By Kirsten Pearson, Researcher and Activist (views are her own)
This November, multilateralism, and the voice of civil society came under scrutiny at the G20 in South Africa, the “We the 99% People’s Summit,” as a counter-event for the G20, and the COP 30 in Belém, Brazil. Developments at these events leaves no doubt that the shifting landscape is relevant for philanthropy, and how it positions itself in future.
Testing the principles of solidarity, equality and sustainability at different levels
While South Africa was navigating its G20 Presidency as a middle power, its chosen principles of “solidarity, equality and sustainability” were repeatedly tested by the United States and like‑minded allies such as Argentina.
At the same time, a different battle was unfolding at home.
As G20 preparations intensified, efforts to ‘beautify’ an increasingly decaying Johannesburg escalated. Informal traders and unhoused people were displaced from the spaces where they eke out a precarious living. Potholes were hastily patched along anticipated motorcade routes, even as neighbouring communities continued to endure leaking pipes that cause many of those potholes and long stretches without running water. Access to water is a constitutional right, yet political leaders in the city show little urgency in addressing chronic infrastructure backlogs. The rush to prepare for the arrival of the G20 and global elites simply proved that swift, highly visible action is possible when political will exists.
The significance of the G20 Social Summit
At the G20 Social Summit – a flagship platform for integrating civil society voices into G20 decision-making – activists welcomed South Africa’s hosting of the Social Summit, only the second country to do so after Brazil introducing it in 2024.
It was the children who truly stood out at the Social Summit. In a powerful closing moment at the G20 Social Summit, a unified declaration reflecting the perspectives of workers, civil society, youth, women, persons with disabilities and other groups worldwide, was formally presented to President Cyril Ramaphosa by youth from the Children’s 20. It was read out by Amogelang Mashele, President of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Parliament. A young boy called Jordan, who is part of an initiative called “Custodians of the Future”, handed the declaration over to President Ramaphosa.
While the mood at the Social Summit was vibrant, there was also a cautious tone in the conversations, reflecting uncertainty about whether the President’s words from the stage would truly lead to action. When the President acknowledged Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) as a crisis both in South Africa and globally, GBVF activists responded with measured applause. They asked whether it is a national state of disaster, as they had been advocating for. Given that the President used the term ‘crisis’ rather than ‘disaster’, it remained an uncertainty. Worn down by past disappointments based on hearing the right words only to be betrayed by limited follow up action, their message was clear: “Tomorrow, we still protest.”
We the 99% People’s Summit
Following the Social Summit, many of the over 4,000 delegates continued their engagement at the “We the 99% People’s Summit,” a counter summit held alongside the G20 Leaders’ meeting. Although many of the same attendees were present at both events, the People’s Summit at Constitution Hill conveyed a more urgent and unambiguous energy in the activists’ messages. A large banner displayed by Indonesian activists boldly declared, “Fight Inequality.” An exhibition featured signs with compelling calls to action such as “Grow Your Own Food” and “Tax Wealth Not Work.” Meanwhile, a fresh mural was in the process of being painted, symbolising ongoing creative resistance and hope.
The organisers of the “We the 99% People’s Summit”, articulate that “the world is in a deep crisis, which is tearing apart economies, societies and the environment. We need a new global movement to get us out of this crisis. A movement that builds power from the ground up — connecting local struggles, uniting movements, and advancing clear political alternatives.”
The day of the Women’s Shutdown
On the second day of the People’s Summit, attendees took part in the Women’s Shutdown organised by Women for Change. For 15 minutes, participants dressed in black lay silently on the ground at Constitution Hill in a symbolic ‘lie-in’, as the names of women killed by femicide were solemnly read over a public address system to honour their memory. The day also involved a widespread withdrawal of women from the economy—they refrained from working or purchasing goods – to demonstrate the profound impact of gender-based violence. Parallel shutdowns took place nationwide at noon.
After the lie in, those who participated started to file away back to the People’s Summit stalls and imbizos. Then came an unexpected order. The police wanted everyone to disperse. The festival-like summit activities would not proceed that afternoon. Everyone must go home. Some attendees expressed frustration that police tend to be absent when victims of gender-based violence urgently need help, yet during peaceful protests like this, law enforcement appears in large numbers, complete with helicopters overhead and officers in riot gear.
Back to the main G20 stage
On the global stage, South Africa’s Presidency and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) worked hard to secure what is, in truth, a weak G20 Leaders’ Declaration – hamstrung by the equivocation of major powers – while the world burns.
The G20 summit emphasised coordinated international responses to climate-related and natural disasters, improving debt relief for low- and middle-income countries, mobilising funding for renewable energy, and promoting sustainable development of mineral resources, particularly in Africa.
