South Africa to Host Landmark G20 Social โขSummit Focused on Equity and Inclusion
South Africa is preparing to host the G20 Social Summit, a significant initiative designed to prioritize social growth, equity, and inclusion alongside traditional macroeconomic and financial concernsโ withinโค the โG20 framework.โฃ The summit, scheduled forโค November 18-20, 2025, at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference โขCenter in โขEkurhuleni, Gauteng Province, aims to ensure โthe voices and lived experiences of ordinary citizens – particularly the most vulnerable – directly influence G20โข outcomes.
The summitโข will convene a broad coalition of stakeholders, including governments, civil society organizations, labor groups,โ youth representatives,โ women’s groups, โpersons with disabilities, philanthropic organizations, and grassroots movements. โคTo oversee the association and facilitation of thisโฃ inclusive platform, President Ramaphosa has appointed Minister in the Presidency โขKhumbudzo Ntshavheni and former Deputy President โDr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka โคasโฃ Co-Convenors, representing both governmental and civil society perspectives.Their mandate focuses on stakeholder engagement and aligning the summit’s objectives with broaderโ G20 priorities.
A key goal of the summit is to deliver a G20 Social declaration reflecting the aspirations and realities of citizens globally, fostering global solidarity and advancing inclusive development. Southโ Africa viewsโ this as a uniqueโ opportunity to champion the African Agenda and the priorities ofโค the Global โSouth within theโค G20’s premier โขinternational economic forum.
The summit builds upon the work of the 13 official G20โข Engagement groups, which โคthroughout the year develop proposals โand communiquรฉs to inform G20 policy. These โgroups – โrepresentingโ diverse sectors -โ are: W20 (Women), L20 (Labour), B20 (Business), T20 (Think Tanks),โค C20 (Civil Society),โฃ SAI20 (Supreme Audit Institutions), Y20 (Youth), U20 (Urban), S20 (Science), Startup20, J20 (Judiciary/Supreme Courts), O20 (Ocean), P20 (Parliament),โ and the G20 EMPOWER Alliance.
The summit’s โฃagenda includes thematic sessionsโฃ on November 19th focusing on criticalโฃ issues โฃsuch as Digital Inclusionโค and โEquitable Transformation,โฃ Trade, Resilienceโ & Inclusive Value Chains, Inclusive Climate Justice, a Just Transition, โand Energy Democracy,โฃ A Just and Enduringโข Financeโข and โคInternational Financial Architecture, and building Momentum for the Achievement of the SDGs and โคAgenda โข2063.
Deputy President Paul โฃMashatile โคwill address the โคopening ceremony andโ people’s conversations on โTuesday, November โข18th at 13h00. President Cyril Ramaphosa willโข deliver the closing addressโ onโข Thursday, November 20th at 11h00, and receive the finalโ declaration from participating delegates. Representatives fromโ the Federative Republic of Brazil, a member of โฃthe G20 troika, will also participate in theโข closing ceremony.