PM Modi Welcomed by South African President as G20 Summit Begins in Johannesburg

November 22, 2025

Johannesburg: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was warmly welcomed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa as he arrived to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit at Nasrec in Johannesburg on Saturday.

PM Modi is among several prominent world leaders attending the November 22–23 summit.

After his arrival in Johannesburg on Friday afternoon (local time), PM Modi said he looks forward to holding “productive discussions” with world leaders on key global issues.

“Our focus will be on strengthening cooperation, advancing development priorities and ensuring a better future for all,” PM Modi posted on X.

Bilateral Talks with Australian PM Albanese

On the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, PM Modi is expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings with world leaders.

On Friday, he met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, where the two leaders reviewed the steady expansion of the India–Australia partnership and identified key sectors for deeper collaboration.

In a post on X, PM Modi described the discussions as “very good”, noting that this year marks five years of the strategic partnership between the two nations.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the two leaders expressed satisfaction at the “deepening and diversification of cooperation” between India and Australia, especially since the elevation of ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2020.

The Australian Prime Minister also conveyed solidarity with India over the recent terror attack in the country, and both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the global fight against terrorism.

The meeting covered cooperation in defence and security, nuclear energy, trade, critical minerals, technology, mobility, education, and people-to-people ties.

A Landmark G20 Summit on African Soil

This is the fourth consecutive G20 Summit held in the Global South, and the first-ever hosted on African soil. It also marks PM Modi’s fourth official visit to South Africa after his bilateral visit in 2016 and the BRICS Summits in 2018 and 2023.

“This will be a particularly special Summit given that it would be the first G20 Summit being held in Africa. During India’s Presidency of the G20 in 2023, the African Union had become a member of the G20,” PM Modi said in his departure statement.

He added that the theme — “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability” — reflects South Africa’s efforts to advance the outcomes of previous Summits in New Delhi and Rio de Janeiro.

“I will present India’s perspective at the Summit in line with our vision of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and ‘One Earth, One Family and One Future’,” he said.