Growing economies in a way that is resilient, sustainable and inclusive requires partnerships, as none of government, business or civil society can solve systemic challenges alone.

The was indicated by global miner Anglo American CEO Duncan Wanblad in his speech: 'Navigating Complexity: Building Inclusive Growth in a Fragmented World', on the second day of the Business 20 (B20) Summit.

The B20 South Africa 2025 Summit is being held - for the first time in Africa - as part of South Africa’s G20 presidency.

The B2O, a substream of the G20, brings together global business leaders, policymakers and partners for three days of dialogue, debate and collaboration.

Wanblad pointed out that the world had, over the last few years, faced an unrelenting series of challenges and trials, from the inflationary pressures and uneven recovery globally from the pandemic, to supply chain fragility, geopolitical fragmentation and regional conflicts, with some of these in Africa.

He highlighted that this had been one of the most challenging business environments many had faced.

While some challenges were cyclical, they had exposed and even intensified the more concerning structural issue of inequality, Wanblad said.

He cited a recently launched B20 report on global inequality which showed that there was an inequality emergency, with 83% of countries, representing 90% of global population, experiencing very high levels of income inequality as defined by the World Bank.

Moreover, this challenge was even more acute in the Global South, where it was compounded by structural challenges such as lack of infrastructure and the prohibitive cost of borrowing, Wanblad said.

He added that, together, these stifled growth and perpetuated dependency.

“This is not just a moral concern; it is one of grave economic constraint.”

Wanblad emphasised that this was a structural barrier that slowed development and hindered the ability of governments to build the essential foundations for sustainable growth.

As such, he called for collaboration, between governments, business and civil society, to drive better development outcomes.

Governments’ role should be to drive a reformist agenda that democratised opportunity, was fair, and encouraged beyond electoral cycles, Wanblad posited.

This agenda should tap into the skills potential on the continent, to capitalise on its youth dividend.

Wanblad called for business to equally lead with purpose and accountability. He emphasised that it must continue to be a voice for reform that was pro-growth.

He added that business should act for the long term and serve as a conduit for investment into the countries and industries that would make the most impact.

Civil society, for its part, must continue to advocate for equity, transparency and social progress, while contributing to the implementation of solutions that would make these ideals real, Wanblad averred.

Beyond the recommendations of the B20’s task forces, which he urged must be followed through, Wanblad called for private-public collaboration to continue, with investment in outcomes-based education, healthcare, marketing, skills development, arts and culture and innovation, which he posited would unlock the continent’s vast potential.

This required business to thrive, from big to small- and medium-sized enterprises, Wanblad emphasised.

He called for government to help the private sector by creating the regulatory environment for business to invest for the long term.

For example, in the mining sector, this would include incentivising a new pipeline of projects by developing a clear and transparent cadastre system; and developing value chains in Africa where feasible, especially given the rush for critical minerals that underpinned a more carbon-friendly future.

Wanblad also acknowledged the work of the B20 to develop legacy projects, which aimed to ensure tangible outcomes and long-term and transformative impacts.

One of these, in the mining sector, and in which Anglo America was involved, was the post mining successor economies project, Wanblad informed. This aims to catalyse resilient, inclusive and sustainable economies.

This will be done through leveraging existing mining land and infrastructure to develop alternative industries and ensure local communities are not left behind when mining activity declines or eventually ends.