Tshwane, Joburg mayors hope to showcase cities to G20 audience
Recommendations about what cities need most will be made to the G20 leaders for their meeting in November after a series of leadership meetings chaired by the mayors of Tshwane and Johannesburg.
Urban 20 (U20) co-chairs from Tshwane and the Johannesburg metropolitans will work to better equitable economic opportunities, sustainable financing, social inclusion, and enhance public services.
Johannesburg and Tshwane will now guide about 50 global cities in crafting a unified message to present to national leaders ahead of the G20 Summit.
This is a landmark moment for global urban governance, for the cities of Tshwane and Johannesburg, which officially launched the eighth cycle of U20 with the theme “Cities leading the way in reimagining global change”.
The U20 is a global initiative uniting major cities to shape discussions at the G20 Summit for Heads of State and Government, which is set to be held in Johannesburg in November.
The cities will make recommendations to the G20 for priorities in urban change according to a set of priorities.
Convened by C40 Cities, and United Cities and Local Governments, U20 unites 38 permanent member cities from G20 countries.
The U20 co-chairs, mayors Nasiphi Moya of Tshwane and Dada Morero of Johannesburg marked the start of this months-long process of translating priorities into actions in Pretoria on March 3.
This milestone follows the handover of U20 leadership from the cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.
The new co-chairs have pledged to focus on urgent issues such as equitable economic opportunities, sustainable financing, social inclusion, and enhanced public services.
Their leadership comes at a pivotal time, as cities worldwide grapple with the dual crises of climate change and rapid urbanisation.
Johannesburg and Tshwane will now guide a unified message to present to national leaders ahead of the G20 Summit.
The U20 cycle will culminate in the U20 Mayors Summit, set to take place in Johannesburg from September 12-14.
Ahead of the summit, cities will participate in a series of online and in-person leadership meetings to negotiate a joint document.
Morero said: “This important summit serves as a strategic moment to elevate the voices of cities, particularly those in Africa, as key drivers of global progress and economic resilience. It is time we turn Hillbrow and Marabastad around.”
He emphasised that the City of Johannesburg will be planting one million trees in the next three years to fight global warming.
To Moya it is a historic moment for South Africa and for cities across the Global South.
She emphasised the need for stronger collaboration between national and local governments.
“Cities are on the frontlines of the climate crisis, economic inequality, and social exclusion. It’s time for our voices to be heard at the highest levels of global decision-making,” she added.
She said through this initiative, cities work together to develop policy recommendations and advocate for action on priorities such as climate resilience, economic recovery, and social equity in urban areas.
“Each of these priorities is deeply relevant to our cities, but for me, the matter of social inclusion and equity is particularly close to my heart,” declared Moya.
“U20 is a global initiative, but its success will not be measured in communiqués and declarations alone. Its impact must be felt at a local level.”
She is committed to making U20 relevant to Tshwane residents through projects. These include bicycle and transportation lanes in Mamelodi (Solomon Mahlangu Drive), photo voltaic solar systems in municipal buildings, a tree-planting campaign, and a Minecraft school project to create climate awareness among young people.
Moya also plans to showcase Tshwane as a knowledge hub with a focus on the University of Pretoria, the Tshwane University of Technology, and Unisa as centres of research, innovation, and thought leadership.
It is against this backdrop that Moya will host the U20 Sherpa Meeting in June 2025.
She emphasised that in the additional budget that was approved by the city council in the last week of February, a total of R10-million was made available for the meeting in June and U20 activities, but this provision has been scrapped from the budget.
“We will find sponsors to help with the costs,” said Moya. “This is more than just a meeting. This is a chance to showcase Tshwane’s unique culture, heritage, and commitment to innovation. It is an opportunity to bring together academics, government officials, the private sector, and civil society to demonstrate what South Africa is capable of.”
Moya plans to make tourism associations like the Tshwane Tourism Association, part of the plans to showcase Tshwane during this meeting.
“We also need to make sure our guests are safe,” said Moya.
Sithole Mbanga, chairman of the South African Local Government Association, said citizens are struggling and are unable to pay for services.
“This places a lot of pressure on local government. The U20 brings us to a point to also discuss how municipalities are going to refinance themselves and is thus a platform to look at opportunities of financing the infrastructure of municipalities.”
– Click here to see a video of Mbanga explaining his views on the U20’s role:
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