How South Africa’s G20 Presidency can accelerate industrial growth through TASEZ

When South Africa welcomes the world to the G20 Leaders’ Summit this month, our nation will experience one of the most profound moments of global visibility since the country’s dawn of democracy, writes the CEO of the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ), Dr Bheka Zulu.

As heads of state, global CEOs, investors, and development partners converge on our shores for the G20 Leaders’ Summit on 22 and 23 November 2025, the world’s gaze will fall not only on our political leadership, but on our economic capability, our industrial resilience, and our readiness to take our place in a rapidly shifting global economy.

For those of us tasked with building South Africa’s next-generation industrial platforms, this moment is far more than a diplomatic milestone. It is an opportunity to reshape the country’s industrial trajectory for decades to come.

And for the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ), it is a chance to demonstrate that South Africa can compete, innovate, and lead in one of the world’s most dynamic sectors: automotive manufacturing.

South Africa in the global spotlight

The G20 is not just a gathering of 20 world leaders. It is a year-long platform where global investment sentiment is shaped, where development financing agendas are debated, and where emerging markets like South Africa position themselves as credible partners in the global value chain.

It has already triggered accelerated investments in infrastructure, logistics, and city improvement projects, particularly in Gauteng.

This matters for industrial zones like TASEZ. Better roads, more reliable energy, and upgraded transport networks are the lifeblood of manufacturing competitiveness.

But the physical changes are only part of the story.

The more significant shift is reputational.

A successful G20 presidency can strengthen investor confidence, deepen trust in our economic institutions, and position South Africa as a stable, future-oriented industrial hub.

That alone makes this moment essential for TASEZ and the broader automotive sector.

Global industrial priorities

What excites me is how closely South Africa’s G20 priorities align with TASEZ’s mission.

The 2025 agenda focused on:

• Financing the just energy transition
• Inclusive industrialisation
• Sustainable development
• The role of critical minerals
• Mobility and climate resilience

These are not abstract ideas, they cut to the heart of the automotive industry’s transformation. As highlighted by the recent New Energy Summit held in Gauteng in October 2025, global value chains are pivoting to green mobility, clean manufacturing, and Africa’s integration into supply networks.

TASEZ is uniquely positioned in this transition.

We are already home to one of Africa’s most dynamic automotive production ecosystems, and we are preparing for a future that includes electric mobility, deeper localisation, and expanded supplier development.

If South Africa leverages its G20 presidency effectively, we can secure the policy tools, partnerships, and financing mechanisms needed to accelerate this transition.

Showcasing South Africa’s successes

The world will not judge us by speeches alone. They will judge us by what we build.

This is why TASEZ intends to use the G20 window to demonstrate what coordinated public–private investment can achieve. As the fastest-growing automotive special economic zone (SEZ) on the continent, we have a compelling story to tell — one of job creation, skills development, township inclusion, supplier growth, and industrial expansion.

We should be bold in inviting foreign delegations, development finance institutions, and global OEMs to see the zone firsthand. Site visits, technical tours, and bilateral industry roundtables can turn interest into investment. The G20 gives us a once-in-a-generation platform to do this at scale.

The G20 Leaders’ Summit will bring renewed attention to Africa’s role in the global economy. For TASEZ, this is an opportunity to expand its influence beyond South Africa’s borders.

Through stronger relationships with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and African Union partners, we can position TASEZ as a catalyst for regional automotive value chains — a future where components made in Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, or Zimbabwe flow seamlessly into assembly lines in Tshwane.

More than symbolic

South Africa must convert visibility into tangible improvements in industrial competitiveness. We must guard against the tendency to treat major summits as symbolic rather than strategic.

Investment is not secured by banners, speeches, or social media clicks. It is secured by credibility, efficiency, transparency, and delivery.

For TASEZ, this means:

• strengthening governance;
• accelerating infrastructure development;
• ensuring investor facilitation is world-class; and
• delivering certainty around timelines, incentives, and operations.

The 2025 G20 Summit is a strategic opportunity for South Africa to reposition itself as the continent’s industrial leader, providing a platform for government, business, and development partners to act with unity.

For TASEZ, it is a chance to amplify what we already know: that South Africa can build globally competitive manufacturing hubs; that our people can produce world-class automotive products; and that, with the right partnerships, we can transition into the mobility future with confidence.

The world is coming to South Africa. Will we use this moment to shape our industrial destiny? We at TASEZ intend to do just that.