By Nco Dube | 09 September 2025

South Africa’s presidency of the G20 in 2025 marks more than diplomatic pageantry. It stands as a watershed moment for the Global South which is an opportunity, if handled with vision, for South Africa to redefine the global agenda through the twin lenses of culture and digital transformation. As steward of the Culture Working Group and co-chair of the Digital Economy Working Group, South Africa bears the responsibility of elevating voices that history too often sidelines. 

The frameworks crafted in Pretoria and Gqeberha reflect national values of ubuntu, inclusivity and shared prosperity. Yet, the crucial challenge remains: how will South Africa’s leadership translate lofty promises into concrete progress for millions of Africans striving for opportunity in an increasingly fractured world?

The Culture Working Group is far more than palace receptions and red-carpet galas. Rather, it recognises heritage as an economic asset, a tool for social justice, and a means of building resilient communities. It also leverages creative industries including film, music, crafts, and design to drive an African Renaissance. At the same time, the Digital Economy Working Group confronts the yawning digital divide, pressing for universal connectivity, ethical data use, and regulation of artificial intelligence that leaves no one behind. These tracks are deeply complementary: culture thrives on digital platforms, and technology gains meaning when it fosters expression, identity, and social cohesion.

Culture as Catalyst for Development

South Africa’s acceptance of the G20 baton began with the launch of the Culture Working Group in Pretoria, marking a pivotal first act. The meeting bristled with energy: minister of arts, MECs, culture leaders, civil society activists, and UNESCO envoys gathered to chart a path forward. Their mandate was clear: invest in heritage preservation, support creative entrepreneurs, and weave culture into the broader tapestry of sustainable development.

This mandate translates into three transformative priorities. First, South Africa is committed to protecting and revitalising living heritage including oral traditions, indigenous languages, and sacred sites, so these remain vibrant rather than relegated to archives. In KwaZulu-Natal, digital archives now store izibongo (praise poems) in high-fidelity audio, and schools in Limpopo integrate San rock-art motifs into STEM curricula. Such innovations ensure ancestral wisdom informs 21st-century classrooms.

Second, South Africa is forging cultural diplomacy corridors. The Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) is partnering with Brazil, Indonesia, and Nigeria to facilitate the exchange of artisans, festivals, and film projects. 

This “South–South” alignment challenges the default North-to-South flow of culture, repositioning African arts not as exotic curiosities but as equals in a global conversation. Pan-African filmmakers and Afro-beat musicians become ambassadors whose work commands respect at Cannes, Berlin, and beyond.

Third, South Africa advocates for “culture-positive” finance. UNESCO estimates the creative economy contributes 3 per cent of global GDP, yet African creators often struggle for venture capital and grant funding. At the G20, South Africa rallied support for a $500 million Cultural Investment Facility within the World Bank, aimed at underwriting museums, creative hubs, and digital platforms that showcase African creativity. If approved, this would become the first global fund dedicated solely to culture in emerging markets.

These initiatives reflect South Africa’s understanding that culture is not an afterthought but a lens through which people make sense of their past, shape their present, and imagine their future. Under South Africa’s guidance, the G20 Culture Working Group is proving that investing in heritage catalyses job creation, social cohesion, and reconciliation. As President Cyril Ramaphosa stated in Riyadh, “Culture is our compass in turbulent times.” South Africa aims to demonstrate how that compass guides the world.

Digital Economy: Bridging the Divide

Simultaneously, South Africa’s co-chairing of the Digital Economy Working Group brings renewed focus to bridging the digital divide. While cities glow with fibre-optic cables, the Eastern Cape sees only one in five households with internet access. The G20 Digital Economy agenda, led by South Africa, seeks to close that gap, building a more inclusive digital ecosystem.

The first task was to define Digital Public Infrastructure, namely shared platforms for payments, identity verification, and data exchange. Inspired by India’s Aadhaar programme, South Africa’s Digital Identity Service will be interoperable with existing home affairs databases, yet strictly compliant with the Constitution’s privacy protections. This infrastructure will underpin e-government services, extending efficiency and transparency from rural clinics to urban transport systems.

Next, South Africa champions digital skills development. The Fourth Industrial Revolution demands proficiency in coding, not just call-centre work. At the inaugural G20 DEWG meeting, South Africa launched the Bridge to Code initiative: a partnership between government, universities, and industry to train one million youths across Africa in software development, digital marketing, and data science over the next three years. In parallel, mobile-first micro-credentials will upskill workers in agriculture, healthcare, and transport. Digital literacy is thus becoming a fundamental right, not a privilege.

