As the first Africa-led B20 cycle draws to a close, South Africa has sent a clear message to the world: the continent is not only shaping the global growth agenda, it is ready to deliver it.
For Kwikot, a Silver-Tier Sponsor of B20 South Africa 2025 and an active member of the Energy Mix & Just Transition Task Force, the two-day Summit reaffirmed what the past year of policy work has made undeniable - Africa’s moment has arrived, and the next chapter will be measured not in dialogue but in delivery.
This year’s B20 theme, Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity, reflected in the official messaging framework, resonated across every panel, spotlight and fireside conversation. From digital transformation to energy reform to economic resilience, speakers repeatedly underscored the same truth: Africa’s progress is accelerating across multiple fronts, and the systems that support this progress must accelerate with it.
A continent in motion: What the Summit made clear
During the panel “Africa Is Open for Business,” leaders described a continent experiencing simultaneous revolutions across digital infrastructure, financial innovation and energy. Speakers including MTN’s Ralph Mupita and AXIAN Group’s Hassanein Hiridjee emphasised Africa’s growing investment appeal, its demographic strength, and its momentum as a hub for innovation.
For Kwikot, this aligns directly with the trajectory of its own sector. Residential water heating represents one of the most important and least understood levers in Africa’s clean-energy future. As highlighted in Kwikot's earlier B20 energy-transition commentary, household water heating consumes 40 - 60% of residential electricity, making it one of the fastest, most inclusive opportunities to cut demand and strengthen grid stability.
Infrastructure, leadership and the call for practical solutions
A consistent message throughout the Summit was that digital infrastructure must advance at the same pace as physical infrastructure, a point reinforced by Absa Group CEO Kenny Fihla. This sentiment is deeply relevant to smart-home systems and digitally enabled energy management, which underpin the next wave of efficiency and load-shifting across African households.
Similarly, Standard Bank’s Luvuyo Masinda reminded delegates that with clear plans and decisive leadership, “massive challenges can become massive opportunities.” Santam CEO Tavaziva Madzinga added that Africa’s greatest resource is its people, an insight that resonates with Kwikot’s long-standing commitment to training plumbers, technicians and installers across the country.
Policy momentum meets practical implementation
The official B20 Handover Pack makes one point unequivocal: this phase is no longer about paper. It is about advocacy, accountability and proof.
Across all eight B20 task forces, including the Energy Mix & Just Transition group, the recommendations now move into execution, a shift strongly reinforced by the B20 Central Messaging Playbook’s focus on actionable progress, measurable outcomes, and the responsibility of business to drive implementation.
Kwikot Managing Director Murray Crow echoed this in the company’s earlier B20 commentary:
“Policy only matters when it changes the way people live and work.”
As a local manufacturer with over 120 years of engineering experience, Kwikot is positioned to demonstrate what this implementation looks like in practice - from energy-efficient electric systems to solar-ready and smart water-heating technologies that reduce household consumption by up to 30%.
The handover: A milestone, not a conclusion
During the handover ceremony, B20 Co-Chair Nonkululeko Nyembezi emphasised continuity - the idea that each presidency builds on the last, and that Africa’s leadership must be carried forward with measurable delivery. The handover of the B20 papers to the G20 Presidency marks the culmination of months of consensus-driven policy work, but also the beginning of the global advocacy phase.
President Cyril Ramaphosa reinforced this momentum in his address, stating:
“The work done by the B20 shows Africa has the potential to be the next frontier of growth.”
For Kwikot, this is not an abstract statement. It is a daily operating reality. The company already sees the impact of energy instability on households and small businesses, and the immediate gains available through affordable, scalable technology.
What comes next: Turning recommendations into national impact
According to the B20 South Africa task force agenda, success over the next 18 months will be defined by tangible progress, including:
- Efficiency standards gazetted and enforced
- Pilot projects demonstrating verified energy savings
- Investment mechanisms enabling adoption of clean technologies
- Inclusive value chains involving SMEs, youth and women technicians
Kwikot’s own priorities mirror these measures of progress. As the company continues to work within the B20 Energy Mix & Just Transition agenda, its focus remains on technologies and programmes that reduce household consumption, broaden access and support a truly just transition.
A turning point for Africa and a beginning for what comes next
The tone at the close of the B20 Summit was clear: Africa is no longer waiting for the world to recognise its potential. It is demonstrating it.
This year’s Summit marks the end of the policy development phase, but more importantly, the beginning of the implementation chapter. For businesses, governments and manufacturers like Kwikot, the mandate is now to turn commitments into proof and momentum into measurable change.
Kwikot will continue working alongside industry partners, policymakers and South African households to drive practical, accessible solutions that strengthen the grid, reduce costs and help shape a more resilient future.
Because when Africa leads, the world takes notice. And when Africa delivers, the world changes.
