Social Summit a platform for more voices to be heard

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

C20 South Africa has welcomed the hosting of the Group of 20 (G20) Social Summit on 18 – 20 November 2025, saying it will provide a platform for more voices to be heard as part of the G20 processes. 

“We believe every voice matters,” said Chairperson of the C20 South Africa Thulani Tshefuta at a media briefing, in Pretoria, on Wednesday.

“As part of our effort to make the Social Summit a

great success, the leadership of C20 will be meeting with the Co-Convenor of the Social Summit, Former Deputy President of South Africa, Dr Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka, this week,” he said.

The G20 Social Summit is one of several ministerial meetings convening under South Africa’s G20 Presidency. 

The South African government has stated its intent to continue enhancing the G20 as “a site of democratic global engagement” and to continue dialogues with civil society and other non-government institutions throughout its Presidency.

Presenting the C20’s Initial Policy Draft Brief, a pivotal document developed through the collaborative efforts of 14 diverse and dynamic civil society working groups, Tshefuta said the ever-dynamic emerging geo-political developments have a significant disruptive impact on the global economic landscape.

“The turmoil in the global trade must be viewed as an opportunity in crisis for the African continent to expedite the full-scale implementation of the AfCFTA and leveraging other alternative markets,” he said.

Tshefuta said C20 South Africa endeavoured to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and completely eradicate it.   

“The implemented interventions must transcend short-termism to include programmes that are empirically proven to eradicate poverty including education and skills, social protection, employment and entrepreneurship.

“In order to address the multi-layered challenges of skills development, employment and economic growth, we must better coordinate and integrate the nexus between these policy variables such that skills policies are demand led and driven, the economic policies (both macro and sectoral) advance inclusive job-rich growth and Active Labour Market Policies.

“In addition to other instruments, we support the establishment instruments such as the DTIC-proposed Transformation Fund, as we believe it can play a strategic and catalytic role in addressing several economic imperatives,” Tshefuta said.

According to C20 South Africa, the first draft document reflects the collective voice of civil society in South Africa and globally, offering bold policy recommendations on global governance, food security, financial justice, cultural diversity, climate sustainability, education, health and many more aimed at shaping a more equitable and inclusive G20 agenda.

The C20 South Africa has attracted over 2400 organisations from all over the world. The C20 South Africa work is dependent on the volunteer leadership role by the Facilitators and Co-Facilitators of the 14 Working Groups.

The 14 Working Groups of C20 South Africa have now tabled their Draft 1 of the Policy Briefs and in two weeks time, the Working Groups will provide Draft 2 which will be fine-tuned to the final draft and Declaration of the C20. – SAnews.gov.za