Praise has been heaped upon South Africa following its historic hosting of the G20 Leaders’ Summit – the first ever to take place on African soil.

Member states unanimously adopted the Summit Declaration, despite attempts by the United States to block elements of the agreement. While experts have acknowledged several significant gains, some caution that deeper and more urgent reforms are still required.

A fiscal policy expert welcomed key victories secured at the summit, particularly commitments to protect exchange rate stability. Delegates from across the globe backed the declaration in full, even as the US sought to stifle it.

#COSATU is participating in the gathering of civil society and non-governmental stakeholders at the #G20 Social Summit at Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre, in the City of Ekurhuleni, from today, the 18 – 20 Nov.#G20SocialSA2025@g20org @SAfmRadio @CathyMohlahlana pic.twitter.com/1QydkODr0j

— @COSATU Today (@_cosatu) November 18, 2025

Fiscal policy analyst, Shillyboy Mothiba says Africa Expert Panel co-chair, Trevor Manuel raised concern that the volatility of emerging market currencies is a structural threat to fiscal stability.

“Almost all African countries in the main borrow the acted using foreign currencies. So, you know, then if those exchange rates now are not favourable, then it means that those African countries, then will be at a disadvantage. And as we all know that most of these African development countries really spend a lot of money on services that, as compared to what they should actually be investing in their people and their infrastructure,” says Manuel.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) also welcomed the push for a more people-centred G20 under South Africa’s presidency.

Cosatu parliamentary co-ordinator, Matthew Parks says this year’s process was built on the precedent set by Brazil to ensure that workers, business and civil society were active contributors.

“It has to be rooted in the challenge that workers, communities, and the economy face. It can’t just be a feel-good geopolitical summit of heads of state getting together for coffee; it has to speak to practical action. South Africa’s G20 theme of solidarity is important. There must be solidarity between the rich and the poor, between the developed world, the developing South. It speaks to inequality, while South Africa doesn’t need any lessons about the dangers of inequality and why it’s fundamental to address it as opposed to ignore it,” says Parks.

#SAMWU calls on #G20 global leaders in the #G20GlobalSummit to cover aspects that specifically seek to address the economic and social issues of the working class and the poor, ensuring that global progress translates into local upliftment. @g20org @ilo @MorningLiveSABC pic.twitter.com/9sFfhynzR3

— @COSATU Today (@_cosatu) November 21, 2025

Energy Analyst at Impower, Matthew Cruise is encouraged that global plans include tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030.

“This has already been seen practically in terms of actual figures that have been written down, where the European Union has allocated 15.1 billion euros to Africa for renewable energy projects. And South Africa being one of the, you know, we are the most industrialised nation in South Africa, in Africa. We’ll be a recipient of a large portion of those euros that have been allocated for renewable energy, as we are seen as one of the countries that needs the most help to transition away from our coal-dependent energy sector towards renewable energy,” says Cruise.

President Cyril Ramaphosa closed the two-day event with a message of unity and partnership in dealing with global problems.

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