Johannesburg: AfricUpdate – News Desk
Registrations are now open for the Group of 20 (G20) Social Summit, which will be held from 18 – 20 November 2025 at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. This Social Summit, organised under South Africa’s G20 Presidency, aims to provide an inclusive platform that amplifies the voices of civil society, grassroots organisations, and local communities.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has stated that the Social Summit – aligned with the G20 Presidency theme of: ‘Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability’ – will bring together both formal and informal networks. These include youth groups, women’s organisations, individuals with disabilities, faith-based organisations, community forums, and other grassroots structures. The aim is to engage directly with global issues that impact daily life.
“Government calls on informal groups and community movements across South Africa, the African continent and globally to register and take part in this historic people’s summit. It is vital that global commitments are grounded in the lived experiences of communities,” DIRCO said. During a media briefing in August regarding the implementation of South Africa’s foreign policy, DIRCO Minister Ronald Lamola announced that preparations for the G20 Social Summit were in progress.
He said the department aims to broaden its outreach efforts to communities beyond the 13 G20 Engagement Groups. This involves inviting civil society organisations, think tanks and academic institutions from across the globe to participate, ensuring that the lived experiences of ordinary people contribute to shaping G20 outcomes.
The G20 Social Summit serves as the main platform for incorporating civil society voices into the G20 decision-making process. Its goal is to promote global solidarity, advance inclusive development, and produce a Leaders’ Declaration that reflects the aspirations and experiences of all citizens, particularly the most vulnerable among them.
Building on Brazil’s 2024 innovation of institutionalising civil society input into the G20, President Cyril Ramaphosa committed that South Africa would not only continue but also expand the Social Summit. Conceived as a people-centred platform, the summit will elevate issues of social development, equity, and inclusion to the same level of urgency as macroeconomic and financial concerns.
