2025 has been a landmark year for South Africa and the continent, as our country assumed the Presidency of the G20. This marked the first time the G20 convened on African soil and positioned Africa at the centre of global policy debates. Under the banner of Solidarity, Equality and Sustainable Development, the summit brought together heads of state, senior policymakers, leading economists and representatives of civil society with the goal being to foster inclusive, people-focused development.
Against a backdrop of global economic uncertainty, climate-change emergency, and mounting pressure for fairer growth, the summit presented a unique opportunity to shine a spotlight on the priorities of the Global South; and MISTRA was delighted to be part of these conversations.
Earlier this year, we announced that MISTRA’s Executive Director, Joel Netshitenzhe, was selected as a panellist and Head of the Secretariat for the G20 African Advisory Panel. A dedicated team from MISTRA supported him in this role. The G20 African Economic Advisory Panel, which was appointed by the South African Minister of Finance, was tasked with preparing an independent report for G20 leaders to advise on the collective actions needed to realise the global potential of Africa’s development. The report, titled Growth, Debt and Development: Opportunities for a New African Partnership was presented at the G20 by Netshitenzhe on behalf of the Panel Chairperson, Trevor Manuel. MISTRA is proud of its participation in a variety of activities related to this event and for its wide-ranging contribution to intellectual and policy discourse during the year.
Another highlight from the last two months was the launch of our latest publication, The State of the South African State: Capacity, capability and ethics. This book assesses the South African state three decades into democracy, and a year after the formation of the GNU. It examines the state within a long-term historical context, but with a specific focus on events and trends that have become prominent since 2014.
