PODCAST | ‘G20 is bigger than Trump’: Bonang Mohale on SA’s global moment, US snubs and why redress matters
Executive Summary
As South Africa hosts the G20 Leaders’ Summit, former G20 Sherpa Prof Bonang Mohale urges shifting focus beyond US President Donald Trump’s expected absence to seize the event as a pivotal opportunity for economic and diplomatic reassertion. He frames Trump’s hostility toward South Africa within broader global tensions, portraying him as a bully using tariffs, but stresses that the presence of 19 major economies and ongoing US business investments undiminishes the summit's value. Mohale calls for addressing domestic issues like state capture and reforming black economic empowerment to benefit workers and communities rather than elites. This gathering positions South Africa at a crossroads, requiring confident internal transformation for sustained global influence.