Just this November 2025, South Africa hosted the G20 Leaders' Summit on African soil for the first time ever 🌍✨. With the continent in the global spotlight, young leaders and thinkers across Asia are asking: Will this summit spark real change, or is it just a feel-good moment?
A turning point or a snapshot?
Thembisa Fakude, Senior Research Fellow at Africa Asia Dialogues, says the summit's symbolic prestige is huge. But he warns that talk is cheap – true impact needs more than fancy photo ops. Africa holds the world's biggest reserves of rare earth minerals, the "secret sauce" behind AI, EVs and smartphones. Fakude's mantra? "Move from shipping raw ores to making finished products here – that's where the real value and jobs are."
From talk to tangible wins
Liu Baocheng, Director at the Center for International Business Ethics, has a checklist: inclusive growth, food security and AI-driven sustainable development. His ask: clear finance timelines, tech-transfer deals with deadlines, and investments that build local skills and long-term jobs – not just short-term extraction. "Symbolism sparks the spark," Liu says, "but a solid financing plan keeps the fire burning."
Why Asia should care
Young pros in Bengaluru, Jakarta or Manila can relate. Just as Asia's startup hubs thrive on local innovation and fair partnerships, Africa needs the same recipe. Imagine apps built by African devs using locally sourced minerals, or green farms powered by solar tech co-created with Asian engineers. That's the vibe we want!
What's next?
Both experts agree: Africa must seize the moment. Fakude urges unity on mineral terms: "This is our oil moment." Liu calls for new global finance windows and formal consults so Africa isn't just a bystander but a co-author of its future.
For Asia's youth, the G20 in South Africa isn't just about Africa's rise – it's a global blueprint for sustainable, tech-driven growth. Let's watch, learn and link arms for a future that works for everyone 🔗🌱.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
