Johannesburg, Dec 3
With tensions rising between Washington and Pretoria, potential mediators, such as Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, the UK, and South Korea, must step in to push for reconciliation and failure to do so could push the G20 towards a North-South divide, a report said on Tuesday.

The US, slated to chair the next G20 summit and the only member absent from the 2025 Johannesburg meeting, announced on November 27 that it would not invite South Africa’s President to the Miami Summit. The decision sparked a reaction of both hurt and indignation, raising questions about the immediate future of the G20.

According to a report in Indian think tank Politeia Research Foundation, as the emerging economies played an increasingly significant role in global platforms, the consecutive G20 presidencies of --Indonesia, India, Brazil, and South Africa – underscored how the forum has evolved into a more inclusive and balanced body in its agenda and priorities.

It added that by granting full membership to the African Union during India’s 2022–23 presidency, along with Voice of Global South Summits hosted by India, underscored the G20’s tilt towards the South — a trend that reached its peak under South Africa’s presidency.

“As the country that handled its G20 presidency effectively, and the nation whose leader has participated in every G20 summit since 2014, India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi drew considerable diplomatic and media attention in Johannesburg," wrote Rajiv Bhatia, a former Ambassador who served in Myanmar, Mexico, Kenya, and South Africa.

During his multiple interventions at the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pointed out the weaknesses in the existing global development model and called for a redefinition of “the parameters of development,” which he said could be achieved by following “the pathway of Integral Humanism.” PM Modi also pressed for a stronger voice for the Global South in global governance, outlining a three-point agenda for sustainable development, trusted trade and inclusive prosperity.

India's role was most visible in the expanded presence and confidence of African nations at the recently-concluded G20 Summit in South Africa. Analysts and delegates agreed that India's imprint on the outcomes was unmistakable, a report in South Africa's leading media outlet, 'Independent Online' (IOL), detailed.

“From debt reform to digital public infrastructure, many of the priorities championed at the Johannesburg meetings reflected continuity from India’s presidency in 2023 and signalled the rising weight of the Global South in shaping global governance,” the report noted

US decision to exclude SA from 2026 G20 Summit sparks fear of North-South divide: Report