Dr. Khaled Azab, academic and expert in the field of heritage
Africa is on the brink of redefining its role in global affairs, especially with the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa in November 2025. The continent seeks to enhance its influence and representation in international institutions, advocating for reforms that address its unique challenges and aspirations. Leaders are calling for a stronger voice and fairer representation in global decisionmaking.
Khaled Azab, an academic and heritage expert, notes that until recently, control over Africa was largely confined to colonial powers, particularly Britain, France, and the United States. With Africa hosting the G20 summit in South Africa in November 2025, it marks a culmination of efforts for genuine presence on the global stage.
This current moment presents a rare opportunity for the continent to become more prominent than ever in international affairs. It must either become a forceful influence or a symbolic presence devoid of impact.
The first option requires difficult reforms, including greater financial independence for African institutions and enhanced coordination among regional blocs, signaling the end of Africa’s consumption of standards and practices set by colonial powers.
In reality, Africa is marginally represented in international institutional frameworks, thus being sidelined when decisions are made that directly affect its populations. However, the current African awareness has crystallized clear demands, starting with a greater role in rule-setting and agenda-setting for global institutions.
African leaders are calling for fairer representation, a stronger continental voice, and the freedom to choose bilateral relations that align with national economies. This has been achieved by several countries on the continent that have opened relations primarily with China, which has provided loans on favorable terms and developmental projects without political conditions or stringent repayment requirements.
Africa remains marginalized in global economic governance, with its voting power in the International Monetary Fund and World Bank being low, despite its vulnerability to debt and climate shocks.
Recently, Africa renewed calls for reform, as Kenyan President William Ruto stated at the United Nations General Assembly: “The International Monetary Fund punishes poor countries with high interest rates and stringent conditions, while rewarding wealthy nations with more flexible lending terms,” arguing that reforming the IMF is an imperative necessity.
In 2023, Africa achieved a significant milestone with the African Union’s admission to permanent membership in the G20, reflecting the continent’s shifting international weight. Africa is now represented as a bloc in the largest global economic forum, alongside the European Union.
Africans have succeeded in obtaining leadership positions in international institutions such as the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization, but this brings new responsibilities.
As international institutions begin to grant Africa more seats at the negotiating table, the continent must be prepared to meet this challenge. This means moving beyond mere appearances to exercising real influence, which requires cohesion, strategic planning, and political will for collective action.
Clear practices to achieve this include financial independence for the African Union, strengthening the enforcement of continental frameworks like the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, and investing in technical capacities to effectively engage in complex global negotiations regarding debt, trade, and climate.
What undermines these efforts are narrow national ambitions, as African countries often negotiate as individual actors, weakening their position in the World Trade Organization and the United Nations, limiting their ability to rally Africa’s collective weight on key issues. Without a shared understanding that local and regional actions and agreements should enhance collective positions, progress will be stunted.
One of Africa’s challenges also lies in coordination and the effectiveness of regional groups such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). While they are characterized by rapid crisis response, overlapping memberships, political rivalries, and weak implementation of agreements limit their effectiveness.
Therefore, if Africa desires international effectiveness, reforming these regional institutions should be a primary priority to improve their cooperation and resources, including increasing reliance on financial contributions from member states.
Aligning national strategies with collective goals is crucial, with trade being a clear example. The African Continental Free Trade Agreement can only succeed if governments address tariffs, streamline customs procedures, and invest in cross-border infrastructure.
In defense, national investments in military capabilities should align with continental frameworks, such as the African Standby Force, which remains incomplete. Once completed, it will serve as a reliable source for African-led crisis responses, reducing international interventions in African crises.
Historically, there have been structural constraints on African institutions’ ability to shape development paths. Africa still largely depends on others for extracting its natural resources, characterized by low investments in value-added activities and technology development.
This has been addressed in Agenda 2063, a strategic roadmap for building an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa, led and managed by its citizens, with its developmental goals representing a dynamic force on the international stage.
This roadmap was established by the African Union, and what currently enhances it is the rapidly changing economic landscape in Africa, with new regional and local value chains emerging, and regional economic corridors connecting countries, alleviating the burden of high production and logistical service costs. A notable example is the railway line extending from Uganda to Kenya.
The African Union has succeeded in asserting its presence at numerous events, remaining the most legitimate platform on the continent for global representation. However, its credibility is often undermined by limited resources and slow decision-making, issues that some African countries are striving to address.
The rise of certain African nations, such as the economic tiger Rwanda, or South Africa, which aspires to lead the South with high potential, alongside Nigeria and Cameroon with promising capabilities, and Senegal, which is gradually emerging as a tiger, enhances Africa’s image. If African nations, despite their fragmentation, see themselves as a power, they will reshape the balance of power in the world in the future.
Historically, Africa has faced structural limitations in shaping its development paths, heavily relying on external entities for resource extraction. The continent has seen minimal investment in value-added activities and technology development.
The African Union’s Agenda 2063 aims to create a prosperous and integrated Africa, driven by its citizens, and represents a dynamic force on the global stage. Recent economic shifts are fostering regional value chains and economic corridors, enhancing connectivity and reducing logistical costs.
