Johannesburg, Saturday, 11 October 2025 — The Women20 South Africa (W20 SA) Summit Secretariat invites members of the media to attend the official opening of the Women20 South Africa Summit, taking place at the Vivari Hotel and Spa in Johannesburg on 13 October 2025 from 12h00 until 13h30.
The opening programme promises to be one of the summit’s highlight sessions, featuring esteemed speakers and thought leaders. Premier Panyaza Lesufi will deliver a welcome address, while Dr Sindi Mzamo, Co-chair of W20 SA, will serve as session chair.
Dr Lucky Ditaunyane, Chief Operating Officer of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), will deliver opening remarks, followed by a message from Professor Narnia Bohler-Muller, W20 SA Head of Delegation. The session will also feature notable speakers, including Ida Tsitsi Chimedza from the International Labour Organisation, Dr Naledi Pandor, Former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, and Pravina Makan-Lakha from the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), alongside a discussion on the eradication of modern slavery by the Walk Free Foundation.
The W20 SA Summit, themed, Women in Solidarity towards a Just Future, aims to advance gender equality and women’s economic empowerment by bringing together global leaders, researchers, policymakers, and civil society representatives.
As an official engagement group of the G20, Women20 (W20) promotes gender equality and women’s economic empowerment, and this summit will provide a platform for women from diverse backgrounds to advocate for policies and programmes that promote women’s economic empowerment and social justice.
Guided by the principles of unity, multilateralism, mutual respect, and inclusivity, the summit aims to guarantee the inclusion of W20 recommendations in the Leaders’ Declaration, honour ten years of W20, and promote people-centric advocacy. As the first G20 summit on African soil, the W20SA Summit will highlight African issues and those of the Global South.
Delegates from over 20 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Egypt, the European Union, France, Germany, Ghana, Japan, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria, Lesotho, Zambia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Zimbabwe, are expected to attend the summit.
The W20 Summit will take place from Sunday, 12 October 2025, to Tuesday, 14 October 2025, culminating in the issuance of a communiqué based on the W20SA deliberations. The communiqué will be submitted to the Department of International Relations, the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, and the Presidency for onward transmission to the G20 leaders.
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Details of the event
Date: 13 October 2025
Time: 12h00–13h30
Venue: Vivari Hotel and Spa, Johannesburg
For media enquiries and accreditation, please contact Adziliwi Nematandani: Cell: +27 82 765 9191 Email: anematandani@hsrc.ac.za
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