Bright Simons appointed to Africa Expert Panel under South Africa’s G20 Presidency

According to a 3news report, Simons will serve on the panel to provide strategic guidance and advisory support to South Africa as it leads the initiative, focusing on advancing Africa’s interests within the G20 framework.

In December 2024, South Africa assumed the G20 Presidency and will hold it until November 2025.

The G20 is an international forum comprising 19 of the world’s most systemically important economies, along with the African Union and the European Union.

It plays a critical role in shaping global economic policies, and South Africa’s presidency marks a significant moment for Africa, providing an opportunity to spotlight key economic and developmental challenges facing the continent.

Its activities are conducted through the G20 Finance and Sherpa Tracks, culminating in an annual summit of G20 leaders.

For the first time, the G20 Presidency and most of its key meetings in 2025 are being held on African soil, presenting a unique opportunity for South Africa to prioritize Africa’s development concerns during its tenure.

As part of its presidency, South Africa has established the Africa Expert Panel to address pressing policy challenges facing the continent.

A significant focus of the panel will be Africa’s growing debt crisis.

Currently, African nations are set to pay nearly $89 billion in external debt service, with many low-income countries facing debt distress.

More than half of Africa’s 1.3 billion people live in nations that allocate more funds to debt repayments than to critical social sectors such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

The rising debt burden is unsustainable and poses a serious threat to economic development and poverty alleviation.

The panel will play a critical role in shaping policy recommendations and strategic initiatives to tackle Africa’s economic challenges. It will facilitate collaboration among key stakeholders including governments, think tanks, and business leaders to advance a unified African agenda within the G20 framework.

By fostering evidence-based discussions and collaboration, the panel will help ensure alignment between South Africa’s priorities and those of the African Union.

It will also produce a high-level report detailing its key findings and recommendations.

The Africa Expert Panel is composed of leading economists, policymakers, and development experts, including:

Trevor Manuel – Chairman, Old Mutual Board (Chairperson)

Joel Netshitenzhe – Executive Director, Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (Secretariat)

Anthony Musonda Simpasa – Officer in Charge, Macroeconomic Policy, Debt Sustainability & Forecasting, African Development Bank

Carlos Lopes – Honorary Professor, Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town

Daouda Sembene – CEO, AfriCatalyst (Senegal)

David Luke – Professor & Strategic Director, Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa (Sierra Leone)

Donald Kaberuka – Chairman & Managing Partner, SouthBridge

Esther Duflo – Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

François Bourguignon – Former Chief Economist, World Bank & Director, Paris School of Economics

Hanan Morsy – Chief Economist, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

Hannah Ryder – CEO, Development Reimagined

Johann Kirsten – Professor & Director, Bureau for Economic Research, Stellenbosch University

Kevin Urama – Professor & Chief Economist, African Development Bank

Kuben Naidoo – Investec

Masood Ahmed – President Emeritus, Center for Global Development

Murray Leibbrandt – Professor & Research Chair, Poverty and Inequality
Research, University of Cape Town

Ngaire Woods – Dean, Blavatnik School, Oxford

Patrick Njoroge – Former Governor, Kenya Reserve Bank

Alan Hirsch – Professor, Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town

Bright Simons – President, mPedigree (Ghana)

Fiona Tregenna – Professor of Economics, University of Johannesburg

Neva Makgetla – Senior Economist, Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies

Hans Peter Lankes – Deputy Chief Executive & Managing Director, ODI

South African Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana expressed gratitude to the panel members for their commitment stating, “On behalf of the people of South Africa, I want to thank each panel member for accepting the invitation to serve on the Africa Expert Panel. I am confident that the insights and expertise of each panel member will assist in shaping Africa’s economic, development, and financial engagements within such an international and systemic forum as the G20.”