Jaw-Dropping Projections Light Up Johannesburg Ahead of Historic G20 Summit Demanding Debt Reform
As leaders gather for the first G20 on African soil — without U.S. participation — activists demand bold action on debt, climate action, and the development crisis
Photos available to download here-free to use with attribution to Associated Press for Glasgow Actions Team
Johannesburg, South Africa — As leaders gather for 2025 G20 Leaders’ Summit, the Glasgow Actions Team (GAT) and allied partners illuminated Johannesburg’s skyline with a series of stunning building projections demanding urgent action on the global debt crisis and climate accountability.
This is the first G20 summit held in Africa, landing amid spiraling debt burdens, record climate damages, and a historic diplomatic rupture as the U.S. boycotts the meeting. As world leaders convene under the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” activists aim to make their message impossible to ignore, calling on the South African government to take a strong stance on debt reform.
Sekoetlane Phamodi, program director at the New Economy Hub, stated: “Debt-distressed African countries like Zambia and Kenya are paying more in debt service costs than they invest in comprehensive public health and education services combined. This is not only denying them the right to invest in the wealth of their nations — their people — but it is worsening household deprivation, fueling social crises, and driving political instability, as we’ve seen in the unrest spreading across Majority World countries from Kenya to Madagascar, Morocco, Nepal, Indonesia, and others. The global debt crises, development crises, and the democracy crises are all intertwined. We’re counting on our leaders to deliver real structural reforms — starting with urgent debt relief and a global financial system that puts people before creditors.”
“The G20 is landing in Africa during an era of fracture — but also an era of possibility,” said Andrew Nazdin, Director of the Glasgow Actions Team. “As governments debate behind closed doors, we’re lighting up Johannesburg to make sure the world sees the real crisis: unjust debt, rising inequality, and a climate emergency fueled by financial inaction.”
This year’s G20 takes place against a backdrop of global fragmentation: debt payments for developing countries exceeded $921 billion in 2024, while climate damages continue to soar. The U.S. boycott underscores intensifying geopolitical fractures, yet pressure mounts for the G20 to align with the $1.3 trillion-per-year climate finance goal agreed at COP29 in Baku and central to the Belém negotiations in Brazil.
The event follows an open letter signed by 164 civil society organizations from around the globe, calling on South African president Ramaphosa to take a “far stronger” position on the debt crisis.
About the Glasgow Actions Team:
Formed ahead of COP26, GAT pushes the world’s climate champions to go farther, calling out the blockers and exposing the deniers. Learn more at www.glasgowactions.com
For interview requests: Denise Robbins, denise@glasgowactions.com, +1 608-320-6582 (WhatsApp, Signal)
On the ground contact: Andrew Nazdin, +1 301-758-8186
Additional photos from the action are below, as well as photos from previous Glasgow Actions Team actions:
