President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised that South Africa will use the G20 Presidency to strengthen and advance the international effort to achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

South Africa officially launched its G20 Presidency on Tuesday after taking over from Brazil.

“We will use this moment to bring the development priorities of the African continent and the Global South more firmly onto the agenda of the G20,” the president reiterated on Tuesday.

Ramaphosa said the country was taking over the Presidency at time when when the world was facing severe challenges and the climate change crisis was worsening. 

“Across the world, billions of people are affected by underdevelopment, inequality, poverty, hunger and unemployment.

“The outlook for global economic growth remains subdued, and many economies carry the burden of unsustainable levels of debt,” he said 

The president said geopolitical instability, conflict and war were causing further hardship and suffering.

This was all happening at a time of great technological change, which presented both opportunities and risks.

He said the country would use the G20 Presidency to secure urgent progress for Africa.

“Through South Africa’s G20 Presidency we will work to build a better Africa and a better world, and to ensure that no one is left behind,” he said.

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President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed optimism and determination in continuing on a path of inclusive, equitable development for the Global South as South Africa officially assumes the G20 Presidency.

It marks a historic moment for Africa as it is the first time that a country from the continent has headed up the presidency.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the G20 Sumiit in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil on Tuesday, the president emphasised the need to address global challenges, including economic inequality, climate change and food insecurity.

He reiterated that the South African G20 Presidency would focus on three high-level priorities.

They included tackling disparities within and among nations, particularly addressing the structural inequalities that undermine global economic stability; prioritising initiatives to ensure access to sustainable and equitable food systems; and leveraging advancements in technology to drive sustainable development and improve resilience against global challenges.

Speaking to an audience that included Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and other global leaders, Ramaphosa expressed his gratitude to Brazil for its leadership.

He lauded Brazil’s “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet” agenda and its inclusion of civil society through the inaugural G20 Social Summit.

“We will continue this innovative platform for engagement during our Presidency,” Ramaphosa said.

He underscored the importance of global solidarity in addressing pressing crises, called for collective action to alleviate suffering in conflict zones, including Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine, and highlighted worsening outbreaks of m-pox in Africa, urging immediate international attention.

Acknowledging the disparities in pandemic preparedness and climate action funding, the president called for equitable solutions, pledging to advocate for predictable financing mechanisms to empower developing nations in combating climate change and public health emergencies.

“The disparities in wealth and development within and between countries are unjust and unsustainable,” he said.

As the first African nation to lead the G20, Ramaphosa said that South Africa intended to amplify the voices of the Global South and prioritise the development needs of the African continent.

He noted that crippling debt continued to hinder progress in many countries, vowing to address this through sustainable debt solutions and inclusive economic policies.

The president stressed the importance of collective efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and urged the G20 to adopt a forward-looking approach, aligning with South Africa’s theme of solidarity and sustainability.

“The achievement of the SDGs must be a priority for the next five presidencies of the G20,” he said.

The presidency will see over 130 meetings held across the country, providing a platform for dialogue and action, with Ramaphosa inviting G20 members to participate actively in shaping solutions to the world’s most urgent challenges.

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Nearly one-quarter of women in South Africa have experienced intimate partner violence at some point in their lives, according to a new report launched on Monday.

It warns that if the country is to make any significant changes, a more targeted and inclusive approach to gender-based violence (GBV) is essential.

In a historic step towards addressing GBV that is at crisis level in the country, the Human Sciences Research Council has published the first-ever National Gender-Based Violence Prevalence Study. It is a comprehensive survey on victimisation and perpetration of GBV across all nine provinces. 

The study, which has been four years in the making, presents critical data that will inform future interventions and policies. It examines intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual violence and other forms of GBV.

Its findings underscore the widespread and deeply ingrained nature of violence in the country, and highlights disturbing trends, including the significantly higher rates of sexual IPV among women with disabilities.

“Women with disabilities showed a notably higher prevalence for lifetime violence, with 14.6% experiencing sexual IPV compared to 7.2% among women without disabilities. This stark contrast points to the critical need for targeted interventions for this vulnerable group,” HSRC acting divisional executive Nompumelelo Zungu said during the launch of the report in Tshwane.

The study also explored men’s experiences of violence, revealing that 1.3% of men admitted to perpetrating sexual violence against another man.

Furthermore, 20.4% of men reported experiencing physical violence outside their homes, while 2.3% indicated they had suffered from sexual violence in their lifetime.

“We cannot ignore that violence also affects men, although women remain the most impacted,” Zungu said.

“However, what this data tells us is that we need a more inclusive approach to understanding the issue of violence.”

With GBV affecting individuals across all age groups, the study finds that violence starts at an early age and continues throughout life. The youngest victims, primarily women and girls, are often subjected to physical, emotional and sexual abuse. 

