South Africa to Host First G20 Trade and Investment Meeting Under Its Presidency

12 March 2025

South Africa is set to host its first G20 Trade and Investment Working Group (TIWG) meeting from 18-20 March 2025, marking a significant milestone in its year-long presidency of the G20. The virtual meeting, organised by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), will bring together senior officials from G20 member countries, the European Union, and the African Union.

South Africa assumed the G20 presidency in December 2024, under the theme Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability, with a strong focus on inclusive economic growth, industrialisation, employment, and reducing inequality. The G20, comprising 19 leading economies along with the EU and AU, represents 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population.

According to Ambassador Xolelwa Mlumbi-Peter, Deputy Director-General of Trade at the dtic, four TIWG meetings will be held in 2025, culminating in the G20 Trade Ministers’ meeting in October. These meetings will also include participation from international organisations such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and African regional communities.

Key Focus Areas

Mlumbi-Peter outlined four key focus areas for the upcoming discussions:

1. Trade and Inclusive Growth – Developing principles to promote trade policies that reduce inequalities and support economically vulnerable regions.
2. Responsive Trade and Investment Agenda – Addressing global economic challenges and promoting sustainable trade and investment policies.
3. Green Industrialisation and Investments – Advancing the G20 framework to boost value addition of critical minerals at their source and developing low-carbon manufacturing value chains to support global decarbonisation.
4. WTO Reform and Development – Strengthening the development dimension of the WTO and ensuring it remains effective in addressing global trade challenges.

With South Africa leading the G20 in 2025, the TIWG meetings will play a crucial role in shaping global trade policies that support sustainable development, industrialisation, and economic resilience. The discussions are expected to set the tone for the G20 Trade Ministers’ meeting in October, where concrete policy recommendations will be made.

This event reinforces South Africa’s commitment to global economic cooperation and sustainable trade while ensuring that African and developing economies have a stronger voice in international trade governance.