Category: Africa

Eskom has welcomed Electricity and Energy Minister, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa’s, announcement that the term of Eskom Board Chairperson Mteto Nyati has been extended by a further three years.

Eskom Group Chief Executive Dan Marokane said the extension provides continuity and leadership certainty as the utility positions itself for long-term sustainability.

“We are rebuilding an economic asset for South Africa. The Board has played a critical role in strengthening governance, improving operational and financial performance, advancing the restructuring of the business and creating the conditions required for a competitive marketplace,” Marokane said on Friday.

The extension takes effect on 1 November 2026, providing continuity in governance and strategic oversight as Eskom builds on the gains made during its recovery phase. It also supports the utility’s focus on operational and financial sustainability, long-term competitiveness and sustainable value creation for South Africa.

The power utility said that, under Nyati’s leadership, the Board had overseen significant operational, financial and governance progress while guiding Eskom in fulfilling its dual mandate: commercially, to operate a financially sound business; and developmentally, to keep South Africa connected, growing and inclusive.

During this period, Eskom strengthened governance and accountability, improved operational performance, reduced its reliance on diesel-powered generation and returned to profitability, reporting profits in two consecutive financial years. It also advanced reforms that are positioning the organisation for long-term sustainability.

The Board has also overseen significant progress in separating Eskom’s businesses, including advancing the unbundling strategy, establishing and operationalising the National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA), and launching Eskom Green, its utility-scale renewable energy business.

Together, these milestones are strengthening the foundation for Eskom’s long-term sustainability and supporting South Africa’s evolving energy sector.

“Nyati is well respected across Eskom and the industry, by our shareholder and by our key stakeholders, including organised labour, our investor base and the wider business community. Eskom and South Africa are fortunate that Nyati remains available for this reappointment, and I personally look forward to continuing our strong working relationship,” Marokane said.

Nyati said the request for him to continue as Eskom Chairperson was a responsibility he accepted with humility and a clear understanding of the country’s expectations.

“I want to thank the Minister of Electricity and Energy, the Cabinet and the President for the trust they have placed in me. Over the past three years, Eskom’s employees have shown what is possible.

“They have proved that impossible is not a fact; it is an opinion. They have lifted this organisation out of the worst crisis in our democratic history and brought it to a point where we now have excess capacity that can be used to drive economic growth,” the Chairperson said.

He said he looked forward to continuing the work alongside his Board colleagues.

“We must now help our country industrialise and support industrialisation across the Southern African Development Community region. Eskom must be more than a supplier of power. It must be a platform for growth,” Nyati said. –SAnews.gov.za

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Electricity and Energy Minister, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has tasked Eskom’s board with driving down electricity costs, improving reliability and securing the utility’s long-term future, as Dr Mteto Nyati continues as Chairperson.

Nyati’s continued leadership provides stability as Eskom moves beyond the immediate task of restoring generation performance towards securing its role in South Africa’s evolving electricity market.

Speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria on Friday, Ramokgopa emphasised Eskom’s critical role in supporting investment and jobs while easing pressure on households through a reliable and affordable electricity supply.

“Eskom has an indispensable role in that work. The shareholder expects its Board to turn the gains of the recovery programme into a sustainable future for the utility and better service for the people who depend on it,” the Minister said.

He outlined the shareholder’s expectations for Eskom 2.0, saying the utility must plan for new generation capacity, expand the grid, strengthen customer relationships and adapt to the entry of new generators and traders.

The board is expected to develop a single roadmap for Eskom covering the next three, five and 10 years.

“It must define the utility’s public obligations, future generation mix, commercial position and the investment required to sustain them. Eskom must be able to fulfil its mandate without relying on repeated fiscal support or sustained double-digit tariff increases as a business model,” the Minister said.

In line with the Integrated Resource Plan 2025, Eskom must undertake the technical and financial work needed to inform board decisions on the future of its generation fleet.

This includes reducing emissions from existing coal-fired power stations, assessing coal-abatement technologies, repurposing and repowering power-station sites, and defining Eskom’s strategic role in gas and nuclear energy.

“Eskom Green must turn its approved strategy into a credible pipeline of projects. Its planned engagement with potential partners on approximately 2 GW of renewable capacity is an early step in that work,” Ramokgopa said.

He added that expanding the transmission network was essential to connect new generation capacity and meet growing industrial demand.

“The shareholder expects Eskom and the National Transmission Company South Africa to advance a deliverable grid programme, including through Independent Transmission Projects. The scale of this investment must also support South African manufacturers, suppliers and skills development.”

Eskom’s growth strategy must also extend across Southern Africa, with regional demand and supply informing opportunities for electricity trade and cross-border interconnectors.

“Viable projects need to be developed with regional partners and potential funders, including the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the African Development Bank,” Ramokgopa said.

The Minister also called for a stronger commercial and customer-focused strategy.

“Mining and industry remain important sources of demand. Data centres require a deliberate approach to reliable supply, suitable locations, network capacity and long-term contracts.”

“Customer care must be central to Eskom’s plans to retain and attract customers through dependable service, accurate billing and the timely resolution of complaints. Municipal debt continues to place electricity supply and network investment under pressure,” Ramokgopa said.

The Department of Electricity and Energy will work with National Treasury, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) to strengthen payment discipline and improve arrangements for sustainable electricity supply.

“Free Basic Electricity must reach eligible households. Smart metering can improve customer service while strengthening revenue collection and the management of distribution networks,” the Minister said.

The shareholder expects the board to reduce system losses and revenue leakage, secure better value from procurement, maintenance and project delivery, and continue strengthening financial controls.

The Minister said Eskom’s objective should be to obtain an unqualified audit opinion with no material findings.

The utility must also expand its use of artificial intelligence, initially to address technical losses, forecasting and grid management, and progressively across its broader operations. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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Twenty-nine young South Africans are showcasing their technical and vocational skills alongside some of the world’s best young skilled professionals at the 48th WorldSkills International Competition in Shanghai, China.

The competition, which runs from 22 – 27 September 2026, brings together young people, industry, academia and government leaders from around the world to promote excellence in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

Team South Africa is competing in 27 skills categories, including Mechatronics, Aircraft Maintenance, Plumbing and Heating, Refrigeration, Construction and Water Technology.

The South African delegation is led by Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube and includes Department of Higher Education and Training Director-General, Dr Nkosinathi Sishi and National Skills Fund (NSF) Acting Chief Executive Officer, Melissa Erra.

The scale of the competition reflects the growing global importance of technical and vocational skills. This year’s event has attracted a record 1 385 competitors from 68 countries and regions, providing a platform for young professionals to demonstrate technical ability, precision, innovation and problem-solving skills.

The competition also enables WorldSkills member countries to exchange knowledge, learn from one another and benchmark approaches to skills development and TVET.

For Team South Africa, the road to Shanghai began with the WorldSkills South Africa Regional Heats and National Competition in March 2026, where young skilled professionals competed for the opportunity to represent the country internationally.

Speaking to SABC News in Shanghai, South African Renewable Energy competitor Simiso Biyela said the team was determined to make the most of the opportunity.

“It is an exciting opportunity for myself, and also for all my counterparts. We will give it everything to ensure that we go home with a gold medal, particularly in our category,” Biyela said.

Showcasing South African skills

Dube-Ncube urged the competitors to embrace the opportunity to represent South Africa and demonstrate the country’s skills capabilities on the international stage.

“You have earned your place on this global stage through hard work, discipline and excellence. You are representing yourselves, your families, your institutions and the many young South Africans who aspire to build meaningful careers through skills.”

She encouraged the team to compete with confidence, determination and pride, and to demonstrate the capabilities of South African skills.

Sishi said WorldSkills is about more than competition and medals but also provide an opportunity to change perceptions of TVET and encourage more young people to pursue careers as artisans.

“WorldSkills demonstrates what is possible when young people are given the opportunity to develop and showcase their technical abilities. We want more young South Africans to recognise TVET colleges as institutions of opportunity and to consider artisan careers as a pathway into employment and entrepreneurship.”

He said South Africa needs more qualified artisans to support infrastructure, manufacturing, and the broader economy.

