RIYADH: With South Africa set to host this year’s G20, the ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mogobo David Magabe, commended the Kingdom’s visionary leadership, adding that there were lessons to be learned from Saudi Arabia’s presidency of G20 during the global outbreak of COVID-19.
“There are positive lessons that South Africa itself has learned from countries that have hosted the G20 before it, and one of them will be our strategic partner the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Magabe said that during the World Economic Forum, several meetings were held between Saudi Arabia and South African officials to discuss insights gained from the G20 presidency as well as how the two countries could continue to collaborate.
The ambassador said that it was unfortunate that the Kingdom hosted the G20 during COVID-19 when many of the delegates were unable to attend in person, but he stressed that much could be gained from Saudi Arabia’s responses during COVID-19.
“The issue of COVID, in terms of rolling out the vaccine, was one of the most important lessons,” he said.
“During that period, remember that everyone in the Kingdom was vaccinated based on the Kingdom’s leadership.”
The envoy also commended the Kingdom’s role as a geopolitical mediator: “The importance of multilateral forums that have been established because they (Saudi Arabia) continue to play a meaningful role in terms of the global dialogue for humanity for peace, and this is very important.
“I always say that these two countries, Saudi Arabia and South Africa, are well positioned in terms of different regions to make a contribution.
“And there continues to be more collaboration between the two countries.”
During his interview with Arab News, the ambassador highlighted the excitement felt about G20’s presidency in South Africa, underlining that “it will be the first time that the G20 is hosted on African soil.”
He said that economic diplomacy was one of the areas that South Africa was committed to strengthening under its G20 presidency.
According to the ambassador, other areas of focus for South Africa’s G20 would be unemployment, poverty and hunger, challenges around achieving sustainable development goals, geopolitical instability and climate change.
South Africa’s G20 presidency would focus on three main elements — solidarity, equality and sustainability.
Under the theme of solidarity, Magabe said that there needed to be more collaboration between countries on the geopolitical situation.
The envoy also stressed that inequality among developed and developing countries would be an important topic of discussion.
“It will be a very good opportunity for South Africa and within the African continent to make this contribution,” he said.
The ambassador also said that a ministerial meeting would take place in Johannesburg from Feb. 20-21, which would set a tone for the G20.
South Africa’s G20 presidency began on Dec.1, 2024 and will continue until November 2025.
