Kganyago asserts Africa’s G20 agenda despite tariffs and Bessent absence

By Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo and Colleen Goko

South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago said on Wednesday that an “African agenda” including climate change and cross-border payment systems was still due to be discussed by G20 finance chiefs amid fears that tariffs would overshadow the gathering.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent skipped the gathering in Durban, marking his second consecutive absence from G20 finance meetings and raising questions about its ability to tackle pressing global challenges.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has sought to leverage Africa’s first G20 presidency to promote the African agenda, which also included topics such as the high cost of capital.

“The African issues have been elevated, all of us are talking about those,” Kganyago told Reuters as discussions were ongoing between deputies and other officials, before the two-day meeting gets officially under way on Thursday.

Kganyago emphasized the push for a coordinated African payments system to facilitate trade across the continent, a move