Together, they represent a sustained and evolving continental conversation about how Africa can translate its presence at the G20 into durable influence and tangible development outcomes.
The first event, the ‘G20 Conference in West Africa: Empowering Africa’s Voice within the G20’, was held in Dakar, Senegal on 30–31 October 2025. Co-organised by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), AfriCatalyst, AU Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), it was the first G20 outreach conference held in West Africa, bringing together policymakers, think tanks, civil society organisations, multilateral institutions and development banks at a critical juncture. South Africa’s G20 presidency was drawing to a close and several parallel global processes, including the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4), had concluded.
The second event, the ‘G20 Strategic Roundtable: Sustaining Africa’s G20 Agenda Across Global Processes’, was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 26 March 2026, hosted by SAIIA and AUDA-NEPAD. Coming five months after Dakar and with the G20 now in the hands of a Global North presidency cycle, this session was framed not as a retrospective but as a transition: the beginning of what participants described as ‘the real work’.
The two events trace an arc from agenda-setting to institutionalisation, from aspiration to action, and from demonstrating that Africa can lead to ensuring that leadership endures. This report synthesises the discussions from the two events, highlighting the key arguments, insights and recommendations relevant to African stakeholders engaged in global processes, including the AU, its knowledge partners, African member states and civil society organisations.
