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Leaders from around the world met in South Africa on Nov. 22–23 for the Group of 20 summit — the first time an African country has hosted the event. Most of the G20 member countries sent heads of state to the summit. While several notable leaders did not attend — including Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin — they still sent high-level delegations. The United States was the glaring exception, boycotting the event. As host, South Africa chose the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” and the leaders’ declaration from the summit reflected those priorities, including an emphasis on climate change impacts, debt sustainability, “just energy transitions,” economic inequality, and equitable benefits from AI innovation.We asked four experts to identify key outcomes from the summit for some particularly important G20 members — South Africa, Europe, China, and India — and how the U.S. boycott affected them. Zainab Usman Independent EconomistTensions between the Trump administration and South Africa’s government led to Washington’s formal withdrawal from the Johannesburg summit. Nonetheless, the South African G20 presidency delivered tangible outcomes that enhanced both the country’s international standing and reinforced the group’s significance in the global economy. Securing consensus among 18 member states and two regional organizations for a leaders’ declaration — despite the absence of the world’s largest economy — is a notable achievement. The summit addressed crucial issues, including debt sustainability, energy transition finance, critical minerals, AI governance, and international tax cooperation. Guided by South Africa, the agenda gave considerable weight to priorities relevant to African economies, even if no definitive results were achieved on debt sustainability.This year’s summit served as an indicator of a multipolar order taking shape in real time.  As political and bureaucratic gridlock stalls several U.N. processes, there is greater demand for agile fora such as the G20. Washington’s