President Cyril Ramaphosa is working to strengthen his G20 presidency by forming a 19-member group of distinguished economic advisors.

The selected members of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council include a blend of business leaders and academic specialists, emphasizing strategies for growth driven by employment.

This initiative is particularly crucial for a country dealing with the highest unemployment rate in the G20. Ramaphosa chairs the council, with Dr. Renosi Mokate as his deputy. Mokate has held significant positions in the past, including chairperson of the Government Employees’ Pension Fund and deputy governor of the Reserve Bank.

Ramaphosa has enlisted global thought leaders, including Prof. Esther Duflo, a 2019 Nobel Prize winner (with Abhijit Banerjee and Michael Kremer), and Prof. Mariana Mazzucato, recognized for her views on state-led innovation. Mazzucato chairs the WHO Council on the Economics of Health for All, and her expertise on the debated National Health Insurance initiative will be invaluable.

Dr. Vera Songwe has experience as the executive secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, while Prof. Dani Rodrik is expected to share insights on industrial policies with a focus on job creation, even as clear progress remains a challenge; Ramaphosa and his Cabinet continue to support this direction.

Dr. Antonio Andreoni is anticipated to contribute critical insights into South Africa’s ongoing energy transition.

Kuben Naidoo, also a former deputy governor of the Reserve Bank, has been included, along with chief economists Zeph Nhleko (Development Bank), Wandile Sihlobo (Agricultural Business Chamber and an expert on land reform), and Isaah Mhlanga (RMB).

Mamokete Lijane, chairperson of the influential Economic Research SA think tank, serves as a global markets strategist at Standard Bank, while Trudi Makhaya, who previously was Ramaphosa’s economic advisor, has returned in a new role.

Dr. Kenneth Creamer remains a trusted counsel, alongside Haroon Bhorat, Vusi Gumede, and Alan Hirsch, who focuses on public administration. Well-respected academics Prof. Fiona Tregenna, Prof. Imraan Valodia, and Prof. Ingrid Woolard are all notable figures addressing the nation’s issues of inequality and structural unemployment.

Read more: After the Bell: The Presidential Economic Advisory Council is a good idea, but inadequate

The creation of this council is both promising and significant, but its effectiveness during South Africa’s hosting of the G20 will depend on the execution of its recommendations.

Ramaphosa has brought in new members while retaining several from the previous council. DM