I recently participated in the G20 Civil Society Kickoff meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, on October 15-16, 2024. This gathering marked the inception of civil society engagement for South Africa’s upcoming G20 presidency in 2025. The event was a significant opportunity to analyse the complex interplay of power, institutions, and economic interests that shape global governance processes.

As I sat through the meeting, I could not help but think about the interplay of power within the so called the global village. While we celebrate that for the first time, as Africans we are assuming the presidency of the G20, all of us vicariously through South Africa, the reality of the asymmetric power relations has to be faced head on.

The G20 Landscape: Power Dynamics and Institutional Structures

The G20, representing about two-thirds of the world’s population and 85% of global GDP, is a key site of global economic governance. South Africa’s presidency in 2025 presents an intriguing dynamic of potentially amplifying the Global South’s voice.

However, I still tried to wrap my head around South Africa’s positioning as a voice of the global South, representing the often marginalised voice of women, workers, youth among others. I find South Africa as an interesting case study of the sea of inequalities and poverty amidst a thriving private capital economy.

The discussions as the Brazilian experiences were shared, showed the intricate power relationships between state actors, international financial institutions, and civil society organizations (CSOs). The South African government’s chosen theme, “Solidarity, Sustainability and Equality,” signals an attempt to reframe G20 priorities. The South African government was very elaborate in its plan to engage openly and effectively with civil society. This was quite refreshing, but once again, my question lingered, is it possible, can we talk from the same template and confront the injustices we face a the bottom of the economic hierarchy in our contexts?

The theme and their South African government’ objects are easy to rally with, the work can resonate with all working towards social justices and there are many entry points towards prosperity for all, inclusion and access to opportunities. However, the real challenge lies in translating this into substantive policy changes within a system that often prioritizes the interests of dominant economic powers. Is it possible to harness the afro-centric voice led by South Africa? This remains a key question.

Civil Society’s Role: Navigating Institutional Constraints

Civil society engagement in the G20 process, primarily through the C20, represents an attempt to democratize global governance. However, our discussions highlighted the structural limitations of this engagement. CSOs often find themselves in a position of reactive advocacy, responding to agendas set by more powerful actors.When we broke into groups to focus on “inside” and “outside” tracks of advocacy, to me it underscored the strategic dilemmas faced by CSOs. Engaging directly with G20 processes offers the potential for incremental change but risks over submitting to the same system we are pushing back. Conversely, outside advocacy through public mobilization can shift discourse but may lack direct policy impact. Often times it has also caused polarisation and has been used to divide and rule the CSO sector.

The Political Economy of Representation

My feeling was that representation is such a contested space. While opportunities are vast, who represents CSOs or different constituencies is a difficult question to answer. Zooming in on civil society representation in the G20 process reveals potential and significant disparities. There is a danger of

having well-resourced international NGOs have greater access and influence compared to grassroots organizations from the Global South. If this blind spot is unattended to ,this dynamic risks reproducing existing global inequalities within civil society spaces.

As a representative of the Southern Africa Trust, I care so much about how navigate the space and align it with our approaches to eradicating inequalities and poverty in the region.

Economic Interests and Policy Outcomes

The G20’s focus on global economic governance means that powerful economic interests significantly influence its agenda and outcomes. Civil society organizations, particularly those focused on social and environmental justice, often find themselves pushing against the prevailing neoliberal economic paradigm.

Our discussions on inclusive growth, climate action, and financial system reform highlighted the tension between transformative policy demands and the incremental nature of change in global governance institutions.

Looking Ahead: Strategic Considerations

As we approach South Africa’s G20 presidency, several strategic considerations emerge for civil society engagement:

1. How can we leverage South Africa’s position to amplify marginalized voices without being subsumed by dominant global narratives?
2. What strategies can effectively challenge the structural inequalities embedded in global economic governance?
3. How do we balance the need for broad-based coalition building with maintaining a critical stance on fundamental issues of economic justice?

The challenge ahead is not just about having a seat at the table, but about fundamentally reshaping the table itself. As civil society actors, our role is to continually question and challenge the power structures that underpin global economic governance, pushing for a more equitable and just global order.