It points to the significant role that childhood trauma plays in shaping both victimisation and perpetration, with those who experience violence in childhood more likely to suffer or inflict violence later in life.

Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, stressed the urgency of tackling GBV. 

“The release of this study is timely as it coincides with the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign,” she said. 

“The findings paint a grim picture of our society, but they also underscore the critical need for urgent action. We cannot continue to allow GBV to devastate our families, communities and our nation.”

The study’s results also reveal a concerning disconnect between awareness and action. While high percentages of South Africans reported knowing about GBV laws and available services, it finds that this knowledge does not always translate into protective behaviours or seeking help. 

This gap in awareness and action suggests that despite the significant legal and social resources available, many individuals are either unaware of how to seek help or are discouraged from doing so.

“We need to bridge the gap between what people know and how they act,” said Hazel Gooding, deputy representative of UN Women in South Africa.

“A multisectoral approach, where we integrate legal frameworks, social services and mental healthcare, is essential in addressing the root causes of violence.”

The study also notes the impact of socioeconomic factors, including substance abuse, poor mental health, childhood trauma and economic insecurity.

Economic vulnerability, particularly among women, is strongly linked to experiences of GBV, underscoring the need for economic empowerment initiatives.

“Addressing gender-based violence requires more than just legal interventions,” said Zungu. 

“We need comprehensive strategies that address the root causes, including socioeconomic issues like food security, mental health and substance abuse.”

The data will be instrumental in developing a national GBV surveillance system, helping track trends and inform policy and prevention efforts moving forward. 

Gooding echoed this sentiment, stating that the study would provide invaluable insights into how GBV affected various sections of the population.

“As we move toward 2030 and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, it is essential that we accelerate efforts to end violence against women and girls,” she said.

“This study provides us with the evidence needed to shape future interventions and policies.”

The study’s findings have led to a call for a long-term, holistic approach to GBV. This approach will integrate early prevention initiatives, enhance support services, address socioeconomic inequalities and foster societal transformation around gender norms.

“The fight against gender-based violence is not a seasonal campaign; it’s a daily responsibility. We must take these findings seriously and commit ourselves to long-term action to break the cycle of violence,” Chikunga concluded.

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As the globe observed World Food Day under the theme “Right to Foods for a Better Life and Better Future” on Wednesday, the reality in South Africa is that more than 60% of households are currently experiencing food insecurity.

In Gauteng, which is the economic hub of the country, one in four people face food insecurity, according to the provincial agriculture and rural development department.

“Access to food must not be conditional; it cannot depend on one’s economic status,” agriculture MEC Vuyiswa Ramokgopa said in a statement.

She emphasised that achieving food equity necessitated transformative changes in agricultural systems, local food production and economic growth.

Ramokgopa said the situation was one of the systemic failures that hindered the nation’s potential and collective prosperity.

With approximately 34% of the province’s population facing moderate to severe food insecurity, the urgency for equitable access to nutritious food has never been clearer.

“…. we recognise that ending hunger requires more than simply increasing food production. It demands a concerted effort to ensure equitable access to nutritious food for all,” the MEC said.

“A pivotal strategy in this fight is the commercialisation of smallholder farmers, which will necessitate collaboration among various stakeholders to build inclusive and resilient food systems.

“This initiative will not only create jobs and stimulate the economy, but will also ensure that food is produced closer to communities, particularly in marginalised areas with limited access to formal food networks.”

Findings from the Human Sciences Research Council underscore the gravity of the situation, with a staggering 63.5% of South African households currently experiencing food insecurity.

And global children’s fund, Unicef, reports that 23% of South African children live in severe food poverty, leading to cognitive impairments that can have long-lasting effects on their development.

The survey also revealed that food insecurity significantly hampered children’s abilities to achieve their full cognitive, physical and psychosocial potential, correlating with poorer performance in essential academic skills such as mathematics and reading.

And, a report from the research platform Frontiers indicates that 27% of children under five in the country suffer from stunting and wasting due to chronic malnutrition.

Malnutrition addresses three broad groups of conditions: undernutrition, which includes wasting (low weight-for-height), stunting (low height-for-age) and underweight (low weight-for-age).

The cycle of deprivation is further perpetuated by maternal malnutrition, which adversely affects child mortality rates and educational performance, reinforcing gender disparities in food security.

The urgency of the situation has caught the attention of various stakeholders, including SA Harvest CEO Alan Browde.

He emphasised that despite three decades of democracy, hunger remained one of the country’s most pressing socioeconomic challenges.

Since its inception, SA Harvest has rescued 19 million kilograms of food and delivered the equivalent of 63 million meals.

Additionally, the Shoprite Group launched the South African Food Security Index 2024, revealing a sharp decline in food security scores — from 64.9% in 2019 to 45.3% in 2023 — marking the lowest level since 2012.

This decline highlights why collaborative strategies are needed to deal with hunger.

