Hyundai Motor Company announced that it will provide official vehicles for the 2025 G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. The company will supply 30 STARIA multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) as official transportation for delegation staff from participating countries and support the summit’s successful operation. The G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg will be held November 22–23 under the theme ‘Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability.’
Launched in December 1999 with participation from 20 major economies, including the Republic of Korea and the European Union, the G20 began as a forum of finance ministers and central bank governors to discuss international economic and financial issues. The first G20 Leaders’ Summit was convened in 2008 in response to the global financial crisis and in 2009, member countries agreed to hold it regularly, elevating the forum to the highest level for addressing a range of international issues, including those in the economic sphere.
This year’s summit is especially significant as it will be the first G20 Leaders’ Summit ever held on the African continent and the 20th in the forum’s history. Heads of state from G20 member and invited countries, leaders of the European Union and African Union, and representatives of international organizations such as the United Nations, International Monetary Fund and World Bank are expected to attend.
Hyundai Motor selected STARIA for the summit’s fleet based on its future-forward exterior design, expansive sense of interior openness, highly reconfigurable cabin adaptable to diverse needs and advanced safety and convenience features.
“It is deeply meaningful for us to support the first-ever G20 Summit held in Africa with our vehicles,” said Ilbum Kim, Executive Vice President and the Head of the Global Policy Office at Hyundai Motor Group. “We will do our utmost to contribute to the success of this influential and significant event.”
Stanley Anderson, CEO of Hyundai Automotive South Africa hailed this partnership as a significant milestone for the brand in South Africa. “Being part of such a prestigious international gathering not only reinforces the Hyundai brand’s alignment with global excellence but also highlights our capability to deliver premium transport solutions at high-level events. It also affirms our dedication to supporting platforms that foster international collaboration and economic dialogue.”
In September, Hyundai Motor signed a Memorandum of Understanding with South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) at DIRCO headquarters in Pretoria to support the G20 Leaders’ Summit. The ceremony was attended by EVP Kim and Thandi Moraka, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation in South Africa.
Divine Bramble
Sibongile Sambo from a young age had an interest in flying, but when she was rejected from South African Airways for not meeting the height requirement, she decided to reach her dream another way. In 2003, with the help of a small family loan, she launched SRS Aviation. Not long after she started up, she won a tender from the government, which gave her the perfect opportunity to enter the industry and learn the ropes. In 2006, her business was issued with a formal Air Operating Certificate, making her business the first black operational enterprise in South Africa to have full rights to undertake commercial flying activities. In 2010, SRS Aviation opened its first airport-based shop and has since opened a chain of retail shops across South Africa.