G20 Summit | Reflecting on summit outcomes

The article is a transcript of a live SABC broadcast providing rolling coverage of the second and final day of the historic G20 Summit in South Africa 2025, the first such event on African soil, hosted at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg under President Cyril Ramaphosa's leadership. Anchored by reporters including Leanne Sakina, Sophie McQuinn, Sherwin Bryce, and political editor Mandi Lambbe, the coverage highlights the summit's momentum as delegates arrive for key bilaterals and plenary sessions. Central to the discussion is the IPSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) trilateral meeting between Presidents Ramaphosa, Lula da Silva, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, focusing on South-South cooperation. Topics include navigating US tariffs (30% on South Africa, 50% on Brazil and India), sharing experiences amid WTO challenges, geopolitical issues like the Ukraine war, Middle East conflicts, and African hotspots (Sudan, DRC, Cabo Delgado), as well as peace, security, and adherence to international law and democracy. The rapport among leaders is emphasized through positive body language, such as hugs and smiles, underscoring reliable bilateral ties dating back to anti-apartheid solidarity efforts. The summit declaration, adopted a day early despite Argentina's objection, reaffirms G20's role in multilateral economic cooperation, consensus-building, and equal participation, incorporating African concepts like Ubuntu and prioritizing continent-specific development. It commits to future presidencies (US in 2026, UK in 2027, South Korea in 2028) but uses cautious language toward the US, reflecting concerns over its boycott and incoming Trump administration's transactional foreign policy, climate change denial, rejection of renewables and SDGs, and potential retreat from multilateralism. Day one's highlights include fostering consensus on global issues, with today's agenda addressing critical minerals, decent work, AI, beneficiation, energy transitions, and bridging Africa's digital divide—supported by EU pledges for AI investments. Social media buzz is overwhelmingly positive, with over 144,000 posts on #G20Summit, viral family photos, and comparisons to South Africa's 2010 FIFA World Cup, hailing Ramaphosa's 'mic drop' leadership and elevating South Africa's global standing despite domestic critiques. Implications include strengthened Global South alliances for collective responses to US pressures, Africa's push for implementation of beneficiation and resource strategies to counter external influences (e.g., US deals in DRC), and Ramaphosa's post-summit engagements in Angola to rally continental unity, positioning Africa as a key player in global economics and geopolitics.