“We therefore encourage young people to enter our TVET colleges in greater numbers, acquire the skills our economy needs and become part of building the South Africa we want,” he said.

Turning skills investment into opportunity

The NSF is one of the main funders of WorldSkills South Africa, supporting the country’s participation in the international competition while contributing to technical and vocational skills development, exposure to international standards and the strengthening of the skills pipeline.

Erra said the investment should ultimately create opportunities for young people beyond the competition.

“Our investment in WorldSkills South Africa is an investment in the potential of our young people and, ultimately, in the future of our economy,” she said.

She called on industry to create pathways for young talent emerging from the WorldSkills programme, saying government could not achieve this alone.

“Industry has an important role to play in providing opportunities for young people to apply and further develop their skills. We encourage industry to open its doors to the talent emerging from WorldSkills so that our investment in skills development translates into meaningful economic participation,” Erra said.

Ahead of the competition’s opening ceremony, Team South Africa participated in the One School, One Member programme and visited Sanda University’s Junhai Campus.

The NSF said the team’s participation is about more than medals, as it is a platform that highlights the importance of raising skills standards, expanding opportunities, and demonstrating that technical and vocational skills can provide pathways to employment, entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihoods. – SAnews.gov.za
 

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The North West Provincial Treasury, in collaboration with national and provincial government partners, is strengthening support to municipalities to improve the management, expenditure and reporting of infrastructure grants.

The Provincial Treasury, National Treasury, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), and the National and Provincial Disaster Management Centres held a Municipal Unspent Infrastructure Grant Roll-Over engagement session to assist municipalities with the management of key infrastructure grants.

The session was held in line with Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) Circular No. 134, which outlines the rules, deadlines and documentation required for municipalities to submit rollover applications for unspent conditional grants, in terms of Section 21(2) of the 2025 Division of Revenue Act (DoRA).

The engagement focused on the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) and Municipal Disaster Recovery Grant, with particular attention given to sound planning, efficient expenditure, accurate reporting, and compliance with grant requirements.

Provincial Treasury Head of Department, Ndlela Kunene, said effective grant management is important not only for municipal financial performance and compliance, but for ensuring that public resources ultimately translate into infrastructure and services that respond to the needs of communities.

Kunene said the engagement takes place against the backdrop of equitable share withholdings affecting municipalities, alongside the growing need for effective municipal responses, to natural disasters that affect communities and infrastructure across the province.

“These pressures reinforce the importance of sound financial management, credible planning and effective coordination among municipalities and the provincial and national institutions responsible for supporting local government,” Kunene said.

He said rollover applications have been received from 10 municipalities in the North West and would be assessed by National Treasury, in accordance with the requirements of MFMA Circular No. 134.

The circular stipulates that rollover requests must arise from unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances before they can be considered for approval.

Kunene said the Municipal Disaster Recovery Grant is particularly important in enabling affected municipalities to respond to infrastructure damage arising from declared disasters, while effective implementation of the MIG remains central to municipalities’ efforts to address infrastructure needs.

“The Provincial Treasury will continue working with National Treasury, CoGTA, disaster management structures and municipalities to strengthen financial management and support the effective implementation of municipal grants,” he said.

Through these collaborative efforts, the department seeks to ensure that municipalities are better positioned to manage public resources responsibly and that infrastructure funding contributes to sustainable service delivery and improved conditions in communities. – SAnews.gov.za

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By Dikeledi Molobela
New York, USA — South Africa has called for urgent reform of the global governance system, particularly the United Nations Security Council, arguing that restoring trust in multilateralism requires Africa to have a meaningful place in global decision-making. 

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola said Africa could no longer remain on the margins of a system in which conflicts on the continent feature prominently on the Security Council’s agenda, while African countries remain without a permanent seat.

“In our view, restoring trust in multilateralism will not happen without meaningful reform of global governance, principally the UN Security Council,” he said.

Lamola was delivering South Africa’s National Statement during the General Debate of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) in New York on Thursday, under the theme “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”

He said South Africa’s history demonstrated the potential of multilateralism to deliver transformative change.

