As global attention increasingly shifts toward Africa’s demographic and economic rise, South Africa prepares to take center stage by hosting the G20 Leaders’ Summit on November 22-23, 2025.
The event marks the culmination of South Africa’s historic G20 Presidency–an unprecedented milestone as the first and potentially only time an African nation will lead the influential global economic forum in our lifetimes.
The significance of the moment is amplified by United Nations demographic projections that place Africa at the heart of the world’s future: the continent is expected to be home to 25% of the global population by 2050, and up to 40% by 2100. Africa will also contribute 85% of the growth in the world’s working-age population over the next 25 years.
Against this backdrop, the G20 South Africa Presidency is being seen as a rare and powerful opportunity to advance a new economic and geopolitical vision for the continent–one driven by industrial transformation, creative economy expansion, and a reinvigorated push for intra-African trade.
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Africa’s potential is undeniable. The continent holds 30% of global mineral reserves, 65% of the world’s arable land, and a substantial portion of oil, gas, and freshwater reserves. Yet it remains under-industrialized and under-integrated into global value chains.
Experts agree that exponential technologies–those benefiting from rapid cost declines and performance improvements–must be leveraged to build a future-ready industrial base. These include innovations in Artificial Intelligence (AI), advanced manufacturing, data science, and next-generation supply chains.
Investments such as Cassava Technologies’ $720 million AI infrastructure initiative, Dangote Group’s continent-wide industrial footprint, and Rwanda’s pursuit of universal electricity access by 2030 are early indicators of what is possible when policy meets ambition and innovation.
Shifting Narratives Through Storytelling and the Creative Economy
For Africa to claim its place on the global stage, it must also redefine how it is perceived–by its people and by the world. Storytelling, media, and the creative arts are vital tools in shaping identity, attracting investment, and inspiring innovation.
Creative industries are already showing promise. With initiatives like the African Export-Import Bank’s Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX), backed by $2 billion in funding, African creators are being empowered to build narratives that unlock capital, drive cultural diplomacy, and ignite entrepreneurial ambition.
As Sequoia Capital’s Don Valentine once put it, “The money flows as a function of the stories.” Steve Jobs similarly emphasized, “The storyteller sets the vision, values, and agenda of a generation.” Africa’s stories must be told by Africans, about Africans, and for Africans–and the world must listen.
AfCFTA: The Untapped Engine of Continental Trade
Despite its vast population, Africa contributes only a small share to global GDP–just $2.8 trillion in 2025 compared to India’s $4.2 trillion and China’s $19.2 trillion. A key barrier is the lack of intra-African trade.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) presents a historic opportunity to reverse this trend by reducing barriers to trade, harmonizing regulations, and encouraging local value-added production. Political will and private sector collaboration are essential to fully operationalize the agreement and unlock its potential.
Moreover, the African diaspora must play a stronger role in investment, innovation, and knowledge transfer, particularly in frontier sectors like AI, green energy, and digital infrastructure.
Africa’s youth may well be its most powerful asset. With a median age under 20 and growing connectivity, the continent is poised to become the world’s first AI-native region. As Mike Mpanya, founder of Nubi AI, aptly puts it, “The keys to unlocking that future will not be designed in the East or West, but by innovators on this continent.”
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Investing in African youth is not just a social imperative–it is a strategic bet on the future of the global economy.
To capitalize on the momentum of the G20 South Africa Presidency, a series of official side-events will be held in Johannesburg on November 19-20, 2025. Hosted by Time Africa, Arena Holdings, and the New York Africa Chamber of Commerce (NYACC), these events will convene leaders from politics, business, technology, media, and the arts for a continent-wide conversation on Africa’s economic transformation.
From power and infrastructure to entrepreneurship and storytelling, the goal is simple yet bold: to ensure Africa is no longer viewed as a passive participant in the global economy, but as a vital, dynamic engine of growth and innovation.
