If anyone needed a reminder of why the International Chamber of Commerce remains the world’s most important voice for global business, the recent ICC National Committee meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, delivered it with clarity..
Organised on the sidelines of B20 in Johannesburg, the meeting was attended by several ICC members from the UK, USA, China, Singapore, Canada, Türkiye, South Africa, and also by members of the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce & Industry who hosted the meeting..
From the insights of Bernadette Zeiler (Secretary General – ICC SA), John W.H. Denton AO (Secretary General – ICC Paris), Lord Karan Bilimoria (Chair – ICC UK), Chris Southworth (Secretary General – ICC UK), and Whitney Baird (Secretary General – ICC USA), one message was unmistakable..
The ICC is not simply participating in global economic processes; it is shaping them..
This resonates strongly as South Africa leads a pivotal B20 cycle..
Bernadette Zeiler welcomed the delegates and spoke about the long and fruitful cooperation between ICC Paris and ICC SA..
She also highlighted the various initiatives that ICC SA has been organising, especially in the SMME and women’s empowerment space..
John Denton echoed these sentiments by reinforcing a strategic truth that the ICC has intentionally re-weighted its global bandwidth to accelerate economic opportunity in Africa..
“We have been able to re-weight a lot of the bandwidth for the ICC to this great opportunity supporting the development opportunities for economic growth in Africa,” said Denton..
This commitment is not conceptual.. It is visible in the ICC’s full-scale engagement across B20 South Africa in 2025, where its leadership is delivering measurable influence and policy alignment..
ICC’s Partnership at B20 South Africa in 2025
- Empowered ICC and WCF leaders across all eight B20 Task Forces, ensuring local African perspectives shape global recommendations..
- Achieved aligned language and direct mentions of ICC positions in the B20 Trade, Finance, and Digital Transformation recommendations to G20 leaders..
- Co-hosted key events, including at the United Nations Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, where Whitney Baird participated on behalf of USCIB..
- Contributed to the B20 Special Report on Inclusive Trade focusing on women, youth, and SMEs..
- And critically, has been selected to deliver the official B20 Legacy Initiative for 2025: Trade Roots Africa, requested directly by South Africa’s B20 Presidency..
Highlighting the importance of this trust, John Denton said, “They see the ICC not just as providing policy input, but actually capable of developing something substantive for the continent..”
This is one of the strongest signals yet that the ICC is not merely influencing global policy but is being called upon to build durable legacies for Africa’s long-term economic development..
ICC role as the biggest business organisation in the world
Lord Karan Bilimoria highlighted the ICC’s unparalleled reach and credibility.. “The ICC is truly global in its outlook and the way that we operate.. Most people do not realise that it is the biggest business organisation in the world with 45 million businesses across all sectors,” said Bilimoria..
Lord Bilimoria warns that the digital divide remains one of the world’s most acute challenges, and that there are still many people who are digitally excluded..
“The biggest challenge at the moment is the basics of digital inclusion. We can get that right with bandwidth all around. We’ve got a big job to do, and I think the ICC can do that job,” said Bilimoria..
And on digital trade, he was unequivocal – “Once you have the world implementing digital trade, it is going to save billions and billions of dollars.. It is going to save time from three months down to hours.. The ICC can take the lead globally..”
This is why B20 South Africa is a strategic moment for Africa to push digital transformation and inclusive trade at scale..
Whitney Baird, President and CEO of USCIB, reminded the room of the importance of sustained engagement, especially as the United States prepares for its G20 leadership cycle, that “Any loss of engagement is a lost opportunity..”
“This Administration is quite focused when it comes to any international or multilateral engagement, and looking at the originating principles or documents that formed an organization. It is pushing the UN very hard to hew back much closer to the original charter,” said Baird..
This reinforces why the ICC’s constant presence is essential.. When governments pause or pivot, the ICC keeps the global business community engaged and influential..
Why this B20 year matters for Africa
Across all speakers, the message was clear.. Africa is not waiting for global opportunities; Africa is shaping them..
B20 South Africa is enabling the ICC to:
- influence global trade, finance, and digital frameworks
- embed inclusive trade into G20 recommendations
- push investment and risk-weighting reform
- accelerate SME, youth, and women’s participation
- build sustainable trade corridors through Trade Roots Africa
- shape development models grounded in economic activity, not pledges
And as Denton noted, “The leadership of the B20 has been first rate, and the inclusiveness they have offered has been very good for ICC..”
Final thought
A fact sometimes overlooked is that the ICC has been integral to the B20 since its establishment in 2010, shaping business engagement with the G20, playing a consistent and leading role in shaping the process, providing policy leadership and expertise, amplifying outcomes, and supporting continuity..
Across the global stage, the ICC is driving the reforms, frameworks, and legacy-building initiatives that will define how the world trades in 2026 and beyond..
This is not just another B20 year.. It is a global turning point, and Africa is at the centre of it..
