By Thapelo Molefe
President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed internationally acclaimed economist Prof. Mariana Mazzucato as his special presidential representative and technical expert to South Africa’s G20 Presidency.
The Presidency said on Monday that Mazzucato would take a lead role in Taskforce 1, which focuses on inclusive growth, industrialisation, employment and reduced inequality.”
She will contribute to Taskforce 3 on artificial intelligence, data governance, and innovation for sustainable development, and will support South Africa’s strategy in key Sherpa and Finance Track working groups, including sustainable finance and international financial architecture.
The appointment is being framed by the Presidency as a cornerstone of South Africa’s G20 vision under the theme “Solidarity. Equality. Sustainability.”
“This appointment underscores South Africa’s commitment to leveraging its leadership in the G20 to shape a more inclusive and sustainable global economy,” said the presidency’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya.
Mazzucato, who has advised Ramaphosa since 2019 as part of his Presidential Economic Advisory Council, is globally known for championing the role of the state in driving innovation and economic transformation.
Her work on green growth, mission-oriented policy and public value creation has helped redefine how governments approach industrial strategy and global challenges.
According to Magwenya, she brings critical expertise to advancing South Africa’s goals on green industrialisation, inclusive growth and long-term structural transformation.
With South Africa hosting the G20 Summit in Johannesburg later this year, alongside the Financing for Development Conference in Seville and COP30 in Belém, Ramaphosa, Brazil’s President Lula da Silva and Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez have jointly declared 2025 as “a pivotal year for multilateralism”.