To combat food insecurity, recommendations include prioritising nutritional interventions for young children, zero-rating VAT on essential food products and supporting rural communities in establishing food gardens.

Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has also emphasised the urgent need for food security.

Steenhuisen, who was in the Northern Cape on Wednesday with Premier Zamani Saul and Northern Cape agriculture MEC Mase Manopole, planted fruit trees at Delportshoop Intermediate School.

“Today, I carry the message of food security and nutrition. As young people take agriculture seriously. Your future and the future of food depend on it,” he said.

The Northern Cape has been identified as a priority area for addressing malnutrition, with alarming rates of underweight, wasting and stunting among children under the age of five.

These statistics served as a wake-up call for immediate action, the minister said.

He expressed his gratitude to private sector sponsors who have supported sustainable food initiatives through donations, training programmes and community garden projects.

Steenhuisen called for active participation in the National Food and Nutrition Security plan for 2024 to 2029, stressing that sustainable change required collaboration across all sectors.

South Africa is a signatory of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, including goal 2, which aims to create a world free of hunger by 2030.

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The next five presidencies of the G20 must focus their efforts on accelerating progress towards attaining the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goals, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa.

South Africa assumes the G20 presidency from 1 December 2024 to November 2025. This is approximately five years before the deadline of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“At the launch of the Special Edition of the Sustainable Development Goals Progress Report on 25 April 2023, the Secretary-General drew attention to the gravity of the situation.

“Just 12% of the SDG targets are on track. Progress on 50% is weak and insufficient. On more than 30% of the SDGs we have stalled or gone into reverse.

If we are to meet the 2030 deadline a paradigm shift is necessary,” Ramaphosa said on Wednesday.

He was addressing the 2^nd foreign ministers meeting of the G20 in New York. It was being held on the margins of the 79^th session of the UN’s General Assembly.

Ramaphosa told the meeting that the UN had to remain the centrepiece of multilateralism, while at the same time it must be modernised to make it fit-for-purpose and more effective, agile and forward-looking.

“The UN needs to be inclusive. It needs to represent current geopolitical relations and the prevailing international realities,” the president said.

South Africa has adopted as the theme for its G20 presidency, ‘Solidarity, Equality and Sustainable Development’.

Ramaphosa said that South Africa aimed to mobilise countries towards taking practical steps to resolve global challenges. At the same time, it would strengthen international cooperation within a rules-based system.

“In an interconnected world, the challenges faced by one nation affect all nations. Through solidarity we seek to advance a unified effort and mutual support among member nations.

“By advancing equality, we seek to ensure fair treatment, opportunities and advancement for all individuals and nations. This must be irrespective of their economic status, gender, race, geographic location or other characteristics,” he said.

Sustainable development was about meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs, Ramaphosa said.

The pace of mobilising the necessary resources to ensure that countries with developing economies met the SDG targets did not only need to be accelerated, “it has to be… turbo-charged”, he said.

South Africa’s G20 presidency will place Africa’s developmental priorities at the top of its agenda.

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President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to represent South Africa at the United Nations Secretary-General’s flagship High-Level Summit of the Future that starts in New York on Sunday.

It aims to culminate in the adoption of a Pact for the Future (PFTF), reflecting a commitment to collective action on global challenges.

The opening segment of the two-day event will be followed by plenary meetings and interactive dialogues.

Formation of the PFTF follows months of negotiations under the leadership of permanent representatives from Germany, Namibia, Netherlands, Jamaica, Sweden and Zambia.

Philémon Yang, who recently took over as president of the seventy-ninth General Assembly, has described the pact as an opportunity for the international community to forge a new global consensus that will actively seek to transform and scale-up existing commitments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“The summit has an important role to play in reaffirming the Charter of the United Nations, reinvigorating multilateralism, boosting implementation of existing commitments and goals, agreeing on concrete solutions to tackle the myriad of challenges facing the world today and restoring trust amongst member states,” he said.

The pact outlines the representatives’ aim to facilitate sustainable development and financing for development, ensure international peace and security, encourage science, technology, innovation and digital cooperation, safeguard the interests of the youth and future generations, and transform global governance.

The draft includes two annexes – the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations.

Yang has thanked both the permanent representatives and member states for their support and work ahead of the summit in establishing a draft for the consideration by the delegates.

The summit forms part of the 79th Session of the UN’s General Debate and High-Level Week in New York. Leaders will address pressing global challenges and seek collaborative solutions for the betterment of humanity.

This year, the African Group will preside over the General Assembly under the theme: “Unity in diversity, for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for everyone everywhere.”

Ramaphosa will deliver his address on Tuesday, where he will highlight key issues including international peace and security, the SDGs, climate change, financing for development, and health and pandemic preparedness.

While in New York, the president will also engage business leaders to promote South Africa as an attractive destination for foreign direct investment.

He is accompanied by a number of Cabinet ministers.

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