Jobs, skills, trade: how the B20 could change everything

What does a global business forum have to do with your daily life? Co-chair of B20 SA, Mxolisi Mgojo, breaks it down, and explains why every South African should care.

What is B20, and why is it important?

The B20 is a global business engagement group that speaks directly to the G20, the world’s 20 biggest economies. The G20 is like the world’s most powerful cabinet meeting, where leaders from 20 major economies make decisions about money, jobs and global rules that affect our daily work and lives.

But here’s the thing: SA is the first African country to host the G20 and the B20. That means we have a rare chance to shape policy recommendations that affect jobs, trade and opportunities — not just for us, but for the whole continent.

So why should you care? Because the decisions made here trickle down to our daily lives, whether it is cheaper goods, more jobs or skills training for your children.

Why are jobs and skills such a big focus for B20 SA? 

Look at the numbers: by 2050, one in four workers in the world will be African. But right now, half of our youth are unemployed. That is a crisis, but also an opportunity. Our Employment and Education Task Force is tackling the jobs crisis head-on by focusing on policy recommendations that will result in upskilling workers for growing industries like green energy, technology and manufacturing, ensuring they are ready for the jobs of tomorrow. 

We are also pushing to make sure young people don’t just leave school with degrees, but with real, marketable skills that employers actually need. And because small businesses are the backbone of our economy, we are advocating for policy recommendations that help them grow and create more jobs, because when they thrive, our communities thrive too. This is not just about policy papers; it is about real opportunities for ordinary Africans to build better lives. This is not just about boardrooms, it is about putting food on tables.

How does the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) help ordinary people?

Imagine you’re a small-business owner in Soweto. Right now, selling to Nigeria or Kenya is expensive and complicated because of tariffs, delays, red tape. The AfCFTA is supposed to change that, creating a single African market worth $3.4-trillion.

Right now, the AfCFTA is stuck in “potential” mode, but our Trade and Investment Task Force is working to change that by pushing for practical solutions. We are working on recommendations that will cut border delays and red tape so goods can move faster across the continent, boost digital trade to help even informal traders and small businesses sell beyond their local markets, and link African industries to create real, sustainable jobs. 

This is not just about trade deals; it’s about making sure African businesses, big and small, can finally unlock the opportunities they have been promised.

If we get this right, it means more customers for spaza shops, more work for truck drivers, more factories hiring locals.

Given the ongoing load-shedding crisis, what role does the Energy Mix & Just Transition Task Force play in finding solutions?

The Energy Mix & Just Transition Task Force is not just about fixing load-shedding, though that remains critical, but about building an energy system that truly works for everyone. While important work has already delivered good results in government and business with the country’s energy challenges, we must go further. 

Yes, we need to keep the lights on, but we also need to train workers for the jobs of the future in solar, wind and green hydrogen, ensuring they have the skills to thrive in a changing energy landscape. 

At the same time, we must make energy more affordable so businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, can grow and compete. And we have to balance sustainability with affordability, because no worker should ever have to choose between putting food on the table and protecting the environment we all share. This is about creating an energy future that powers both our economy and our communities.

This is not just theory. India used its B20 presidency to roll out digital payment systems that helped street vendors go cashless. We can do the same, leapfrog old problems with smart solutions.

Why does business need to work with government rather than the private sector acting alone? 

If that were true, we would have solved unemployment by now. Business needs policy to work and government needs business to deliver. A factory cannot expand and hire more workers if our ports are clogged with delays or if electricity is cut out. Similarly, a promising tech startup will struggle to grow if internet costs are too high or if old regulations hold them back. 

This is exactly why the B20 exists — to bring business and government together to solve these real-world problems. Take our Digital Transformation Task Force — we are making recommendations for cheaper internet access and practical digital training because every entrepreneur, no matter what size, deserves a fair shot at building their business online. This is [not] just policy talk;  it’s about removing the everyday barriers holding South Africans back from creating jobs and growing our economy.

What’s your biggest worry and your biggest hope?

My worry? That we do not make enough of this moment of hosting the B20 SA. Africa has been called the continent of the future for decades, but the future never arrives. My hope? That this B20 presidency shifts the narrative. We are not just asking for a seat at the table, we are bringing solutions.

If we get this right, our children could grow up to land a good job in one of Africa’s booming tech hubs, build a business that trades effortlessly across the continent without all the red tape and develop skills that make them competitive on the global stage, not just in their own neighbourhood. 

This is not just wishful thinking — it is the future we are working to create through practical solutions that connect African talent with real opportunities. The choices we make today will determine whether our children inherit a continent of struggle or one of genuine possibility.

What can ordinary South Africans do? 

Hold us accountable. The B20 SA is not some distant meeting; it’s about our livelihoods. Ask: “Where are the jobs?” Demand: “Why is trade still so hard?” Push for skills that matter. This is Africa’s time, but only if we act like it.

This article was sponsored by the B20 SA.