As South Africa assumed the G20 Presidency in December 2024, the Auditor-General of South Africa officially took over as chair of SAI20 − the engagement group of supreme audit institutions (SAIs) from G20 nations. Under this leadership, SAi20 plays a critical role in ensuring that accountability, transparency, and good governance remain at the heart of global economic policymaking.

The first SAi20 technical meeting was held virtually over two days on 5-6 February 2025. This high-level engagement provided a platform for G20 SAIs, SAI guest countries and representatives of international regional organisations to exchange insights and best practices, reinforcing the role of public auditing in sustainable economic development.

Strategic focus areas for SAi20 engagement in 2025

In her address to the SAi20 delegates, Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke highlighted that “South Africa assumes the G20 presidency at a time when the world is confronted by a series of overlapping crises, such as climate change, underdevelopment, inequality, poverty, starvation, unemployment, technological advancements disrupting global economies and geopolitical instability, to name a few. It is under these global pressures that the South African government has adopted the theme: Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability for its G20 presidency”.

To align with the G20’s overarching theme, SAi20 will focus on two critical theme areas, namely:

• Unlocking and leveraging public infrastructure funding for equality and sustainable growth 
  Public infrastructure serves as the backbone of economic development, fostering industrialisation, job creation and social progress. However, access to sustainable and well-managed infrastructure funding remains a critical challenge, particularly in addressing disparities within and between nations.
• Collaborative and integrative efforts for a future-ready workforce – Bridging the skills gap in sustainable economic growth
  Sustainable economic development depends on a well-prepared workforce, as global economies change in response to fast technological advancements, changing labour demands and socioeconomic changes.

Robust knowledge exchange and global collaboration

The SAi20 technical meeting fostered deep, solution-driven discussions with SAIs from G20 member states, SAI guest countries and international institutions sharing their experiences and expertise.

Through these discussions, delegates recognised shared challenges, explored areas of synergy and identified opportunities for collective action – ultimately strengthening the collective capacity to drive improvements in key areas essential for global economic growth.

The SAi20 delegates recognised the importance of strengthening public-private partnerships (PPPs), among other strategies, to enhance collaboration between the public and private sectors in addressing global infrastructure challenges, infrastructure funding and skills gaps for the benefit of citizens.

The meeting reaffirmed the critical role SAIs play in shaping governance and ensuring that public funds contribute meaningfully to economic and social progress. As SAi20 continues its engagements under the AGSA’s leadership, it will work to provide actionable recommendations for strengthening financial accountability, improving public sector performance and driving sustainable economic transformation.

Next steps

Building on the insights from this technical meeting, SAi20 will work towards delivering high-impact communique to the G20 Leaders' Summit later in the year.