Pretoria: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived in South Africa at 6.38 pm local time on Thursday (Friday, 12.38 am Malaysia time) to participate in the Group of 20 (G20) Leaders' Summit. The plane carrying Anwar and his delegation touched down at the Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria, where they were welcomed by Malaysia's High Commissioner to South Africa, Datuk Yubazlan Yusof, and South Africa's Deputy Defence and Military Veterans Minister Major-General (R) Bantubonke 'Bantu' Harrington Holomisa, along with Department of International Relations and Cooperation chief director for East Asia and Oceania Thandiwe Fadane.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Prime Minister's entourage continued their journey to Johannesburg, approximately an hour away, for the four-day working visit from November 20-23. Anwar is attending the summit as a guest of South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, representing Malaysia in its capacity as ASEAN Chair for 2025. The summit, running from November 22-23, is themed 'Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability' under South Africa's G20 Presidency, providing an opportunity for a developing nation to guide the global agenda.
The visit aims to reinforce Malaysia's historical ties with South Africa while leveraging the G20 platform to advocate for the Global South agenda. The G20 comprises members such as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, the United States, the African Union, and the European Union.
Anwar, who also serves as Malaysia's Finance Minister, is accompanied by Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Zaliha Mustafa, Malaysian government officials, and a business delegation. He will present Malaysia's perspective in Session 1, titled 'Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth Leaving No One Behind: Building Our Economies; the Role of Trade; Financing for Development; and the Debt Burden', on the morning of November 22.
Additionally, he will address Session 2, 'A Resilient World - the G20's Contribution: Disaster Risk Reduction; Climate Change; Just Energy Transitions; Food Systems', in the afternoon. After Session 2, Anwar will attend the G20 Leaders' Dinner hosted by President Ramaphosa at the NASREC Expo Centre.
The Prime Minister is set to hold a bilateral meeting with President Ramaphosa on the second day of the visit. Beyond G20 engagements, Anwar will meet South African Muslim leaders and attend a business forum with local industry leaders. He will also connect with the Malaysian diaspora in South Africa and meet with Botswana's Vice-President Ndaba Nkosinathi Gaolathe.
Anwar is scheduled for an interview with Dr Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh, discussing topics like Malaysia-South Africa relations, support for the Palestinian cause, aspirations for full BRICS membership, and global governance reform. On the visit's final day, Anwar will participate in Session 3 of the G20 Summit, 'A Fair and Just Future for All -- Critical Minerals; Decent Work; Artificial Intelligence'. Subsequently, Anwar and his delegation will travel to Nairobi, Kenya, for an official visit before returning home.