South Africans shower praise on PM Modi as G20 visit sparks wave of goodwill, global momentum

A wave of posts on social media platform X highlighted the positive sentiment during the summit, with users noting they were "so impressed with how supportive and gracious India has been towards South Africa and the continent throughout the G20. So much love for India!"

Others described Prime Minister Modi as "the official influencer of the #G20SouthAfrica Summit," observing that "he has been feeding the timeline with proper content throughout his stay here" and that "he's also been striking deals with countries, he's on a mission."

Users also commented on how the Prime Minister's updates offered a clear window into the proceedings. One post read, "I enjoy the highlights of PM Modi, excellent PR of G20," while another noted, "Getting G20 snippets from this page, sana they mean business with the updates."

Several people welcomed India's role at the summit, including one saying, "The biggest democracy in the world will be attending the G20 representing the interests of more than 1.4 billion people. South Africa welcomes India and welcomes your constructive engagement with the rest of the world."

The appreciation continued with remarks such as "Mr Modi is the MVP of this summit," and "Modi wins the social influencer award for this gathering, by miles."

Another user summed up his social media presence by saying it was "The G20 summed up in one X account."

Another wrote, "Malume Modi, we want to thank you and your media/social media team. You kept all of us updated on #G20SouthAfrica and the people of India must appreciate you. We are witnesses that you definitely put in the work for the entire population. Thank you for supporting."

Several posts reflected warmth towards India, including one that said, "You are home when you are here, the 2nd biggest Indian population outside India is in #SA. Your support for #SA is a support for #INDIA."

Another user added, "I've fallen for Modi. Big time. His energy is just so energising. He takes us seriously."

Together, these reactions showcased strong goodwill from South Africans who closely followed India's participation in the summit.

Prime Minister Modi returned to India on Monday after attending the G20 Leaders' Summit and the IBSA meeting, where he underscored key global priorities.

At the G20, he called for a coordinated global framework to prevent the misuse of artificial intelligence and said critical technologies must be "human-centric" rather than "finance-centric."

During the IBSA interaction, Prime Minister Modi emphasised the urgency of revamping the UN Security Council, stating that reforms were "no longer an option, but a necessity," and urged the trilateral group to push for change in global governance structures.

In a post shared on X on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi wrote, "The successful Johannesburg G20 will contribute to a prosperous and sustainable planet."

He added, "My meetings and interactions with world leaders were very fruitful and will deepen India's bilateral linkages with various nations. I'd like to thank the wonderful people of South Africa, President Ramaphosa and the Government of South Africa for organising the Summit."

On the sidelines of the summit, Prime Minister Modi held talks with multiple world leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. (ANI)