Category: Africa

Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni will lead the Women in Business Symposium, which aims to help women-owned businesses to move from survival to sustainable growth.

The symposium will take place at The Station in KwaZulu-Natal’s Durban on Monday, 14 September 2026.
The gathering is a Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) and Small Enterprise Finance and Development Agency (SEFDA) initiative.

“The session will bring together women entrepreneurs and key stakeholders to provide practical support and facilitate access to finance, markets, business opportunities and networks. 

“The symposium will also see 60 women entrepreneurs receive productive assets through the Informal Micro Enterprise Development Programme (IMEDP) to support business growth,” the DSBD said. –SAnews.gov.za

 

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New Delhi, India — The 18th BRICS Summit, held under India’s Presidency, has officially concluded, with leaders adopting the New Delhi Declaration, which reaffirms the spirit of mutual respect and understanding, sovereign equality, solidarity, democracy, openness, inclusiveness, collaboration, and consensus.

The New Delhi BRICS Leaders’ Declaration sets out the shared priorities, commitments, and direction for BRICS cooperation going forward.

President Cyril Ramaphosa participated in the gathering, where leaders of BRICS countries met in New Delhi, India, from 12 to 13 September 2026 for the XVIII BRICS Summit, held under the theme: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”

During a media briefing at the conclusion of the Summit on Sunday, the President congratulated India for hosting a successful gathering and said he looked forward to the next Summit, which will be held in China in 2027.

“What really stood out was our commitment, as BRICS, to focus on advancing global governance of the multilateral system.

“All of us are saying that we adhere to a multilateral system where there is no dominance of one player or country over others; where we want countries that are in BRICS, and indeed countries outside of BRICS as well, to respect one another and to respect the sovereignty of all our countries in the world,” he said.

He stressed that BRICS wants a multilateral system without dominance by any one country.
“For instance, all of us did confirm that we want a multipolar world, a world that will live in harmony and that will advance the interests of each one of us,” President Ramaphosa said.

The BRICS grouping wants to focus on the advancement of all economies and improving people’s lives.
“And that, to me, was the key and central issue because we now live in a world that faces a lot of challenges and conflicts at the geopolitical level,” the President said.

South Africa used the Summit to advance its diplomatic and economic priorities, particularly by expanding intra-BRICS trade and investment, promoting industrialisation and value addition, and mobilising investment in African infrastructure aligned with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

During its Presidency, India convened over 400 meetings and engagements involving Ministers, Parliamentarians, Heads of Agencies, officials, experts, businesses, and people in 30 cities across India under the BRICS cooperation framework, contributing to the strengthening of the BRICS strategic partnership.

“We welcome the progress made in enhancing collective resilience, promoting innovation-driven economic growth, advancing sustainable development, deepening people-to-people exchanges, and amplifying the voice of BRICS for greater representation in global governance,” the New Delhi Declaration said.
The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the BRICS spirit of mutual respect and understanding, sovereign equality, solidarity, democracy, openness, inclusiveness, collaboration, and consensus.

“Building on two decades of BRICS, we further commit ourselves to strengthening cooperation in the expanded BRICS under the three pillars of political and security, economic and financial, [and] cultural and people-to-people cooperation, and to enhancing our strategic partnership for the benefit of our people through the promotion of peace, a more representative, fairer international order, a reinvigorated and reformed multilateral system, sustainable development and inclusive growth.

“We recognise the valuable contribution of Partner Countries to BRICS cooperation. We underscore our strong belief that advancing the BRICS partnership with Emerging Markets and Developing Countries (EMDCs) will further contribute to strengthening the spirit of solidarity and international cooperation for the benefit of all,” the Declaration said.

The leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to fostering inclusive, mutually beneficial and development-oriented partnerships with Partner Countries.

“We encourage their increasing participation in BRICS engagements and practical cooperation in areas of shared interest.

“We commend India for hosting the Outreach/BRICS Plus Dialogue segment of the 18th BRICS Summit, which injects new impetus to strengthen international cooperation and solidarity,” the Delhi Declaration said.

The grouping commended the significant progress achieved under India’s BRICS Chairship in 2026, under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, which reflects a shared commitment to strengthening BRICS cooperation in addressing common challenges through a balanced, practical, actionable, inclusive, development-oriented and people-centred approach.

“We reaffirm our commitment to advancing cooperation on the thematic priorities, particularly through strengthening capacities, promoting innovation, and advancing sustainable development and resilience,” the Declaration noted.

Having arrived in India on Friday, President Ramaphosa delivered remarks at the BRICS Business Forum focusing on trade and supply chains, agriculture, women-led development, the digital economy and innovation.

