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 of past year's work. Cyber analyst Shia Conto advocates 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 stresses that mining and beneficiation require affordable, abundant energy—highlighting China's rapid power supply expansion as a model, given the high energy demands of extraction and processing. Oxfam endorses a recent 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 praises South Africa's firm commitment to multilateralism, resisting bullying to achieve consensus, viewing it as a victory for Africa and a stronger handover of the G20 presidency to the US. The article concludes by noting public interest in translating these discussions into national policies that benefit ordinary citizens, reported by Nonpa for SABC News in Johannesburg.