The impact of Joburg’s G20 summit: The good, the bad and the nasty

If you follow any mainstream South African news media, you wouldn’t have been able to miss the fact that Johannesburg recently played host to the annual G20 summit. G20 is a forum of the world’s largest economies that gathers annually to discuss pressing global matters. The theme of the 2025 summit was “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability” and the listed priorities included strengthening disaster resilience, debt sustainability for low-income countries, financing a “just energy transition” and harnessing “critical minerals for inclusive growth and sustainable development”.

3Cube Property Solutions takes a look at the impacts of G20: the good, the bad and the nasty.

The good

For a start, the summit injected an estimated R1bn into Gauteng’s economy, according to TimesLive. This was a result of the delegates, journalists and support staff who travelled to Johannesburg from every corner of the globe to attend this event. To this, Premier Panyaza Lesufi adds that the G20 summit placed Gauteng in the global spotlight – exposure which he describes as “priceless”. Whether or not this spotlight leads to sustained benefits remains to be seen.

The Dullah Omar Institute points out that the 122-point Leaders Declaration that the summit led to urges positive gains like collective action on climate disasters, debt sustainability and inclusive growth.

The summit sparks further reason for cautious optimism owing to the fact that policy outputs could have a profound impact on local governance. G20 outcomes necessitate that local standards be aligned with global ones, especially in regard to sustainability and digital inclusion.

The fact that South Africa played a role in placing various priorities – such as debt sustainability for low-income countries – on the global agenda is an ethical win.

The bad

Understandably, this summit required stringent security measures. 10 000 personnel had to be deployed, and this requirement was met by diverting focus from standard crime prevention strategies in Joburg’s already underserved areas. Despite these measures, various delegates were introduced to South Africa’s endemic crime.

Independent Media reports that Vietnamese delegates were robbed of cell phones and luggage at Checkers in Sandton City. At two separate hotels, various firearm-related crimes were reported. There was also an incident of trespassing, in which a group attempted to raid the G20 venue.

Various groups, including Operation Dudula and Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) took advantage of the opportunity to draw attention to their causes. This led to Operation Dudula leader, Zandile Dabula, being hit with tear gas and pepper spray.

The nasty

Johannesburg is beleaguered by potholes and malfunctioning traffic lights. There were empty promises made about how G20 would provide the impetus for these problems to be resolved. However, the impact, if any, was limited to the immediate surrounds of the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in Ekurhuleni where the conference took place.

According to Lesufi, G20 was a turning point in Gauteng’s history. Gauteng residents remain – to say the least – unconvinced.

The purpose of the summit was for world leaders to come together and discuss pertinent issues. However, many world leaders chose not to attend. US President Donald Trump boycotted the summit entirely, publicly criticising South Africa. In solidarity with Trump, Argentinian president Javier Milei declined to attend, sending his foreign minister instead. Chinese president Xi Jinping also failed to attend, although this was allegedly not a snub or boycott.

Russian president Vladimir Putin was also notably absent, due to his legal inability to enter South African territory. The list of missing delegates also included Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum, Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto and Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. In the absence of so many of its key members, questions have been raised about the impact of the summit and how severely it was overshadowed by diplomatic rifts.

South Africa’s G20 summit brought with it a mix of positive and negative outcomes. Let your business’s 2026 be filled with nothing but positive outcomes by ensuring that you have the right premises. 3Cube Property Solutions is here to help businesses in Gauteng and the Western Cape find homes that will empower them to thrive.