The rise of artificial intelligence brings both immense potential and significant risks. In Limpopo, villages monitor soil moisture via satellite-enabled drones, while facial recognition systems have misidentified people with darker skin tones. The G20 summit led by South Africa established an AI Governance Task Force, ensuring ethics guidelines reflect Global South priorities which are, amongst others equity, transparency, and non-discrimination. Drafted principles include data sovereignty for developing countries, safeguards against surveillance-driven state capture, and accountability for biased algorithms.

Digital trade is another focal point. E-commerce boomed during the pandemic, but Africa’s cross-border logistics and payment barriers remain prohibitive. South Africa brokered an agreement to harmonise digital customs documentation across the Southern African Development Community and pushed for WTO reforms to classify data flows as a service, ensuring developing countries receive a fair stake in digital trade revenues. These efforts aim to empower SMEs throughout Africa.

Convergence: Culture in a Connected World

Culture and the digital economy do not operate in parallel, instead they intersect in daily life. Storytelling platforms require digital infrastructure; musicians rely on streaming analytics; museums are going virtual. South Africa’s dual mandate within the G20 enables the weaving of these strands into a coherent tapestry.

Consider isiZulu language preservation. Within the Culture Working Group, South Africa advocated funding for isiZulu voice assistants. In the Digital Economy Working Group, commitments were secured from tech giants to localise voice-recognition APIs for African languages. The result: a seamless user experience where children can inquire in isiZulu and receive informed answers showcasing true synergy across sectors.

Digital platforms underpin the creative sector’s future. South African filmmakers use social media to showcase work and secure financing through regulated crowdfunding portals. Craft entrepreneurs in Soweto export beadwork globally via e-marketplaces hosted on government-backed digital infrastructure. Behind every success lies the scaffolding erected through G20 negotiations led by South Africa.

Leadership and the Road Ahead

Although critics may dismiss the G20 as a club of privileged nations, South Africa’s presidency has consistently championed the Global South agenda. South Africa does not seek to celebrate privilege, but to broker equity. When G20 declarations call for “inclusive culture and ethical digital change,” they echo South Africa’s calls from Cape Town and Gqeberha.

The real work, of course, begins after communiqués are signed. Implementation must occur at provincial and local levels. South Africa’s Department of Arts and Culture will pilot a cultural incubator in King Cetshwayo District, supporting maskandi artists and traditional healers. The Communications and Digital Technologies Department will roll out subsidised satellite internet in the Northern Cape. South Africa is closing the implementation gap to ensure pledged funds translate into real programmes for communities.

Heritage Month offers South Africa a moment to reflect on these twin mandates, celebrating a rich cultural mosaic while harnessing digital transformation to empower its citizens. Ubuntu underpins both, embodying the belief that innovation and tradition flourish together, not in isolation. True progress is measured in dignity and opportunity delivered to every South African, from the youth coding in Khayelitsha to the weavers in eThekwini.

By steering the G20’s Culture and Digital Economy Working Groups, South Africa is guiding outcomes that reflect national identity and aspiration. Culture is not a relic to preserve under glass but a living, vibrant force. Digital technology, governed by ethical principles, unlocks human potential rather than disenfranchising individuals.

The road ahead remains challenging where policy debates may stall, budgets can slip, global economic headwinds may shift priorities. Yet South Africa needs to enter every G20 room with moral clarity and conviction, representing millions who seek connectivity, creative expression, and economic opportunity. For the world, South Africa is not just a host for lavish dinners, but a living laboratory for inclusive development.

Heritage Month is a timely reminder that South Africa’s cultural identity and digital future are inseparable. Every traditional dance and digital transaction reflects the spirit of ubuntu: “I am because we are.” As South Africa stewards culture and digital transformation on the global stage, its gaze remains fixed on the people whose lives policies will transform.

By doing so, South Africa not only leads but inspires. It demonstrates that heritage and innovation walk hand in hand, and that a commitment to justice and dignity rooted in indigenous philosophy and expressed in myriad tongues, can light the way for the Global South and beyond.

South Africa is the architect of tomorrow’s heritage, building it with both tradition and technology, with heart and mind, and ensuring that no one is left behind. This is the G20 legacy in the making.

(Dube is a noted Political Economist, Businessperson, and Social Commentator whose insights are regularly featured on UkhoziFM and in various newspapers. For further reading and perspectives, visit: http://www.ncodube.blog)