of international trade and 56% of the global population.
Delegates this week were also in Johannesburg attending the B20, which serves as the official G20 dialogue forum with the global business community, bringing together business leaders from G20 member countries and beyond.
The G20 and B20 are an opportunity for these ears to hear and according to Brand South Africa CEO, Neville Matjie, the continent is speaking with one voice.
Mmegi: One question to start with is how Brand SA can leverage on the G20 Summit and the Business 20 Summit being held in South Africa.
Matjie: What we've done is obviously B20 in the lead up to the Leaders’ Summit, at the back of that is also the Social Summit, Youth Summit, Women’s Summit and others. So there have been a number of platforms ahead of the G20.
How we leverage on this is that on the international space we have continued to of course showcase South Africa as a destination, specifically focusing on two areas. One on South Africa being a competitive destination to come and do business and trade and the second part is South Africa as a destination to come and visit.
Another component has been on the domestic front to ensure that the message around G20 resonates to our people on the ground.
Of course critical for us is that G20 coming to South Africa amplifies Africa's standing in terms of the world. It demonstrates that we are able to host such a big event with over 42 countries visiting South Africa and being part of it.
Our president has been clear that G20 is not just about South Africa. South Africa is also dealing with the African agenda and that is how the agenda of the G20 has been shaped.
The core principles of the G20 this year actually talk to Africa and that is how Africa can be positioned within the space of G20.
Mmegi: How do you ensure that the G20, the B20 and the previous platforms that were held, have an enduring impact so that the events do not become an episodic thing, once-off thing where delegates and visitors go back to their homes and forget. How do you ensure that the momentum from the events resonates and is sustained as a message about South Africa and Africa?
Matjie: We manage perceptions because remember we are a brand management agency and the only way to effect perceptions is by proof. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. And the proof has been specifically related to, number one, if you look at the geopolitics and how this year has panned out, how we've been able to dispel a lot of fake news.
The proof in itself is the countries that are visiting, the heads of state that are visiting South Africa, that can see for themselves directly and sing the praise on the real truth about South Africa. And that has been critical.
Number two, is that the messaging is based on the truth and that will continue because truth is not once-off. Truth is an ongoing process. So the second part has been on the legacies for each one of the events. So if it's Y20 under the youth agenda, what they've been able to achieve is amplifying the voice of the young people, specifically focusing on access to business opportunities. This year was quite profound because the youth specifically focused on that and how that trickles within the continent as well.
The women agenda has also mostly focused on lobbying against gender-based violence and that is part of the messaging that will also continue to resonate, including access to opportunities, equal spread.
South Africa has managed to achieve 50-50 gender balance in terms of the B20 agenda. All the work streams, have 50-50% balance in terms of the gender equity which is important.
South Africa is the only destination under B20 where they have had co-chairs, male and female, to again set the pace. No other destination has done that.
And then, of course, us as Brand South Africa, the legacy is ensuring that we're able to continue building on the momentum of G20. So post-G20 we will look at the World Economic Forum to continue with the messaging and additionally, South Africa has now been elected as the next chair of SADC, and so that's the next project.
So it doesn't end with G20 and a full stop. There are other projects that are lined up that will continue the messaging.
Mmegi: Again, just to talk about perceptions and how they need to be changed and the work you are doing, you’re hosting the G20 and the B20, at a time when there's such an urgent need for perceptions to change around how Africa is seen. South Africa in particular is getting, in one of your markets, North America, a lot of negative perceptions that are coming out of there. In terms of working with other African partners, what is the strategy around turning around those perceptions about Africa? How do countries on the continent work with you so that the message is uniform and not discordant?
Matjie: You know, when you do something really good, you make others feel uncomfortable, and when they feel uncomfortable, the best way they can respond is by criticising you or trying to pull you down. It's either you allow them to pull you down or you keep proving them wrong in your efforts and I think South Africa has done specifically that. We've continued on our cause.
What the geopolitics have done is actually brought us even closer to other markets and also created opportunities for us to say, we've got a relationship with this region, but we haven't really enhanced it even more so let us enhance it even more.
So the geopolitics have actually assisted closer collaboration with all our other African countries, as well as other markets that, we knew were our partners, but we needed to amplify our relationship with them. So when you do something right, it does create shivers because it means you are doing good.
Now, what is sad is that is some nations believe that multilateralism should not exist and they try and focus on the singular approach. That's not how the world works and in South Africa, we've got a term called Ubuntu or Botho. It means you don't live alone, you live with people and I am because you are.
That is how the world has actually moved through all the years, but because now it's doing good for the African continent, it makes others feel uncomfortable. What is critical for us as an African destination is to continue being resolute and not allow ourselves to be absorbed by those detractors, especially pushing fake news and disinformation about the African continent.
It's a fact that Africa has got the youngest population in the world and with it having the youngest population in the world, what does that create? Great opportunities for our young people to really lead the world and to set the pace and the agenda for world order from a trade side, from an investment side, from a political side.
With our young population, we're able to then, again, create the narrative of the future. Other destinations do not want to see Africa prospering. That's why they'll make funny remarks.
But we have to remain resolute as destinations of Africa, to remain on that course. We're unapologetic about it.
We protect the human rights and we'll continue telling the truth about the African continent.