G-20 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA AND AFRICAN PRIORITIES: AN UPDATE

The document examines the interaction between the G-20 and Africa, noting that while South Africa is the only permanent African member, the G-20's agenda significantly impacts the continent. It evaluates the G-20 Development Working Group's (DWG) progress on priorities such as infrastructure, domestic resource mobilisation, and financial inclusion. The author argues that while there is overlap with the AU's Agenda 2063, momentum has been lost in supporting African regional economic integration, and further efforts are needed to leverage G-20 resources for sustainable infrastructure and local capital markets.

• African representation in the G-20 is limited, with South Africa being the only permanent member. To mitigate this, the G-20 typically invites two non-member African representatives annually, usually the chair of the African Union (AU) and a representative of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).
• The G-20 established the Development Working Group (DWG) in 2010 to address the development gap and poverty. The DWG's priorities were later rationalised into five core areas: infrastructure, domestic resource mobilisation, financial inclusion and remittances, food security and nutrition, and human resource development.
• There is a significant overlap between G-20 policy areas and African interests, particularly regarding financial regulation, trade, tax reform, and the reform of international financial institutions where Africa is under-represented in the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
• Despite early recognition in 2011 of the need to support African regional economic integration—including removing intra-regional trade barriers and supporting the AU Minimum Integration Plan—momentum has since been lost, and these objectives are no longer actively pursued in the DWG agenda.
• Infrastructure financing is a direct point of convergence between the G-20 and Africa. While the G-20 has created tools like the Global Infrastructure Hub (2014) and the World Bank's Global Infrastructure Facility, African projects face challenges including high preparation costs, a lack of regional ownership for cross-border projects, and a need for 'soft' elements like regulatory adaptation.
• The document identifies several financing instruments for African infrastructure, noting that while Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) are viable, they require high public sector capacity and robust governance. Pension funds are identified as a potential source for long-term investment, as demonstrated by a ZAR 1 billion investment in a green bond by South Africa's Government Employees Pension Fund in 2012.

APA

Makokera, C. G. (2016). G-20 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA AND AFRICAN PRIORITIES: AN UPDATE. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Occasional-Paper-227.pdf

Chicago

Makokera, Catherine Grant. G-20 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA AND AFRICAN PRIORITIES: AN UPDATE. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2016. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Occasional-Paper-227.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Makokera |first1=Catherine Grant |title=G-20 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA AND AFRICAN PRIORITIES: AN UPDATE |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=January 2016 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Occasional-Paper-227.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{makokera2016g20, author = {Makokera, Catherine Grant}, title = {{G-20 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA AND AFRICAN PRIORITIES: AN UPDATE}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2016}, month = jan, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Occasional-Paper-227.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }