Johannesburg [South Africa], November 21 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accorded a warm welcome upon his arrival in South Africa to attend the G20 Leaders' Summit.

A cultural performance troupe greeted him at the airport.

Members of the cultural performance troupe bowed to the Prime Minister in a gesture of deep respect.

Members of the Indian diaspora also enthusiastically greeted the Prime Minister.

Speaking to ANI, South African actress and producer Tarina Patel said she is very excited to welcome PM Modi.

'It has been a dream of mine for a very long time. I missed his last visit in 2023, but I am so excited that he's here. I'm a proud Gujarati,' she said.

In a post on X, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said PM Modi was accorded a warm and ceremonial welcome.

PM @narendramodi arrives in Pretoria to a warm and ceremonial welcome to attend the G20 Summit in Johannesburg. Important engagements of PM's schedule lie ahead,' he said.

PM Modi will attend the summit from November 21 to 23, marking a significant milestone as the first G20 summit held on the African continent. He will discuss key issues related to India and the global south.

This will be PM Modi's fourth official visit to South Africa, following his bilateral visit in 2016 and visits in 2018 and 2023 for the BRICS summits.

This summit is the fourth consecutive G20 meeting hosted by the Global South and follows the presidencies of Indonesia, India, and Brazil. Prior to South Africa, the G20 presidencies were held by Brazil (2024), India (2023) and Indonesia (2022).

According to the Secretary (ER) of the Ministry of External Affairs, Sudhakar Dalela, G20 is an important forum, with countries in previous sessions agreeing to take new initiatives on several themes that impact the Global South.

'We are very happy that these discussions have carried forward under the presidency of Brazil and, of course, in South Africa under four verticles that South Africa has outlined for their own presidency. A number of achievements have been made throughout the year across various tracks in these areas. We are very happy that the issues of importance to the Global South are at the centre of discussion and are being highlighted,' he said at a press briefing on Thursday.

The African Union, which became a permanent member of the G20 during India's 2023 presidency, will play a key role in shaping the summit's agenda. (ANI)