Marking Heritage Day (24 September), Lamola reflected on South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy and the role played by the international community.

Sixty years ago, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning apartheid as a crime against humanity.

Lamola said the eventual demise of apartheid not only liberated South Africans from racial domination but also helped bring an end to a system that had exported violence and instability across Southern Africa.

“Indeed, the fall of apartheid is a glorious story that attests to what multilateralism can deliver,” he said.

He said democratic South Africa had since pursued a foreign policy anchored in Ubuntu, international law, dialogue and multilateralism, while recognising that the country’s future is closely linked to that of the region and continent.

He also pointed to South Africa’s democratic record, including seven national elections since 1994, and the formation of a Government of National Unity following the 2024 elections.

“As we speak, South Africans are preparing once again to exercise their democratic right, this time in Local Government Elections. Again, the will of the people will prevail,” the Minister said.

South Africa will go to the polls on 4 November 2026.

A seat at the table

Lamola said the need for the Security Council reform is particularly urgent for Africa.

“African citizens are growing weary of their continent being consigned to the periphery of global governance,” he said.

Africa is home to nearly one-fifth of the world’s population and African countries collectively account for more than a quarter of UN Member States.

Yet, he said, over the past decade, 70% of UN Security Council resolutions had concerned conflicts on the African continent.

“If the future belongs to the young, then surely a continent that will be home to one in four of the world’s youth by 2030 deserves a bigger seat at the table,” he said.

South Africa therefore reaffirmed its support for the Ezulwini Consensus, the African Common Position on Security Council reform. 

The African Common Position calls for no fewer than two permanent seats for Africa and five non-permanent seats, with the continent maintaining that any new permanent members should have the same prerogatives, including the veto for as long as it exists.

Call to resolve conflicts

Lamola said restoring confidence in the UN also required demonstrating that peaceful conflict resolution remained at the heart of the multilateral system. 

“Restoring trust in multilateralism demands that we demonstrate, as the United Nations, that the peaceful resolution of conflicts is still our mantra,” he said.

He pointed to the conflicts in Sudan, the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran and Ukraine, as well as the risks faced by humanitarian workers.

Lamola said humanitarian personnel must be protected and that South Africa had endorsed the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, which he said had been supported by nearly 120 states.

“To restore respect for international law, we must protect those who deliver humanitarian assistance,” he said.
Lamola said the need to uphold international law was particularly urgent in Palestine.

“Nowhere is the need to uphold our shared humanity more urgent than in Palestine. The rights, dignity and humanity of Palestinians cannot be treated as conditional,” the Minister said.

He said South Africa remains committed to its position on Israel’s conduct in Gaza and called for international action, while reaffirming support for a negotiated two-state solution based on United Nations resolutions.

“The State of Israel’s continued violations of international and humanitarian law constitute genocide, and we remain steadfast in our view that the international community must act decisively to end this impunity.

“In our support for a just and lasting peace and a two-state solution, in accordance with UN resolutions, South Africa is unwavering,” he said.

South Africa’s position on Gaza is also being pursued through its case before the International Court of Justice under the Genocide Convention.

Lamola reaffirmed South Africa’s support for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, calling for a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution consistent with international law and the UN Charter.

He also criticised the use of economic measures to pressure countries to alter their development trajectories, expressing solidarity with Cuba and calling for an end to the United States blockade.

South Africa, he said, also called for the removal of sanctions against Zimbabwe.

Nuclear disarmament

Lamola also reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to nuclear disarmament.

He noted that the first resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly 80 years ago called for the elimination of nuclear weapons.

South Africa will later this year preside over the First Review Conference of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

“As the only country in the world to have voluntarily dismantled its nuclear weapons programme, South Africa stands ready to share this experience as a demonstration that, with political will, credible and verifiable nuclear disarmament is achievable,” he said.

South Africa’s position is that credible multilateral action on disarmament remains central to reducing the risks associated with nuclear weapons.

A UN that delivers for all

Lamola said the challenges facing the multilateral system required Member States to strengthen, rather than weaken, international institutions.

He concluded by drawing on South Africa’s own history to underline the importance of the UN.

“South Africa today stands tall in the family of nations because the United Nations delivered on the promise of its Charter,” he said.

Quoting former President Nelson Mandela’s 1994 address to the UN General Assembly, Lamola said:
“The millions across our globe who stand expectant at the gates of hope look to this Organisation to bring them peace, to bring them life, to bring them a life worth living.”– SAnews.gov.za

 

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By Dikeledi Molobela

New York, USA — South Africa is proposing a dedicated Critical Minerals Investment Platform and a South Africa-USA Critical Minerals Working Group to turn growing interest in the sector into concrete investment, processing and manufacturing projects.

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau said the mechanisms would help match South African critical minerals projects with US industrial demand, financing, technology and long-term offtake agreements.

Tau was addressing a high-level Critical Minerals Roundtable hosted by Brand South Africa, in partnership with Standard Bank, on the margins of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday.

He said South Africa wants to move beyond discussions about its mineral wealth, and towards partnerships that would build resilient supply chains, deepen industrial cooperation and create greater value from the country’s resources.

“We value this opportunity because the conversation we need to have today is not simply about minerals. It is about how South Africa and the United States can build more resilient supply chains, deepen industrial cooperation, mobilise investment and create greater value from the resources that South Africa possesses.” 

Moving from extraction to value addition

Tau said South Africa does not want its relationship with the US to be defined simply by the extraction and export of raw materials.

“Our objective is to use this resource base to build durable industrial partnerships. We do not want to define the relationship simply as one in which South Africa extracts and exports raw materials. We want to build value chains that include mining, refining, processing, advanced materials, component manufacturing and, where commercially viable, downstream production,” he said.

South Africa’s Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy, approved by Cabinet in 2025, places local processing and beneficiation, infrastructure, research and development and strategic partnerships at the centre of efforts to maximise the value of the country’s mineral endowment.

Tau said the country has a strong proposition, including significant reserves and production capabilities in platinum group metals, manganese, chromium and vanadium, alongside opportunities in rare earth elements, titanium and zirconium.

Building a mutually beneficial partnership

The Minister said the US is seeking secure and diversified sources of critical minerals, while South Africa needs investment, technology, skills, long-term offtake commitments and market access.

“This creates the basis for a partnership in which both countries address a strategic economic need. South Africa can contribute mineral resources, processing capability, industrial infrastructure and access to regional value chains, while US companies can bring capital, technology, markets, industrial expertise and long-term demand,” the Minister said.

He said the proposed partnership should, therefore, be based on co-investment rather than a traditional supplier relationship.

Tau identified potential areas for value addition, including battery materials; vanadium products and electrolytes for grid-scale energy storage; platinum group metal-based products for the hydrogen economy; green iron and steel; ferroalloys; specialised metals; grid and transmission infrastructure, as well as emerging rare earth, titanium and zirconium value chains.

The emphasis, the Minister said, must be on projects that are commercially viable and capable of being financed, built and integrated into global markets.

Investment platform to take projects to implementation

Tau proposed the establishment of a Critical Minerals Investment Platform through which priority projects could be assessed for development support, co-funding and investment.

The platform could bring together South African institutions, including the Industrial Development Corporation and other development finance institutions, with US institutions such as the Development Finance Corporation, EXIM Bank, private funds and strategic corporations.

“The objective should be to move projects through the investment pipeline – from project preparation and technical assessment, through financing and construction, to production and export,” Tau said.

He said long-term offtake agreements could also help strengthen the bankability of projects by providing secure demand for minerals or processed products.

Proposed SA-USA working group

Tau also proposed a dedicated South Africa-USA Critical Minerals Working Group to take the discussions forward.

“I would also like to propose that we establish a South Africa-USA Critical Minerals Working Group as a practical mechanism for taking this conversation forward.”

The proposed working group would identify priority minerals and products, match South African projects with US industrial demand, identify financing and technology requirements, address market-access issues and monitor progress towards investment and offtake agreements.

“Our intention is that the work should begin immediately and should not become another dialogue mechanism without implementation. We need clear priorities, responsible institutions, timelines and measurable outcomes,” Tau said.

