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A Changing G20: Why the US Takeover from South Africa Matters Now
The baton has officially passed. As of December 1, 2025, the G20 presidency moves from South Africa to the United States of America, but the handover was anything but ordinary.
A Quiet Handover, a Loud Message
Instead of a formal gavel-passing at the closing of the 2025 summit in Johannesburg, the outgoing presidency quietly handed over leadership at the offices of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation in Pretoria. That bureaucratic detail speaks volumes. The outgoing hosts insisted on proper diplomatic protocol, rejecting a US offer to receive the presidency via a junior diplomat. That move alone underscored simmering tensions between Pretoria and Washington, adding an unexpected twist to what is normally a symbolic transfer of power.
The US made clear that with the new presidency comes a return to what they describe as the G20’s “core mission.” In a statement, the newly declared priorities for 2026 include dismantling regulatory burdens, shoring up energy supply chains, and pushing forward technological innovation. These goals mark a deliberate shift away from many of the themes championed under South Africa’s watch.
From Solidarity to Supply-Chains: A Change of Guard
Under South Africa’s presidency, the 2025 summit championed themes of solidarity, equality, and sustainability. These encapsulated a broader Global South agenda: addressing inequality between nations, promoting climate-conscious development, and giving voice to economies that often feel sidelined.
With the US at the helm, analysts expect a pivot. The new agenda emphasises deregulation, energy security, including traditional energy sources, and technological competitiveness. Some voices anticipate a reduced focus on climate commitments and global redistribution. Others warn that the departure from social-development priorities could leave Global South nations with fewer allies in the G20.
Political Undercurrents and Diplomatic Fallout
The unorthodox handover and sharp shift in focus reflect more than policy differences. They illustrate how the G20, once a forum famed for consensus and cooperation, is becoming a stage for geopolitical signalling.
Washington’s decision to exclude the previous host from a high-profile ceremony and recast the G20’s direction can be read as a thinly veiled rebuke of South Africa’s foreign-policy posture. Pretoria, which had hosted the summit for the first time on African soil, saw this as a rejection not just of its 2025 agenda but of its broader voice in global diplomacy.
In response, South Africa’s leadership affirmed its commitment to the G20 and stressed that any insults to its standing as a founding member would not weaken its resolve. They highlighted that many US businesses and civil society groups had participated in G20-related events, even if official representation was lacking.
As the United States ushers in much-needed reforms to the G20, the Trump Administration has three clear goals:
✅ Unleash economic prosperity by limiting regulatory burdens
✅ Unlock affordable and secure energy supply chains, and
✅ Pioneer new technologies and innovations pic.twitter.com/52je535zDtG20 United States (@g20org) December 1, 2025
What It Means for South Africa, Africa, and the Global South
For South Africa and other developing nations, the US takeover raises pointed questions. Will the G20 revert to a club of rich nations pushing deregulation and market-led growth at the expense of equity and sustainability? Will issues like climate finance, debt relief, and social inequality, central to the Johannesburg summit, be sidelined?
There is also concern that the exclusion of South Africa from future G20 engagements under the US presidency could weaken the representation of African interests on the world stage. As one critic put it, “This handover was never just about a gavel; it was a statement.”
Yet some in South Africa view the disruption as a wake-up call. If the G20 is to remain relevant, membership must be more than symbolic. The real test will be whether the “new G20” under US leadership produces tangible results or deepens global divides.
A Turning Point for the G20
The 2026 G20 presidency begins under unusual circumstances. A quiet handover, a dramatic shift in priorities, and layers of diplomatic friction paint a picture of a forum at a crossroads.
For South Africa and the wider Global South, the question is not only who leads, but what kind of world the G20 will chart next. Under US leadership, the G20 might return to being a platform for economic growth. But in doing so, it could drift far from the ideals of solidarity, fairness, and shared prosperity that defined its most recent summit.
It remains to be seen whether this change of guard will usher in global prosperity or leave many voices behind.
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Source: IOL
Featured Image: Nikkei Asia
