JOHANNESBURG - French President Emmanuel Macron will arrive in South Africa this week with France signalling firm support for Pretoria ahead of the G20 Leaders' Summit.
At a press briefing on Macron's visit to Africa, a senior advisor expressed solidarity with South Africa, dismissing claims from Washington about alleged violence against white South Africans.
During an on-background Q&A session, questions were raised around the US boycott of the G20 and the claims of white genocide. The advisor said France had seen no indication of a genocide in South Africa, adding that it "is not our position, it is not our assessment" and "is terminology that we do not use".
France also made clear it would support a G20 declaration even in the absence of the United States, which has said it will oppose any outcome beyond a chair's summary.
Another senior advisor said the US had already participated in three initial Sherpa meetings. These are year-round gatherings of the personal representatives of the leaders of the G20 member countries where the officials oversee negotiations, coordinate the substantive work, and discuss the points that form the agenda for the final G20 Leaders' Summit.
"So they were able to provide that input. So, it's not like the negotiation has been done without them... We do hope that this week will lead to a strong discussion. The South Africans have been getting some good results in different ministerial tracks, so they can also build on that..." said the advisor.
Answering another question around the South African declaration, the advisor said:
Macron at the G20
Macron will attend the G20 Summit on 22 and 23 November. The discussions will unfold across three sessions: inclusive and sustainable economic growth, a resilient world, and a fair and just future.
An Élysée Palace source said: "The agenda of the South African presidency was very ambitious from early on, and we are very happy to be able to support and hope that we will get a very good final declaration."
France will use the summit to reinforce Pretoria's priority themes, including debt, climate, jobs and the G20@20 Review. "We really want to support the agenda of the presidency," the Élysée source said, adding that France backed South Africa's work on the G20@20 Review, a high-level assessment of the G20s first two decades.
Macron is expected to highlight the "4P" approach, centred on people, prosperity and the planet, which the Élysée source said aligns strongly with South Africa's G20 theme of Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability.
The source emphasised that countries should not be forced to choose between development and environmental protection, a point Macron will underline given the proximity of COP30 - the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which is currently underway in Brazil.
Bilateral agenda in South Africa
Beyond the G20, Macron will hold a bilateral meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa and take part in a series of engagements, including a visit to Eskom's training facility to discuss energy transition programmes supported by France through the Just Energy Transition Partnership.
He will also launch a new South Africa-France Business Council and attend a memorial event at Freedom Park honouring French nationals who supported the anti-apartheid struggle.
A senior advisor said the business council was important as a forum where CEOs of different companies would engage on a partnership with France and address key issues in both countries. "It's a very important tool that's been proven useful with other countries such as the US (and) India.
This is the continuation of an effort to strengthen the economic partnership between the two countries, which is already very fruitful and very powerful."
Macron's Africa trip continues with stops in Angola for the EU-AU Summit (24 to 25 November), where France will push for stronger monitoring of the EU's Global Gateway - the European Union's strategy to boost investments in Africa's digital, energy, and transport sectors.