B20 South Africa 2025: Igniting African Opportunities for Malawi’s Economic Surge
Key Business Points
- Inclusive growth is a key theme at the B20 South Africa 2025 Summit, with a focus on mainstreaming women and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to drive prosperity and cooperation.
- Access to capital is a major issue for infrastructure development in the developing world, with a call for capital to be priced to real risk rather than outdated assumptions.
- Regional trade agreements, such as the African Continental Free Trade Area, offer opportunities for harmonizing policy regulations and dealing with trade barriers to promote economic growth.
The B20 South Africa 2025 Summit has commenced in Johannesburg, with a strong emphasis on shaping dialogue that will influence prosperity, inclusion, and cooperation. The summit’s theme, ‘The cooperation agenda: Inclusive growth for a changing world’, highlights the need for a renewed era of cooperation that is imaginative, equitable, and grounded in trust. According to B20 South Africa chairperson Nonkululeko Nyembezi, growth cannot be sustained if it is narrow, exclusive, or extractive, and must instead be broad, fair, and rooted. This is particularly relevant for malawi’s business community, where ukongwe (growth) and kulima (farming) are crucial sectors that require inclusive and cooperative approaches to thrive.
Nyembezi also stressed the importance of women’s participation and SME growth in driving economic resilience, innovation, and prosperity. She noted that the cost of capital for infrastructure development is a significant issue, particularly in the developing world, and advocated for capital to be priced to real risk rather than outdated assumptions. This is a critical issue for malawi’s entrepreneurs, who often face challenges in accessing mkandamando (capital) to grow their businesses.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was also highlighted as a key opportunity for harmonizing policy regulations and dealing with trade barriers. With a market of 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion, the AfCFTA offers significant potential for malawi’s businesses to expand their reach and tap into new markets. As B20 South Africa co-chairperson Mxolisi Mgojo noted, the B20 platform is putting Africa’s potential on the world map and providing a forum for inclusive dialogue and action.
The summit also heard from International Finance Corporation vice-president Ethiopis Tafara, who emphasized the critical role of equity investment in advancing sustainable growth in Africa and beyond. With the G20 leaders’ summit set to take place this weekend, the B20 platform is seen as a key channel for global business engagement and dialogue. As experts noted, the B20 is not a side-stream to the G20, but rather its bloodstream, providing a forum for respectful dialogue and consensus-building. As malawi’s business community looks to the future, the insights and opportunities emerging from the B20 Summit are likely to be of significant interest, particularly in areas such as kugonga (partnerships) and kuchita (trade).
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