In his closing remarks, President Ramaphosa said: “This summit has taken place at a crucial moment, as calls around the world grow louder for progress on the imperatives of our time: to end poverty in all its forms, to reduce inequality within and among countries, and to take urgent action to combat climate change.”
These calls persist because leaders of some major industrialised countries ignore them. Now they are more urgent than ever.
Similar challenges with climate diplomacy at COP30
Over at COP30 which was taking place at the same time, a moment of reckoning, similarly hampered by US absence and interference, was taking place. The metrics say we’re not on track and whereas there has been a broad consensus about Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals but with insufficient urgency, now the leaders of some of the biggest polluting countries are trying to take us in the opposite direction. It makes climate diplomacy as challenging as G20 diplomacy.
Global South priorities on the multilateral agenda
The G20 placed Global South priorities – such as debt relief, climate finance, inclusive growth, and social protection – at the forefront, creating strategic entry points for philanthropy as a catalyst for local-global action. Many of the climate related agenda items on the G20 agenda were present in the COP30 negotiations. This is because of South Africa and Brazil’s cooperation. Brazil’s 2024 G20 presidency laid a robust foundation – endorsing just energy transitions, renewable energy tripling, and efficiency doubling by 2030 – which South Africa committed to advancing under its “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability” theme. This handover ensured continuity on shared priorities like climate finance scaling, adaptation (prioritised under South Africa), debt sustainability for vulnerable nations, and Paris Agreement alignment, with the G20 Leaders’ Declaration explicitly welcoming COP30 outcomes.
Recalibrating international financial architecture
A slow recalibration of global finance – via Multilateral Development Banks (MDB) reforms, debt-for-climate swaps, and tripling adaptation funding – contends with entrenched interests and ‘received ways of working’, creating openings for philanthropy to advocate bolder reforms and unlock blended finance. South Africa’s focus on Africa-led priorities like Early Childhood Development (ECD), disaster resilience, and civic space protection has brought emphasis on these issues to an important global policy forum. And yet it comes at a time at which multilateralism is under threat.
Philanthropy’s Role: Bridging Divides, Driving Change
What does this mean for philanthropy, specifically for funders with a footprint in South Africa? Now more than ever, philanthropic actors have a vital role in supporting transformative change by catalysing partnerships and innovation.
The 2025 G20 under South Africa’s presidency signals a shift that is underway: with public finances strained by debt crises, disasters, and geopolitical tensions, expectations mount for private finance – including philanthropy – to fill gaps in climate justice, social protection, and inclusive growth. The 2025 G20 declaration endorses the channelling of over USD 100 billion in Special Drawing Rights to Multilateral Development. It also endorses scaling climate finance through catalysed investments for sustainable energy transitions (especially in developing countries), low-cost/concessional financing, blended mechanisms, risk mitigation, MDB reforms, and priorities like adaptation, just transitions, and de-risking private capital—aligning with South Africa’s Sustainable Finance Working Group agenda.
This positions philanthropy as a “catalytic” partner beyond mere funding—offering expertise, convening power, and local insights to drive implementation.
Strategic opportunities for philanthropy
- Catalysing Innovation: In an era of financial constraint, philanthropy is uniquely positioned to provide risk capital for pilot projects, social enterprises, and civil society innovations—opening pathways for new solutions in just transitions, adaptation, and green jobs. For example, collaborations like the African Climate Foundation showcase how pooled philanthropic capital can build capacity and drive policy shifts that benefit millions.
- Championing Integration: Philanthropy can help break down silos between climate, development, and justice financing, supporting integrated initiatives that reflect the lived realities of communities. Funders can support research and advocacy for policies that make climate action inseparable from economic and social inclusion. Philanthropy can also facilitate dialogue within and between stakeholder groups—particularly enabling civil society voices in multilateral forums like G20/COP and alternative initiatives such as People’s Summits. This convening role amplifies grassroots perspectives, fosters cross-sector coalitions, and ensures equitable representation in global decision-making.
- Enabling South-South Collaboration: This is an ideal moment to invest in knowledge-sharing networks, peer learning, and direct collaboration within the Global South. Philanthropy can enable African-led responses to challenges often discussed without African voices at the table.
A call to courage and cooperation
The coming years ask us all—especially those with resources and networks to drive change—to step up with courage, humility, and a long view. Real, fundamental change means recognising history, admitting the limits of failed paradigms, and working shoulder-to-shoulder with communities toward a just, climate-resilient, and inclusive future.
South Africa and Brazil hosting the G20 and COP are not just symbolic milestones. They are calls to action for philanthropy: to forge new partnerships, champion brave ideas, and ensure that next-generation development is rooted in equity and justice for the global majority.