Following the university’s successful hosting of the G20 Africa Investment Summit (AIS), which featured the launch of the first-of-its-kind Academia-Public-Private-Diplomatic Corps Forum, Unisa, in partnership with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), hosted the G20 Presidency Community Engagement Town Hall Outreach Programme on 14 May 2025. This is the first in a series of engagements aimed at strengthening collaboration between government, business, academia and society, ahead of the G20 Summit later this year.

Unisa’s executive leadership, together with representatives of the diplomatic corps, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, and representatives of the Institute for Global Dialogue, at the launch of the G20 Presidency Community Engagement Town Hall Outreach Programme

A voice for the common man and woman

The Town Hall Outreach Programme will feature discussions in provinces across the country as part of the mandate by South Africa’s cabinet for DIRCO to conduct public participation programmes aimed at engaging relevant sectors of society in the decision-making and implementation of departmental and government programmes, and to publicise and enhance dialogues about South Africa’s position on multilateral fora such as the G20. The G20, a meeting of heads of state and government, will be held in Johannesburg this year from 22 to 23 November under the theme Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability. The Town Hall Outreach Programme discussion series is sub-themed South Africa in Africa and the World: Economic Prosperity, Global Governance, Peace, Justice, Human Rights and Security. Given the five years remaining toward the realisation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, these discussions are essential to measure the gains made in achieving the agenda’s goals.

The launch event saw the introduction of Her Excellency, Ambassador Nozipho Mxakato-Diseko, Ambassador in Residence at Unisa, and former Ambassador at Large for Peace and Security, Human Rights and Development. Her role will be to oversee and advise on the work carried out in realising the mandates of the Town Hall Outreach Programme initiatives.

G20 Presidency – a strategic opportunity

In her opening address, Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Puleng LenkaBula, stated that South Africa assumed the Presidency of the G20 from December 2024 to November 2025 under the theme of Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability, adding: "It is the first time that the G20 is hosted by an African country. Part of the G20 Presidency includes hosting a Summit of Heads of State, which is scheduled to take place on 30 November 2025 in Cape Town."

Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Puleng LenkaBula

The VC expressed that community engagement is one of the central pillars of the university’s strategy. "Therefore," she said, "we are proud to collaborate with DIRCO to take the G20 conversation to our communities as part of the Town Hall Outreach Programme, which will reach all provinces of our country."

Continuing, the VC emphasised that South Africa’s G20 Presidency represents a strategic opportunity to enact significant change in global governance, North-South cooperation, and Global South-South cooperation, where South Africa seeks to support regional and continental governance processes to respond to and resolve crises, strengthen regional integration, significantly increase intra-African trade, and champion sustainable development and economic opportunities in Africa.

Massive shifts in geopolitics

The VC noted that South Africa’s G20 Presidency takes place during a time of massive shifts in the geopolitical space, which is fuelled by serious geopolitical contestations. "It is sometimes difficult to predict what type of world these contestations will lead to," she said. "South Africa, and indeed the world, is still experiencing socio-economic challenges that seem to have been exacerbated or become heightened in the last few months."

Concluding her message, the VC said that the recent geopolitical tensions are additionally an opportunity to share multilateral experiences and furthermore engage academically on how to address them, adding: "At Unisa we refuse to accept the world as it is, but dare to imagine a different, a more just and equitable world."

Worrying geopolitical divisions

Speaking next, Masotsha Mnguni, Director: Economic Development at DIRCO, and South African's G20 Coordinator, stated that the G20 Presidency in Africa is taking place amidst a volatile geopolitical climate, which, he said, fostered a climate of distrust, thus threatening to redress Africa’s hard-earned gains in addressing global challenges, further deepening inequality, unemployment and poverty, among others.

Masotsha Mnguni, Director: Economic Development at DIRCO, and South Africa's G20 Coordinator

"Furthermore," said Mnguni, "signs of these divisions can be witnessed from the ongoing trade wars between major economies, including deepening political intolerance, reversal of progress on gender equality, and ongoing wars regarding which we see no end in sight."

Continuing, Mnguni reminded the audience that only five years remain before the deadline set for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. "Therefore," he said, "the G20 has a significant role to play in fostering global cooperation, collaborations and partnerships to achieve these goals. In our response to this polycrisis, we emphasise the need for dialogue, multilateralism, and finding common ground to address global challenges, and by so doing, we will be staying true to our commitment of leaving no one behind."

Concluding, Mnguni mentioned a series of tasks for which the G20 Presidency and its established task forces are mandated, aimed at addressing the following:

• Strengthening disaster resilience for a safer future
• Ensuring debt sustainability in low-income countries
• Mobilising finance for a just energy transition
• Harnessing critical minerals for inclusive growth and sustainable development
• Ensuring inclusive economic growth, industrialisation, employment and reduced inequality

"Rose-tinted glasses"

During a panel discussion, distinguished Unisa academic, Prof Dirk Kotze of the Department of Political Sciences in the College of Human Sciences, said that while there is a plethora of gatherings of heads of state such as the G7, and the United Nation’s General Assembly, among others, care must be taken against the duplication of conversations and against reducing these costly gatherings to mere talk shows. 

From left: Panel discussion director, Tali Munzhedzi, Ubuntu Radio, DIRCO, Her Excellency Ambassador Nozipho Mxakato-Diseko, Ambassador in Residence, Unisa, and former Ambassador at Large for Peace and Security, Human Rights and Development, distinguished Unisa academic Prof Dirk Kotze, Department of Political Sciences, College of Human Sciences, and Dr Bongiwe Mphahlele, Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs, Unisa

Dr Bongiwe Mphahlele of the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs strongly emphasised that gender-based violence remains a problem in the country, and that the G20 Summit should thoroughly review how to curb this scourge.

Concluding the pivotal day’s activities was Dr Philani Mthembu, Executive Director of the Institute for Global Dialogue (IDG). He said that the IDG has been appointed among three think tanks to coordinate Think 20 (T20) South Africa. The other two are the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC) at the University of Johannesburg.

Dr Philani Mthembu, Executive Director of the Institute for Global Dialogue

The launch event was attended by ambassadors representing 26 embassies together with their delegations, civil society representatives, members of the G20, delegates from DIRCO, and academics.

* By Godfrey Madibane, Acting Journalist, Department of Institutional Advancement

** Photography by Shooheima Champion, Multimedia Centre