By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa says Africa must be an equal partner in trade and industrialisation, calling for the removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers.
Ramaphosa was speaking at the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels on Thursday, hosted by European Commission.
The Global Gateway Forum brings together leaders from around the world to discuss clean, secure, and sustainable investment in infrastructure and connectivity across regions.
Ramaphosa said the forum presented an opportunity to advance cooperation between Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe in pursuit of sustainable and inclusive growth.
The President emphasised that as a continent, Africa is striving for universal access to energy through diversification, equitable financing and technology transfer.
“The support from the EU and its member states will play an important part in this journey. It is important that the substantial investments that are being made through the Global Gateway are structured in a manner that empowers African countries and does not replace one dependency with another.
“They must enable African countries to pursue development paths that are suited to their circumstances and to the needs of their people,” Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa emphasised that Africa must be an equal partner in trade and industrialisation, calling for the removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers that constrain African exports to the EU.
He said investment and trade should serve as instruments to foster industrialisation on the continent and to support Africa’s vision for energy security and diversification.
Ramaphosa also reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to the strategic partnership with European Union, which he said had “evolved in scope and substance over the years.”
He noted that the South Africa-EU Summit held in Cape Town, earlier this year, had deepened cooperation and reaffirmed shared values in areas such as climate resilience, digital connectivity, transport infrastructure, vaccine production, and trade.
“Together, we have an opportunity to strengthen resilience by advancing investments in digital and green infrastructure, fostering innovation, securing supply chains and encouraging diversification that supports sustainable and inclusive growth,” he said.
Ramaphosa also used the Brussels forum to reaffirm South Africa’s readiness to host the G20 Leaders’ Summit next month, under the theme: “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability.”
He said over 100 preparatory meetings have already taken place since South Africa assumed the G20 Presidency from Brazil.
A key priority for the Summit, he said, will be to address the unsustainable debt burdens faced by developing economies, particularly in Africa.
“It is simply unacceptable that many developing economy countries pay much more for their debt than what more developed economy countries pay. This unfair treatment perpetuates inequality not only between individuals, but amongst countries as well, “the President said.
He announced that South Africa has established a G20 Extraordinary Committee of Independent Experts on Global Wealth Inequality, led by Nobel Laureate Professor Joseph Stiglitz, to present recommendations on global inequality at the Summit.
South Africa will host the G20 Leaders’ Summit on 22 and 23 November 2025 in Johannesburg, Gauteng Province.