'The G20 discussions are typically ceremonial, performative, and may not lead to anything concrete.'
South Africa has been chosen as the host of the G20 Presidency Summit for 2025. The G20 is a group of 20 countries that meet to discuss and address global economic issues, including money, trade, and development.
The G20 Leaders’ Summit will be held on 22 to 23 November in Johannesburg. This is where the presidents and prime ministers of the group will meet. Leading up to this event, South African ministers have been hosting ministers from other countries to discuss how they can support each other’s ministries.
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille recently hosted the G20 Tourism Ministers’ Meeting in Mpumalanga on 12 September 2025, where commitments were made to support the country’s tourism sector.
ALSO READ: SA to host G20 meetings on digital economy, AI and innovation in Cape Town
Will G20 yield success?
This is not the first time leaders from different countries have met to discuss the challenges and solutions they face. Discussions like this have yielded little success. Apart from the G20, there is BRICS, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
There is also the United Nations (UN), a global organisation comprising nearly all countries, including South Africa. Will things be different with the G20?
Alex van den Heever, Adjunct Professor in the Wits School of Governance, told The Citizen that the G20 is another meeting where leaders show unity and make speeches rather than take real action.
“The G20 discussions are typically ceremonial, performative, and may not lead to anything concrete. Possibly, side discussions help to improve communication on certain issues. But, on the whole, one should not place too great a weight on promises made.”
G20 ministers declaration
The ministers who were present during the G20 Tourism Ministers’ Meeting in Mpumalanga signed a declaration of their commitment.
“We remain committed to advancing policies that foster a sustainable, inclusive and resilient tourism sector, while strengthening international and public-private cooperation,” reads the declaration document.
“We emphasise the need for continuous cross-sector collaboration to enhance tourism’s economic and social impact, recognising the value of uniting tourism policy with other areas. We commend the South African G20 Presidency for taking the initiative to prioritise issues that, while primarily within the competence of other policy areas, significantly impact tourism and for reaching out to the respective work streams.”
ALSO READ: US sees G20 as an ‘irrelevant talking club’ – expert
Tourism in SA
The declaration document states that “We recall that, at the global level, the tourism sector has now fully recovered from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic with international tourist arrivals reaching 1.5 billion in 2024 and international tourism exports and direct tourism GDP surpassing the pre-pandemic values in 2023.
“However, this recovery has been uneven, with certain destinations recovering faster than others and evolving global dynamics are impacting traveller sentiment and visitation.”
Most of the document discusses the four tourism priority areas identified by South Africa’s G20 Presidency for the Tourism Working Group, focusing on the development of a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient tourism sector. The G20 delegates stated they welcome these tour areas.
“The areas are 1) Digital Innovation to enhance travel and tourism start-ups and MSMEs, 2) Tourism financing and investment to enhance equality and promote sustainable development, 3) Air connectivity for seamless travel, and 4) Enhanced resilience for inclusive sustainable tourism development.
Eight investment-ready projects
Apart from the official G20 Tourism Ministers’ Meeting, De Lille launched the Tourism Investment Summit, which will be held annually to highlight investment-ready projects to investors from all around the world.
At the first investment summit, the minister revealed eight investment-ready projects in the country. The Private-Public-Partnership (PPP) was at the centre of the investment summit, as billions of rands are needed for the projects that were revealed.
The project included Mpumalanga’s God’s Window Skywalk, costing R200 million, and the Hole in the Wall Resort in the Eastern Cape, which required R141 million.
“Together, all these projects reflect South Africa’s readiness to welcome investment that delivers not only strong returns, but real benefits to communities,” said De Lille.
ALSO READ: Wondering why the G20 matters? Moneyweb launches podcast to break it down
The rest of the projects are:
- Western Cape Tokai Manor Table Mountain National Park
- Tshwane’s Eye of Menlyn
- Mpumalanga God’s Window Skywalk
- Eastern Cape Water World Fun Park in Buffalo City
- Orpen Kruger Lodge
- Western Cape Groote Schuur Estate Tea Room and Restaurant
- Eastern Cape Hole in the Wall Resort
NOW READ: Why B20 matters for South Africa’s economy – roadmap for economic growth
