Sandton’s Inanda Club became the stage for a powerful reimagining of economic value on October 4, as artists, activists, policymakers, and community leaders gathered for the launch of the Real Economy Campaign.

Read more: A day of glitz and glamour at Inanda

The movement, led by advocacy organisation Crtve Development (CD), calls for recognition of care, safety, and women’s financial inclusion as the true backbone of Africa’s growth.

Under the theme Care is Capital, it urges the G20, currently chaired by South Africa, to adopt the Johannesburg Goals, ambitious targets to narrow gender gaps in work, pay, and unpaid care by 35% within the next decade.

At the cultural heart of the launch was Faces of the Real Economy, a striking photographic and film series by Tatenda Chidora.

Also read: Sport of kings enjoyed at Inanda Club

Each portrait, styled as a glossy magazine cover, celebrated the dignity and labour of those too often unseen: the nanny nurturing another’s children before dawn, the teacher in an under-resourced classroom, the nurse offering skill and solace, the coach shaping girls’ futures through football.

Among those featured were nanny Miriam Malope, literacy advocate Tshwarelo Mkhabela, nurse Kirsty Engelbrecht, and actor-activist Siv Ngesi, who uses his platform to confront gender-based violence.

Dr Okito Wedi, the founder of CD and head of the campaign, said, “For too long, care has been treated as a moral duty rather than an economic imperative. This campaign demands that we count care, fund care, and recognise care as the infrastructure of resilient, inclusive economies.”

The event blended art, music, and dialogue, setting the stage for the first Real Economy Summit in 2026, where African leaders and global partners will be asked to commit to concrete investments in care and financial inclusion.

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