Johannesburg, November 23. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa engaged in a light-hearted exchange with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday during their bilateral talks, suggesting that the Indian leader should have warned them about the arduous nature of hosting the G20 summit.
South Africa is currently hosting the first-ever G20 summit to be held on the African continent. During his opening remarks at the delegation-level talks between India and South Africa, President Ramaphosa expressed gratitude for India's support in organizing the event. As per agency report, he jokingly remarked that had they known how difficult the task was, they might have considered fleeing from the responsibility.
The comment drew laughter from Prime Minister Modi and other dignitaries present at the meeting. The South African President acknowledged that his country had learned a significant amount from India regarding the organization of the G20. He described India's hosting of the summit as spectacular while noting that their own event was quite small in comparison. Responding to this observation, Prime Minister Modi instantly remarked that small is always beautiful.
India had hosted the 18th G20 summit in September 2023 at the Bharat Mandapam, which was unveiled prior to the event. It was during India's presidency in 2023 that the African Union was inducted as a member of the G20 grouping.
