ALIGNING G20 INITIATIVES WITH AFRICA’S PRIORITIES

The policy brief argues that while G20 initiatives are largely aligned with the AU's Agenda 2063 and the UN's 2030 Agenda, there are critical gaps in regional economic integration and the addressing of inequality. It recommends that South Africa and other African participants leverage the G20 to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development, while ensuring G20 actions are monitored and rationalized against African priorities.

• There is a strong alignment between the G20's development agenda, the African Union's (AU) Agenda 2063, and the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Agenda 2030). The G20 has integrated the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its Development Working Group (DWG) work programme, with specific overlaps in areas such as food security (SDG2), clean energy (SDG7), and infrastructure financing (SDG9).
• The G20 can further support African development by addressing gaps in regional economic integration. While the AU prioritizes this through market access, infrastructure, and industrialisation, the G20 has lacked a specific agenda on regional integration, with trade discussions mostly limited to WTO support. The G20 could add value by helping remove intra-regional trade barriers and supporting the agro-processing sector's role in cross-border supply chains.
• Infrastructure financing is a key area where the G20 has established a track record. The G20 Africa Partnership aims to align measures with the AU's Agenda 2063 and the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA). A specific initiative, the Compact With Africa, focuses on the private sector's role in bridging financing gaps, though the document notes this should not undermine existing funding from multilateral development banks.
• The G20 has the potential to lead the global discourse on inequality, provided it moves beyond the developed countries' focus on the communication of globalization and instead addresses the unequal distribution of economic growth. South Africa is identified as being well-positioned to lead this dialogue due to its BRICS membership and co-chair role in the DWG.
• The document recommends that African G20 participants, specifically South Africa, prioritize G20 value-add areas such as energy access, food security, and regional infrastructure. It suggests that South Africa, the AU, and NEPAD should coordinate to monitor and align G20 initiatives with African priorities.
• The G20 is encouraged to support the implementation of Agenda 2030 by mobilizing domestic and private resources, as well as official development assistance for the most vulnerable countries. Beyond financial aid, the document emphasizes the importance of non-financial resources including science, technology, innovation, trade, and capacity building.

APA

MAKOKERA, C. G., & TIGERE, F. (2018). ALIGNING G20 INITIATIVES WITH AFRICA’S PRIORITIES. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/GA_Th3_PB-makokera-tigere_20180603.pdf

Chicago

MAKOKERA, CATHERINE GRANT, and FAITH TIGERE. ALIGNING G20 INITIATIVES WITH AFRICA’S PRIORITIES. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2018. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/GA_Th3_PB-makokera-tigere_20180603.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=MAKOKERA |first1=CATHERINE GRANT |last2=TIGERE |first2=FAITH |title=ALIGNING G20 INITIATIVES WITH AFRICA’S PRIORITIES |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=February 2018 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/GA_Th3_PB-makokera-tigere_20180603.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{makokera2018aligning, author = {MAKOKERA, CATHERINE GRANT and TIGERE, FAITH}, title = {{ALIGNING G20 INITIATIVES WITH AFRICA’S PRIORITIES}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2018}, month = feb, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/GA_Th3_PB-makokera-tigere_20180603.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }