G20 Summit Kicks Off in Johannesburg

The annual G20 Leaders’ Summit officially opened today in Johannesburg, marking a historic milestone as the influential economic bloc meets on African soil for the first time since its founding.

The two-day summit is being held at the Nasrec Expo Centre which will host heads of state, senior officials, and delegations from around the world. 

The gathering concludes South Africa’s year-long presidency of the G20, which it will hand over to the United States on November 30.

42 countries and international organizations confirmed their attendance, a turnout described by South Africa’s Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola as a significant success for the host nation.

To secure the high-level gathering, Johannesburg deployed an additional 3,500 police officers across the city.

Among the confirmed participants are: China’s Premier Li Qiang, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Also attending are leaders of major global institutions, including: Chairperson of the African Union Commission Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres

The summit is expected to tackle key global economic, developmental, and geopolitical issues, with a draft agreement reportedly built around four core pillars.