With South Africa hosting the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg this weekend, global searches for what is G20 are rising sharply.
The summit, taking place on 22 and 23 November 2025, is the first ever held on African soil and brings together the world’s most influential economies.
Below is a clear and accessible breakdown of what the G20 is, how it works and what to expect from this year’s meeting.
What is the G20?
According to Parliament’s official overview, the Group of Twenty (G20) is an international forum where major developed and developing economies work together on global economic and financial issues.
Its mandate includes developing policies to respond to global challenges such as economic instability, climate change, trade barriers and geopolitical shocks.
The G20 includes 19 individual countries plus the European Union and the African Union. Together, these members represent:
- 85 percent of global GDP
- More than 75 percent of global trade
- About two-thirds of the world’s population
The G20 does not have a permanent headquarters. Instead, the presidency rotates annually, with the outgoing, current and incoming hosts forming what is known as the “troika” to ensure policy continuity.
How did it start?
The G20 was first established in 1999 at finance minister level following the Asian financial crisis. It expanded into a Leaders’ Summit format in 2008 when world economies scrambled to stabilise markets during the global financial crisis.
The summit has since evolved into the top platform for economic cooperation among major economies.
Who participates?
Beyond the leaders themselves, the G20 includes 13 official “Engagement Groups” that bring together civil society, youth, women, business, researchers, urban leaders and lawmakers to feed recommendations into the summit.
These include Business20, Women20, Youth20, Labour20, Parliament20 and Start-Up20, among others .
These groups meet throughout the year leading up to the main summit.
South Africa’s role as 2025 host
South Africa assumed the G20 Presidency in December 2024.
The official theme for its term is “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability” .
Key priorities include:
- Boosting progress on the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals
- Supporting the African Union’s Agenda 2063
- Reforming global economic governance
- Expanding access to development finance
- Advancing technology cooperation and artificial intelligence safety
- Addressing climate and energy challenges
This year’s agenda focuses strongly on inequality, food systems, debt sustainability and the role of AI in development; themes that South Africa has consistently emphasised in G20 discussions.
What is happening this week?
According to the G20 Presidency programme, several meetings and side events are taking place around Johannesburg ahead of the summit, including Sherpa meetings, policy dialogues and the G20 Social Summit.
A Start-Up20 summit in Midrand earlier this month gathered entrepreneurs and investors to explore innovation and job creation opportunities linked to the G20’s economic priorities.
Civil society activity is also intensifying. This includes the planned Women’s Shutdown protest calling attention to gender-based violence as global leaders arrive in Johannesburg.
What will happen at the Leaders’ Summit?
The summit brings together heads of state from G20 countries, though some nations will be represented by senior ministers.
Across two days, leaders will negotiate a final communiqué summarising their collective commitments on:
- Economic cooperation
- Global development priorities
- Climate and clean energy
- Trade and investment
- Debt relief and financial reform
- AI, digital governance and critical minerals
South Africa will hand over the presidency to the United States at the end of November 2025.
For many searchers asking what is G20, the answer is both simple and significant: it is the central table where the world’s major economies attempt to coordinate responses to the biggest global challenges, making this year’s summit one of the most closely watched international events of 2025.
