THE G20’S CONTRIBUTION TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA

The paper analyzes the G20's role in supporting sustainable development in Africa, highlighting a growing alignment between G20 initiatives, the UN's 2030 Agenda, and the AU's Agenda 2063. While acknowledging progress in areas like infrastructure and industrialization, it criticizes the lack of African consultation in key initiatives like the Compact with Africa and the absence of a G20 focus on regional economic integration. It recommends that South Africa and other African representatives push for better resourcing of the AU and NEPAD within the G20 and advocate for a more integrated, multi-stakeholder approach to SDG implementation.

• The G20 has evolved from a focus on macroeconomic stability to include a broader development agenda, specifically aligning its work with the UN's 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This alignment is evidenced by the 2016 adoption of the G20 Action Plan on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which seeks to use the G20's comparative advantage as a global economic forum to add value to SDG implementation.
• There is a strong alignment between the African Union's (AU) Agenda 2063 and the UN's 2030 Agenda, with both frameworks sharing goals related to poverty eradication, food security, health, education, and gender equality. The document suggests that G20 efforts to implement the SDGs would naturally support the goals of Agenda 2063.
• The G20 has implemented several specific initiatives targeting African development, including the G20 Energy Access Action Plan in Sub-Saharan Africa, the G20 Initiative on Supporting Industrialisation in Africa and LDCs (launched at the 2016 Hangzhou Summit), and the G20 Africa Partnership (launched at the 2017 Hamburg Summit).
• The Compact with Africa (CwA), introduced during the 2017 Hamburg Summit, aims to increase private investment and infrastructure in African countries in exchange for governance reforms. However, the document notes criticisms of the CwA, including a lack of initial consultation with African beneficiaries, a failure to distinguish between different types of African economies (e.g., landlocked vs. coastal), and a reliance on expensive private-sector projects that may not be sustainable or viable in poor regions.
• Despite the G20's focus on infrastructure and industrialisation, there is a notable gap in its agenda regarding regional economic integration in Africa. The document argues that the G20 could better support the continent by aligning its activities with African regional economic communities (RECs) to remove intra-regional trade barriers.
• African representation in the G20 is limited, with South Africa being the only permanent member. While the AU and NEPAD have been upgraded from observers to facilitate more involvement at commission and agency levels, the document recommends that these institutions be better resourced to increase Africa's influence in G20 debates.
• The G20's Development Working Group (DWG) focuses on several core areas relevant to Africa, including food security, financial inclusion, human resource development, and infrastructure. The document highlights that the G20's approach has historically concentrated on the needs of low-income countries (LICs) through a traditional development cooperation paradigm.

APA

Tigere, F., & Makokera, C. G. (2017). THE G20’S CONTRIBUTION TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/GA_Th3_DP_Tigere-Makokera_20171127.pdf

Chicago

Tigere, Faith, and Catherine Grant Makokera. THE G20’S CONTRIBUTION TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2017. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/GA_Th3_DP_Tigere-Makokera_20171127.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tigere |first1=Faith |last2=Makokera |first2=Catherine Grant |title=THE G20’S CONTRIBUTION TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=November 2017 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/GA_Th3_DP_Tigere-Makokera_20171127.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tigere2017g20s, author = {Tigere, Faith and Makokera, Catherine Grant}, title = {{THE G20’S CONTRIBUTION TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2017}, month = nov, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/GA_Th3_DP_Tigere-Makokera_20171127.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }