PM Modi Lands in South Africa to Attend G20 Summit and IBSA Meet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed at Waterkloof Air Force Base in Gauteng on the evening of November 21, 2025, to a vibrant traditional welcome featuring South African cultural songs and dances, marking the start of the first-ever G20 Leaders’ Summit hosted on African soil. The two-day summit, under South Africa’s presidency and themed “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability”, carries historic weight as the African Union—elevated to full G20 membership during India’s 2023 presidency—takes centre stage in global economic deliberations. PM Modi, who will address all three plenary sessions, is expected to reinforce India’s advocacy for the Global South, push for reforms in multilateral institutions, and highlight climate finance commitments ahead of COP30 in Brazil next year.

Upon arrival, Modi posted on social media: “Will be attending the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. This is a particularly special summit, as it is being held in Africa. Various global issues will be discussed there. Will be meeting various world leaders during the Summit.” The visit also includes the sixth India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) trilateral summit, where the three democracies are likely to coordinate positions on UN Security Council expansion, digital governance, and sustainable development goals. Bilateral meetings with leaders, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and possibly US President-elect Donald Trump, are scheduled on the sidelines.

The Johannesburg summit follows South Africa’s successful stewardship of the G20 throughout 2025, with Pretoria prioritising African debt relief, green hydrogen partnerships, and reform of the World Bank and IMF lending frameworks—issues India has consistently championed. The presence of the African Union as a permanent member, a direct outcome of India’s diplomatic push at the 2023 New Delhi summit, has amplified expectations that the continent’s developmental priorities will move from rhetoric to tangible commitments. Key agenda items include mobilising $1 trillion annually in climate finance for developing nations, regulating artificial intelligence, and addressing the $4 trillion infrastructure gap in emerging economies.

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Modi’s visit underscores India’s deepening strategic partnership with South Africa and the broader continent, coming just months after the inauguration of the Pan-African e-Network’s successor project and increased Indian investments in South African renewable energy and mining sectors. With global attention on whether the G20 can bridge deepening North-South divides amid geopolitical tensions, the Johannesburg outcome statement—expected to be adopted on November 22—will be closely watched as a test of multilateralism’s resilience in an increasingly fragmented world.

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