The Forum brought together BRICS leaders and business representatives, including members of the BRICS Business Council and BRICS Women’s Business Alliance, as well as investors and entrepreneurs from BRICS countries and partner economies.

The Forum plays an important role in shaping the BRICS economic agenda and strengthening business-to-business cooperation.

On Saturday, 12 September 2026, President Ramaphosa addressed the India-South Africa Business Leadership Roundtable, focusing on enhancing bilateral trade and investment between the two countries.

The forum also sought to encourage additional Indian foreign direct investment in key sectors, including pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, critical minerals, and the electric vehicle battery value chain.

Later in the day, he participated in a closed session of BRICS Leaders entitled: “Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism.”

The session considered the need for a more inclusive, representative, and responsive global governance architecture, with a focus on reforming the United Nations system, the international financial architecture, and the multilateral trading system.

On Sunday, 13 September 2026, President Ramaphosa delivered a statement during the Summit’s open session for BRICS and invited leaders which focused on India’s Chairship priorities.

READ | SA calls for global oversight of artificial intelligence

— SAnews.gov.za

 

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Architecture in South Africa must be about more than designing buildings but help shape a society in which people can live with dignity, access opportunity and participate fully in the social and economic life of their communities.

This was the message by Minister of Human Settlements Thembi Simelane at the South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP) Education Conference.

Addressing Friday’s virtual conference under the theme: “Architecture in Changing Times”, Simelane challenged architects, educators, students and government to consider a deeper question: “not simply what kind of buildings are being designed, but what kind of society is being designed.”

For the Department of Human Settlements, she said this means confronting one of South Africa’s most enduring challenges: spatial injustice. Apartheid deliberately shaped the country’s geography, determining where people could live, work and access services.

“More than three decades into our democracy, those spatial patterns have not disappeared. We still see communities where a person’s prospects are influenced profoundly by their postal code,” Simelane said.

The Minister said spatial transformation cannot be achieved by government departments or professions working in isolation, stressing that housing, schools, transport, public spaces, and economic opportunities must be planned as interconnected elements of integrated human settlements.

She highlighted the importance of viewing schools and other public facilities as community assets rather than isolated structures.

“A school must form part of a living settlement. It must connect to homes. It must connect to safe mobility routes, public spaces, [and] economic opportunity. It must connect to the broader social life of the community.”

She said shared community infrastructure can maximise the value of scarce public land, strengthen social ownership and help protect public assets.

“This requires architects to think beyond the individual building. We must ask how that building relates to the settlement around, how does it connect, who can use it, what happens there after school hours [and] what value does it create for the broader community? Architecture must increasingly help us turn public infrastructure into anchors around which stronger communities can grow,” Simelane said.

The Minister also emphasised that quality architecture is an expression of dignity, and communities that were historically denied investment must not continue receiving inferior infrastructure.

She said that a child attending school in a township, a rural community, or an informal settlement, should never receive the message that excellence, beauty and quality belong somewhere else.

“The quality of architecture communicates value,” Simelane argued, emphasising that infrastructure should send a clear message to every child that their community and future matter.

She said the construction process itself must also contribute to local development, and human settlements and public infrastructure projects should, where possible, create opportunities for local workers, artisans, small contractors and small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs).

Locally appropriate construction methods and materials can help build skills, stimulate local economies and strengthen community resilience.

“Architectural education must therefore equip professionals not only with technical competence, but with a deep understanding of place, inequality, sustainability, community, and spatial justice. We need professionals who can look at a drawing and understand that behind every line is a human experience.

“The professionals we educate today will help determine whether tomorrow’s South African settlement is fragmented or integrated, exclusionary or inclusive, unsustainable or resilient.”

She also called for stronger partnerships between government, universities, professional bodies, and the built-environment professions. She said integrated planning must begin “on the drawing board”, ensuring that residential development is planned alongside schools, transport, public spaces and economic opportunities.

She added that architecture has the potential to become a powerful instrument for social transformation.
“Let us use architecture not simply to construct facilities, but to reconstruct the spatial relationships of our society,” Simelane said. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has called for stronger partnerships between government and faith-based organisations to address unemployment, crime, inequality, poverty, and other challenges facing South African communities.

Lesufi was delivering the keynote address on behalf of Deputy President Paul Mashatile at the United Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA) Southern Synod Day 2026.

Held at the University of Johannesburg Soweto Campus on Sunday, Lesufi said the annual commemoration is more than an occasion for worship and fellowship, but also an opportunity to reaffirm the shared responsibility of government, churches and communities to build a society founded on justice, peace, human dignity and prayer.

He drew on the philosophical principle known as “Chesterton’s Fence”, which warns against removing established institutions or practices without first understanding their purpose and value.

