Finance leaders from the Group of Twenty (G20) countries agreed a final communique on Friday that stressed the importance of central bank independence following a two-day meeting in Durban, South Africa.

Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile has today, Friday, 18 July 2025, concluded a successful Working Visit to the People’s Republic of China, aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and economic cooperation between South Africa and China.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -African leaders are pushing to speed up implementation of a continent-wide deal to boost trade as growing concerns over U.S. tariffs, including rates as high as 50% for Lesotho,

Finance chiefs of G20 countries expressed optimism for an agreement on a common position on trade and other global challenges on Friday despite U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs which have overshadowed their meeting,

G20 chair South Africa warned Thursday that abandoning the rules-based global order and declining cooperation could derail 2030 development goals to end hunger, eradicate extreme poverty and fight climate change.

South Africa urged G20 countries to provide global and cooperative leadership to tackle challenges including rising trade barriers as the club's finance chiefs met on Thursday under the shadow of President Donald Trump's tariff threats.

"The G20 was built around a presumption that all the world's major economies shared a common interest in a stable, relatively open global economy," said Brad Setser of the Council on Foreign Relations. "But Trump doesn't really care about stability and wants a more closed global economy."

Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Narend Singh, has urgently called for global leaders to address climate action and provide the necessary support for mitigation and adaptation.