I would like to begin by paying tribute to our President, Cyril Ramaphosa – I want to thank him for his leadership, for his vision, and for reminding us, once again, what principled, courageous African leadership looks like on the world stage.
Under his stewardship, Africa has not only found its voice. It has claimed its place – not as a guest at the global table, but as a co-author of the global agenda …
Let this farewell not mark an ending, but the opening of a new chapter: A message led from Africa and shared with the world.
Years ago, the Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie warned us of something profound: “The danger of a single story.”
When we reduce a people to one narrative, we flatten their humanity. We erase their complexity. We silence their potential.
But Africa is not a single story. It is not only a continent of crisis, of poverty, of instability.
It is 1.4 billion stories. It is the laughter of children in Soweto. The code written in Accra. The solar farms of Morocco. The poetry of Ben Okri. The courage of Mandela. The quiet power of women who build empires from the ground up.
It is the rhythm of possibility. And today, it is the heartbeat of global economic transformation.
We began this journey with a theme that was both ambitious and urgent: Inclusive Growth and Prosperity through Global Cooperation.
This was not a slogan. It was a commitment: To broaden participation; To embed women and SMEs into leadership and value chains; To fortify resilient supply systems; And to ensure that no region, no voice, no future is left behind.
We did not ask for permission to lead. We led. With clarity. With courage. With conviction.
Since our inception [B20 South Africa], the world has shifted. Geopolitical tensions have disrupted trade.
Climate-related losses have deepened. Generative AI has redefined productivity and exposed new divides.
But within this complexity lies a profound opportunity: To reimagine the partnership between business and society.
To forge a new model of growth – one that is inclusive, sustainable, and future-ready.
Africa has shown that, through its challenges, it finds the strength to seize opportunity. An opportunity that serves as the engine of prosperity and inclusion.
When the Busa [Business Unity SA] Board asked me to lead this initiative [B20], I was humbled. It has been one of the greatest honours of my professional life.
I have witnessed the extraordinary capacity of African business leaders to engage with global peers – not as recipients of change, but as agents of it.
I have seen the pride with which South Africa has carried this responsibility. And the earnestness with which our partners have responded.
Leadership is not about commanding attention. It is about convening purpose.
It is about listening across differences. Building bridges where there are divides, and holding fast to the belief that progress is possible – even when the path is steep.
The [B20] handover we have just witnessed is not a conclusion. It is a beginning. It is Africa’s contribution to the world – a message of hope.
It is an affirmation of inclusivity and equity. A call to courage. A blueprint for shared prosperity.
It builds on the legacy of past B20 presidencies, but it amplifies Africa’s voice.
Its optimism, ingenuity, and resilience.
It celebrates our strengths: A youthful population. Abundant resources. Boundless creativity.
And, it affirms a truth Africa has long understood: That resilience is the strength that enables Africa to grasp the opportunity, of prosperity and inclusion.
To our colleagues in the United States and future B20 presidencies, as Mxolisi [Mgojo, B20 co-chair and president of Busa]: May this communiqué serve as a guiding light.
Let it stand as a testament to what is possible. When Africa leads with vision, and the world responds with hope and purpose. Let us not return to the comfort of old paradigms. Let us not retreat into protectionism or fear.
Let us, in the words of President Nelson Mandela: “Reflect our hopes and not our fears.”
I close with the words of the great African poet Ben Okri: “Our future is greater than our past. We are the miracles that must make the world anew.”
So friends, let us be the miracles. Let us make the world anew.
Let us ensure that the story of Africa, and the story of our shared future, is not one of scarcity, but of abundance.
Not one of division, but of dignity. Not one of silence, but of song.
Thank you for walking this journey with us. Thank you for believing in the power of Africa to lead.
* This is an edited version of B20 sherpa Cas Coovadia’s closing speech at the B20 South Africa Summit on Thursday, 20 November.
