The fourth and final meeting of the G20 Infrastructure Working Group (IWG) under the South African Presidency took place on 22-23 September 2025 in Cape Town, Western Cape.
Delegates participated in technical discussions held across three thematic seminars, and plenary sessions centred around South Africa’s G20 infrastructure priorities of growing an investable pipeline, scaling up blended-finance solutions, and delivering cross-border infrastructure for regional development. This innovative approach of combining formal IWG deliberations with learning events aimed to foster deeper
collaboration across public, multilateral, and private partners. The seminars hosted on the first day were open to local and international stakeholders and were livestreamed for broader reach. Further details on these are outlined below.
Financing Social Infrastructure
The seminar was co-hosted by the South African G20 Presidency and the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB). The seminar elevated discussions around social infrastructure as a strategic investment priority. The discussions also emphasised the importance of health, education, social and affordable housing, water and sanitation services as the bedrock of human capital development, inclusive growth and economic resilience. The meeting agreed on key actions required to advance social infrastructure investment including greater collaboration between governments, the private sector and leveraging the multilateral development system to catalyse private investment especially in low- and middle-income countries. https://www.youtube.com/live/mybr_oDA8dw?si=jAIl3Jo_bpYu4cMd
Role of Development Finance Institutions in Mobilising Private Capital
The seminar was co-hosted by the South African G20 Presidency and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). The seminar unpacked how Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) could support countries to scale up the use of guarantees and credit enhancement mechanisms in blended finance transactions.
Discussions focused on operational reforms, product innovation and new partnerships that DFIs and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) could pursue to scale private investment into public infrastructure, highlighting successful case studies of guarantees and credit enhancement mechanisms and showing how these have effectively mobilized private sector capital.
Another key aspect of this seminar, and throughout the day, was the importance of highquality data. Data not only underpins the private sector’s financial models, but also supports governments and implementing partners in project assessments and decisionmaking. Increasing the quality, and quantity of data for African infrastructure will allow infrastructure developers to promote projects reliably and further enable private sector participation. https://www.youtube.com/live/RNuqHRamAmg?si=8uwZfqBAodTsykJr
Launch of the Ubuntu Initiative: A legacy project of the South African G20 Presidency
The Ubuntu Initiative, championed by South Africa’s Presidency in collaboration with the African Development Bank, was formally launched at a specially convened seminar. Rooted in the African philosophy of Ubuntu (“I am because you are”), the initiative sets out an Africa-led framework to translate the G20 Toolkit for Cross-Border Infrastructure into a programme of action. At a time when the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) is expanding opportunities, and global and regional investors are seeking new ways to partner with Africa, the Ubuntu Initiative provides a platform for aligning political commitment, technical expertise, and financial innovation to provide the reliable energy supply, transport networks and digital connectivity that will underpin AfCFTA to increase regional trade and prosperity. https://www.youtube.com/live/YHS-ycGk2TI?si=Hf4I5dfdV9xpbPwE
Following the seminars, the second day discussed formal IWG matters. These discussions were limited to representatives of G20 members, invited countries and international organisations. The key topic for the meeting was the consideration of the final draft deliverables, which were broadly supported. These are:
- Framework for Effective Planning and Preparation Practices: that provides high-level guidance to governments on improving planning and project preparation to scale up the development of an investable pipeline of infrastructure projects and mobilise greater private sector participation.
- Report on Blended Finance De-risking Measures: that explores how guarantees and credit enhancements can better contribute to the mobilisation of private capital towards sustainable infrastructure in EMDEs, and the policy actions that can be taken to improve the accessibility and functioning of these instruments.
- Toolkit for Developing Cross-Border Infrastructure: that highlights key barriers to cross-border infrastructure projects and provides practical guidance to governments, regional bodies, implementing agencies and other relevant stakeholders to overcome these.
The South African G20 Presidency would like to extend its sincere gratitude to the IWG co-chairs, the G20 membership for their contributions during the South African Presidency year, and particularly to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Bank Group, Global Infrastructure Facility, the Global Infrastructure Hub, the Sustainable Infrastructure Foundation, the African Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank for their steadfast partnership in helping the Presidency deliver on its priorities.
The G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors will next consider these deliverables for endorsement in Washington, D.C on the sidelines of the Annual meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund in October. South Africa will then host the G20 Leaders’ Summit in November.
For enquiries, email media@treasury.gov.za
Issued by National Treasury
Date: 29 September 2025
Annexure: IWG Deliverables under the South African G20 Presidency
Priority 1: Developing an investable infrastructure pipeline
- Framework for Effective Planning and Preparation Practices
- G20 Note on Improving the Accessibility and Availability of Key Market Data
- G20 Practice Guide on Leveraging Project Level Data and Digitalising the Pipeline
- Side Event: Showcasing the successful use of data to support project pipeline development (21 March, 2nd G20 IWG, Pretoria)
Priority 2: Scaling up sustainable infrastructure investment through blended finance
- Report on Blended Finance De-risking Measures
- Side Event: Two-part G20/OECD Infrastructure Investors Dialogues (26 February, Finance in Common Summit, Cape Town and 20 March, 2nd G20 Infrastructure Working Group, Pretoria)
Priority 3: Delivering cross-border infrastructure for regional development
- Toolkit for Developing Cross-Border Infrastructure Projects