When the G20 meets, the supreme audit institution (SAI) of the country holding the G20 presidency chairs the SAi20 engagement group (comprising of SAIs of the G20 nations). Therefore, when South Africa assumed the presidency of G20 2025, the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) assumed the chair of the SAi20 2025. The presidency runs from 1 December 2024 through to 30 November 2025.

The G20 is the premier forum for global economic cooperation and global governance on critical issues affecting the world. Widely regarded as a vehicle for promoting effective multilateral cooperation, it brings together the world's leading economies to ensure global economic stability and sustainable growth for all nations.

SAi20 arises from the need to develop a platform that strengthens the role of SAIs as strategic partners of G20 governments in addressing global challenges. The SAi20 engagement group was established in 2022 (during Indonesia's G20 presidency) to reinforce cooperation among SAIs of G20 member countries, the larger SAI community and other stakeholders.

SAIs are essential to overseeing and auditing public spending, offering concrete insights, and providing strategic foresight to foster accountable governance and ensure prosperity for all, while leaving no one behind. Therefore, integrating them as strategic partners contributes to enhancing the governance and effectiveness of global programmes and policies.

In addition, SAi20 was created to guarantee the unity and integrity of the SAI community within the framework of the platforms and initiatives of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI)

SAi20 holds technical, senior official and draft declaration sessions at all levels to encourage SAIs of G20 member states to consider the diverse contexts, challenges, specific needs, priorities and obstacles that different nations face in public sector auditing, accountability transparency and the G20 sustainability agenda.

At the same time, these deliberations provide feedback and monitoring to help ensure that commitments are turned into action, and generate an accountability ecosystem that has the essential role of tracking progress and evaluating the effectiveness of G20 policies while supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations (UN).

The SAi20 will hold a summit that provides a crucial opportunity for SAIs to align on global priorities, collaborate on actionable strategies for enhancing public sector governance and reinforce their role in promoting transparency, accountability and sustainable development in public finance management for a sustainable future in the face of rapidly changing audit and social environments.