The proposal comes as South Africa steps up efforts to translate its critical minerals endowment into industrial development, with government policy focused on beneficiation, localisation, infrastructure and advanced manufacturing.

Regional value chains

Tau said South Africa could also serve as an anchor for a wider Southern African critical minerals platform.

He pointed to complementary resources in the region, including cobalt from the Democratic Republic of Congo, copper from Zambia, lithium from Zimbabwe and graphite from Mozambique.

“South Africa can contribute processing capability, logistics, financial services, industrial infrastructure and access to the wider African market through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” he said.

Tau said regional cooperation could enable countries to develop value chains rather than simply exporting unprocessed minerals from the continent.

The regional approach aligns with SADC’s industrialisation agenda, which includes the development of regional value chains in critical minerals beneficiation, alongside infrastructure development in energy, transport, logistics, water and ICT.

From conversations to concrete projects

Tau said the roundtable should serve as a starting point for identifying specific investment opportunities.

“We want to move from conversations about opportunity to discussions about specific projects, specific investors, specific technologies, specific offtake requirements and specific financing solutions.” 

He said South Africa wants to work with US companies seeking secure sources of critical minerals and industrial inputs, as well as investors prepared to participate in processing, manufacturing and infrastructure.

“The partnership we are proposing is therefore about more than minerals. It is about building resilient supply chains, supporting industrialisation, creating jobs, developing skills and establishing South Africa as a reliable participant in the next generation of global value chains.” 

The engagement brought together senior representatives from business, finance, development finance and strategic sectors, including Standard Bank, the Industrial Development Corporation, Bank of America, the B20 South Africa Secretariat, Eskom, Africa Rainbow Minerals, the Development Bank of Southern Africa and MTN.

The programme was led by Brand South Africa Chairperson Ipeleng Selele, with Standard Bank CEO Sim Tshabalala delivering a presentation on financing critical minerals and unlocking capital for Africa. – SAnews.gov.za

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By Dikeledi Molobela

New York, USA – South Africa has called for stronger multilateral action to tackle global inequality, unsustainable debt and climate-finance constraints, warning that the international system risks losing public trust if it cannot demonstrate that cooperation delivers tangible improvements in people’s lives. 

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola said inequality, debt and underdevelopment were undermining both democracy and the promise of international cooperation.

“The promise of democracy and international cooperation wanes when we cannot demonstrate that they can address inequality and insecurity,” the Minister said.

Lamola was delivering South Africa’s National Statement during the General Debate of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday. The debate is taking place under the theme “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”

Lamola placed inequality at the centre of South Africa’s development agenda, drawing on the country’s experience during its 2025 G20 Presidency. 

He said the concentration of global wealth has reached levels that demand coordinated international action. 

“Today, the top 10% own roughly 75% of global wealth, while the bottom 50% own only 2%. This extreme concentration of wealth at the top and poverty at the bottom is neither inevitable nor insurmountable,” he said. 

South Africa, together with Brazil, Norway and Spain, is advancing the establishment of an International Panel on Inequality, building on the G20 work undertaken during South Africa’s Presidency. The proposal is intended to provide independent, science-based assessments of inequality and help policymakers respond to its causes and consequences.

“Together with Brazil, Norway and Spain, South Africa calls on this Assembly to throw its weight behind the establishment of an International Panel on Inequality,” Lamola said.

The four countries held a high-level event on the initiative on the margins of UNGA81 on 23 September, seeking support for the proposed panel and a future General Assembly resolution. 

READ | Lamola: Global action needed to tackle inequality

Lamola linked economic inequality to growing social and political tensions.

He said citizens who had seen little improvement in their economic circumstances were increasingly turning towards ideas that run counter to the values of the UN Charter.

South Africa’s emphasis on inequality follows the G20 Global Inequality Report commissioned during its G20 Presidency. The report found that wealth inequality remains significantly higher than income inequality and recommended the creation of a permanent international body to assess and monitor global inequality. 

SADC integration and industrialisation

Lamola also connected South Africa’s global agenda to its leadership of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

“We approach our leadership of a regional bloc that is home to a quarter of Africa’s population – the SADC – with a firm resolve to champion greater regional integration, industrialisation and trade,” Lamola said. 

