Africa’s G20 presidency urged to take bold action on inequality and tax the super-rich
20 November 2025
Over 80 organisations and activists sign an open letter calling on South Africa’s G20 presidency to put taxing the super-rich at the centre of the global agenda
More than 80 organisations from across Africa and the world have signed an open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa, urging him to use South Africa’s historic G20 Presidency to champion a bold global agenda to tax the super-rich for people and the planet.
The letter, titled “Africa’s Time to Lead the World,” calls on Ramaphosa to “be our champion” and lead the global charge for taxing extreme wealth to fund public services and climate action. It highlights the unprecedented inequality crisis, where the richest 1% own more than 95% of the world’s population combined, and warns that the current concentration of wealth “threatens democracy, peace, and survival itself.”
The appeal comes just weeks after the release of a landmark G20 report on global inequality, chaired by Nobel Laureate Professor Joseph Stiglitz and commissioned by President Ramaphosa.
Against this backdrop, the open letter’s signatories argue that a 1% wealth tax and 10% income tax on Africa’s richest 1% could raise $66 billion annually, enough to provide free education and universal electricity across the continent, according to the letter.
“Inequality isn’t an accident; it’s a choice shaped by poor policy choices and abuse of power. As leaders meet at the G20, they must confront the truth: the global economic rules have been written by and for the 1%. From young people taking to the streets, to communities rising up worldwide, the global majority are now calling for the rewriting of these rules, demanding tax justice, fair public spending, and accountability,” says Jenny Ricks, General Secretary of the Fight Inequality Alliance.
The open letter calls for African leadership to redefine fairness in the global economy, aligning with calls from economists, global leaders, millionaires and people for systemic reform.
“Ramaphosa’s presidency is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Africa to lead the world with courage”, said Habiba Fouad from the MenaFem Movement for Economic, Development, and Ecological Justice. “People across Africa are demanding justice. Making the super-rich pay their share is how we fund our collective future.”
Notes to Editors
- The open letter “Africa’s Time to Lead the World” is available in English, French, Arabic, Spanish and Portuguese. Read the full letter here
- The Tax the Super Rich (TTSR) alliance – is a diverse global network of organisations working together to build a fairer and greener world by taxing the super rich. Ahead of the G20 Summit, the alliance coordinated this open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa, signed by over 80 organisations, including Oxfam, FEMNET, FIA, Patriotic Millionaires, Greenpeace Africa, CAN Europe, and Amnesty International. The TTSR alliance, supported by Patriotic Millionaires and Oxfam, also organised projection stunts on key buildings and landmarks across South Africa, calling on G20 leaders to champion bold action to tax the super-rich. Projections and visuals are available: Video & Images here
- Public and millionaire support for taxing the super-rich: Surveys conducted by alliance members show broad support for higher taxes on extreme wealth. Across 17 G20 countries, a majority of adults surveyed (68%) support the policy proposal where wealthy to pay more tax to fund social and environmental priorities. Research from Patriotic Millionaires also found that around three quarters of millionaires polled in G20 countries support higher taxes on wealth.
- The G20 Extraordinary Committee on Global Inequality, commissioned by President Ramaphosa and chaired by Nobel Laureate Professor Joseph Stiglitz, recently released the first-ever G20 report on global inequality. The Committee includes Winnie Byanyima, Jayati Ghosh, Imraan Valodia, Adriana Abdenur, and Wanga Zembe-Mkabile, and calls for coordinated global action to address what it describes as an “inequality emergency.” The open letter echoes the report’s call for systemic reforms and fairer taxation of the super rich to reduce extreme inequality and strengthen democracy.
Media Contacts
- Valentina Montanaro TTSR - hello@taxthesuperrich.world +351969117660
- Daud Kayisi Fight Inequality Alliance - daud.kayisi@fightinequality.org +265999826757
- Habiba Fouad MenaFem Movement - habiba@menafemmovement.org +201206060156
- Ibrahim Idris FollowTaxes Nigeria - Ibrahim@followtaxes.com +2348122302756