South Africa announced yesterday that it will push for the African Union (AU) to have a seat at the G20, whose leaders will meet next week in Indonesia.

A spokesman for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa explained, as quoted by Agence France-Presse (AFP), that South Africa intends to help establish a framework that will lead to AU membership in the club of the richest countries.

"It is important that the collective voice of the continent is represented on this platform," spokesman Vincent Magqenya said at a press conference quoted by Lusa.

"We have the sincere hope that this proposal will find support and be promoted by the G20 member countries," he added.

South Africa is currently the only African member of the G20.

Senegalese President Macky Sall, who chairs the African Union, has recently called for an overhaul of international governance, calling for greater representation of Africans in international organizations such as the G20 or the UN Security Council.

In October, Sall said that multilateralism should "serve the interests of all," or else expose itself to a "loss of legitimacy and authority."

Macky Sall and Cyril Ramaphosa are expected to attend the G20 summit scheduled for next week on the Indonesian island of Bali.