He said stronger intra-regional trade would help Southern African economies share in regional prosperity while making them more resilient to external economic shocks.

“We want to increase trade among our countries so that our citizens can share in the prosperity of our region and our economies are better prepared to absorb the shocks of unilateralism,” he said.

He linked the regional experience to the wider multilateral system.

“If multilateralism works at regional level, then citizens have greater reason to believe it can work globally,” he said.
South Africa’s 2026 SADC Chairship has identified industrialisation, regional integration and infrastructure development among its priorities.

Debt

Lamola said developing countries were being forced to make difficult choices between servicing debt and investing in the needs of their populations.

 He said African countries had spent roughly as much on debt servicing over the previous year as was needed to close the continent’s infrastructure financing gap.

“This grim reality inspired South Africa’s G20 Presidency to focus on debt sustainability,” he said.

Lamola also referred to the Africa Expert Panel report, which calls for greater debt transparency, closer scrutiny of credit-rating agencies and multilateral efforts to establish a Borrowers’ Club.

SDGs

Lamola warned that the international community was falling behind on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“With only 36% of the Sustainable Development Goals showing sufficient progress, we are running out of time,” he said. 

He called for multilateral action to free resources currently absorbed by debt servicing and redirect them towards development.

“Africa and much of the Global South need multilateral action to free resources absorbed by debt service and redirect them towards development.

“We must close the financing gap for the 2030 Agenda and meaningfully advance implementation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063,” he said.

The UN has identified accelerated SDG implementation and development financing as central priorities of the current General Assembly session. 

Climate finance and the just transition

Climate change, Lamola said, was compounding existing development challenges as they threaten people, prosperity and development gains countries have made.

He said two million people in SADC had suffered the combined effects of floods, cyclones, wildfires and disease outbreaks over the past year.

“Our responses are severely constrained by a climate finance architecture stacked against developing nations,” the Minister said while also calling for stronger international action on disaster resilience and predictable financing for a just energy transition.

Climate action and the just transition are among the high-level priorities of UNGA81, with the UN convening a dedicated high-level event on climate action during the General Assembly’s High-Level Week. 

Africa’s critical minerals and AI opportunity

Lamola said Africa’s mineral wealth and youthful population could help reshape the continent’s role in the global economy.

“Our continent has the world’s largest reserves of critical minerals. These critical minerals can help bridge the gap between wealthy and poor nations and overcome the indignities of poverty and underdevelopment,” Lamola said.

He said Africa should not merely supply raw materials to global markets but should participate in beneficiation and value creation.

“We have a youthful population ready to play a key role in the beneficiation at source of critical minerals and on research and innovation for artificial intelligence (AI),” he said.

South Africa has placed critical-minerals beneficiation and industrialisation among its economic priorities, including through its SADC Chairship.

Lamola also called for stronger African participation in shaping the governance of AI.

The call aligns with South Africa’s broader UNGA81 position that global governance frameworks should ensure developing countries have meaningful participation in shaping emerging technologies. 

GBVF and security

Lamola also highlighted South Africa’s response to gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), noting that government classified GBVF as a national disaster in November 2025.

He said the decision recognised the need for exceptional measures to address the scourge.

The reference places human security alongside economic development in South Africa’s broader conception of what international cooperation should deliver.

Restoring trust through development

For South Africa, Lamola’s statement linked economic justice directly to the credibility of the multilateral system. 

The central message was that restoring trust cannot be achieved through institutional reform alone but also requires international cooperation to address the material challenges confronting developing countries, from debt and climate finance to inequality, infrastructure financing, industrialisation and technological transformation.  

The International Panel on Inequality initiative is one of the clearest examples of South Africa seeking to carry a domestic and G20 priority into the UN system, while its SADC agenda seeks to demonstrate the value of regional integration.
 
Taken together, Lamola’s economic and development priorities place inequality, debt sustainability, SDG financing, climate justice, critical minerals and AI governance at the centre of South Africa’s call for a multilateral system that delivers more effectively for developing countries. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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