G20 agenda advances despite US-SA policy clash

Source: G20 South Africa.

"South Africa’s Presidency of the Group of Twenty (G20) continues full steam ahead as the country fosters greater collaboration among the G20 members to address pressing global issues and find sustainable solutions that prioritise the wellbeing of all people," the SA Presidency announced on Friday, 21 February 2025.

This follows the inaugural G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, held from Thursday, 20 February to Friday, 21 February 2025, in Johannesburg, South Africa, where representatives from major global economies gathered to address pressing international issues and discuss reforms to global governance structures.

VIDEO | Recap of Day 1 of the First #G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, 20/02/2025.#G20SouthAfrica���� #ReKaofela #BetterAfricaBetterWorld�� #G20FMM pic.twitter.com/K5J5KSXVjM

— G20 South Africa (@g20org) February 20, 2025

The directive comes against the backdrop of tensions surrounding land reform and the Starlink dispute between South Africa and the US, with the US Presidency having criticised South Africa’s equality laws. The situation escalated this week, culminating in South Africa signing the Equitable Access to Land Bill on Wednesday, 19 February 2025, which aims to align landownership with the country’s demographics, using race as a basis.

BEE policies under fire

Central to the controversy is South Africa's Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policies, which have become a key obstacle in SpaceX's attempt to launch its Starlink satellite internet service in South Africa. These policies, which require foreign companies to allocate at least 30% ownership to Black-owned businesses, have faced significant criticism from US officials, particularly Elon Musk.

Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and chief executive officer of SpaceX, has decried these regulations as "openly racist", further exacerbating tensions between the two nations.

Addressing the operational requirements of the G20, SA's Cabinet has said the country plans to dispatch a delegation of government and other leaders to various nations in Africa and across the world "to explain the objectives South Africa wishes to achieve during its Presidency of the G20".

The details of this outreach are yet to be fully disclosed.

South Africa will also host the first meeting of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from Wednesday, 26- to Thursday, 27 February 2025 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. This meeting will be preceded by the Finance and Central Bank Deputies meeting on 24 and 25 February 2025.