Poorer nations at the Group of 20 summit in South Africa have urged world leaders to address climate action and debt issues affecting the developing world.

The G20's leadership is heading away from the Global South just as debt problems in poorer countries threaten to flare again, testing whether the group's ambitions on debt relief will translate into action under a United States presidency.

The first G20 summit in Africa issued a leaders' joint declaration on the opening day of the talks rather than at the end of the summit. The declaration was significant in that it came in the face of fierce opposition from the US which has for months been critical of a South African agenda for the group that largely focused on climate change and global wealth inequality.

During their delegation-level talks, South African President Ramaphosa thanked India for its support in hosting the G20 leaders' summit.