G20 Leaders Summit | Economic observers share expectations

The article covers the opening of the G20 leaders summit in South Africa, the first hosted on the African continent, by President Cyril Ramaphosa (referred to as Suramaposa). He outlined key priorities for the two-day deliberations: inclusive economic growth, industrialization, inequality, unemployment, security, and artificial intelligence, with presentations from the past year's work. Cyber analyst Shia Conto emphasized the need for stronger focus on cybersecurity amid digital transformation, including identity security standards, cloud and AI governance, mandatory reporting of major cyber breaches among nations, and promoting digital skills to foster a safer global digital ecosystem for citizens, businesses, and governments. The summit's declaration addresses harnessing critical minerals for inclusive growth, but mining analyst Peter Major stressed that effective mining and beneficiation require affordable energy, highlighting high energy demands for extraction and processing, and citing China's rapid power supply expansion as a model. Oxfam endorsed a report on global inequality, commissioned by Ramaphosa and chaired by Professor Joseph Stiglitz (referred to as Joyce of Stiglets), which recommends higher taxes on the extremely wealthy to combat poverty and inequality. Oxfam praised South Africa's firm stance against bullying to achieve consensus, viewing it as a win for multilateralism and Africa, and noted that this strengthens the G20 presidency handover to the US. While leaders deliberate on these issues, the article notes public interest in translating discussions into national policies for the benefit of ordinary citizens, reported from Johannesburg by Nonpa of SABC News.