For the first time, the African Union sat at the G20 table as a full member in November 2024, at the summit held under Brazil’s presidency. Analysts at the Wilson Center called it a watershed moment for Africa’s voice in global forums.
Until then the bloc had held only the status of “invited international organization.” The AU, which has more than 50 member nations, now stands alongside the European Union as one of two regional unions in a group that also includes 19 countries. Together the G20 accounts for 85% of the global economy, 75% of world trade and 67% of the global population.
Who spoke for Africa
The AU sent the chairperson of its Assembly to the summit, with the chairperson of the AU Commission assisting. Leaders settled on that arrangement at the 37th AU summit in Addis Ababa in February 2024. It was a compromise after a dispute over who should lead the delegation, and the Wilson Center warned it may not hold up as a long-term formula for future summits.
The same Addis Ababa meeting set six priorities for the AU’s G20 work:
- speeding up Agenda 2063;
- pushing reform of the international financial architecture and sovereign debt restructuring;
- raising agricultural output for food security;
- advancing the green energy transition;
- improving trade and attracting investment for the Africa Continental Free Trade Area;
- lifting Africa’s credit rating to support investment, health and vaccine manufacturing.
The Wilson Center said these items answer Africa’s most pressing concerns while also matching wider debates inside the G20.
South Africa takes over
South Africa’s G20 presidency began in December 2024 under the theme “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability.” It will host the first G20 summit ever held in Africa. At the November summit, President Cyril Ramaphosa named inclusive economic growth, food security and artificial intelligence as his country’s priorities for the coming year. The presidency also plans to focus on poverty, unemployment and inequality, and on African development in line with Agenda 2063.
The Wilson Center’s advice to Pretoria and the AU was blunt. Brazil and many earlier presidencies leaned toward long, aspirational framing, it said, and that risks alienating members who do not share some of the G20’s founding principles. A short list of practical deliverables, in its view, would do more for Africa’s interests.
