South Africa named "G20" its 2025 Word of the Year, highlighting its hosting of the first African G20 Leaders' Summit.

The term "G20" was named South Africa's 2025 Word of the Year by the Pan South African Language Board, citing its frequent use in media due to the country hosting the G20 Leaders' Summit, the first on the African continent. The summit addressed global issues including energy access, climate resilience, and critical minerals, with leaders committing to expand renewable energy and improve financing for developing nations. "Government of National Unity" and "Tariffs" ranked second and third, reflecting key political and economic developments. In social media, "valid" was chosen as the top term, while "I love you" was named the South African Sign Language Sign of the Year.