Speaking under the theme: “Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set,” Lesufi said the message is a reminder of where the country comes from, and all the struggles the nation encountered in the past and overcame.

“Ubuntu is a moral landmark we must preserve and pass on to future generations.
“It reminds us to care for and respect one another, because strong, morally grounded communities are built not by individuals alone, but by all of us working together and playing our part,” he said.

He warned that rapid technological advancement risked eroding cultural and social values if modernisation was not balanced with respect for traditional values.

“It is therefore important that we preserve our cultural landmarks by ensuring that modern progress does not completely erase our traditional values of respect, humanity, compassion, accountability and the shared responsibility of uplifting our communities.”

The Premier said the country’s challenges, including unemployment, crime, inequality and poverty, require collective action, with faith-based organisations playing an important role alongside government.

“Government alone cannot build the South Africa we desire,” he said, adding that government has seen the contribution of faith-based organisations in raising awareness about gender-based violence, bringing opportunities closer to communities, restoring hope and unity, and supporting vulnerable people.

He called for greater focus on young people and other previously marginalised groups, saying churches and other places of worship can become platforms for economic inclusion.

“With millions of young South Africans seeking economic inclusion, faith-based organisations can change that by transforming places of worship into hubs for skills training, digital literacy, and entrepreneurship mentorship.”

Such partnerships, he said, can help address poverty, restore hope and tackle substance abuse.
He stressed that collaboration between government and faith-based organisations must be underpinned by transparency and mutual accountability.

He said both government and faith-based organisations have a responsibility to ensure that public and social resources are used for community upliftment and the protection of vulnerable people.

He also called on citizens to become active participants in improving their communities.

“This is a direct call to action for every member of our communities; change does not belong to the Government or faith-based organisations alone; it belongs to us all,” Lesufi said.

He also urged communities to report gender-based violence incidents, support local entrepreneurs and hold local leaders accountable, while encouraging people to use churches and community halls as hubs for local development.

The Premier welcomed URCSA’s commitment to sustainable community outreach, youth and women’s ministry development and poverty alleviation. –SAnews.gov.za 

 

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The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), an entity of the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL), has concluded a long-running outreach programme aimed at assisting ex-mine workers and their families with benefits and compensation claims in the Eastern Cape.

The outreach programme concluded at Mthatha Stadium on Friday, following engagements with ex-mine workers and beneficiaries seeking assistance with outstanding claims, occupational diseases, and other benefits.

Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth and Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane also participated in an ex-mine workers round-table discussion at the Mthatha Health Resource Centre at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital.

The roundtable provided an opportunity for ex-mine workers, government, and other stakeholders to share experiences, exchange information and report on progress made in processing benefits and compensation for former mine workers in the province.

Meth said the programme remains important and much needed, given the large numbers of ex-mine workers and their families who continue to seek assistance.

“It is a very important programme, much needed by our people. You can see the numbers that come out whenever there is this outreach,” Meth said.

The Minister commended officials and government departments who participated in the outreach, noting that the programme has been elevated through an intensive marathon of outreach activities.

“I appreciate the fact that this one was taken up to another level for the one day of a marathon of outreach. It is not child’s play, and we appreciate the work done by our officials.”

She said the programme has brought together the Office of the Premier, national and provincial Health, Social Development, as well as departmental entities and partners.

Meth highlighted the work being done by the UIF and the Compensation Fund, together with their claims agent, Rand Mutual Assurance (RMA).

The Minister said the department paid claims amounting to R1.4 million on the first day of the outreach, 13 July 2026, with payments since exceeding R40 million to people in need.

“These are people who lost their husbands who worked in the mines, people who got injured, people who got occupational diseases like silicosis and TB [tuberculosis], who are coming here searching for help, and it’s good that they’re finding their money,” the Minister said.

Meth said the fact that payments can be made on the spot has made the outreach particularly valuable to beneficiaries.

She also highlighted partnerships with financial institutions to ensure beneficiaries access their payments.
“We have banks that are here. We have got FNB to help those who do not have bank accounts to open bank accounts.”

Meth also acknowledged the role of African Bank, which took over from New Bank, while New Bank has taken over from Teba Bank, in facilitating access to banking services for beneficiaries.

The Minister said the programme has also benefited from interns who assisted the RMA and reinforced the capacity needed to process claims.

She also commended the Department of Health and other partners for providing services that could not be offered directly by the labour department, including X-rays and other medical services.

The outreach forms part of government’s broader efforts to reach former mine workers and their families, particularly those who may have struggled to access compensation and other benefits due to occupational injuries and diseases. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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Social Development Minister Dina Pule has reaffirmed government’s commitment to working with faith-based organisations to strengthen families, support vulnerable communities and build a caring, resilient, and cohesive society.

Pule represented Deputy President Paul Mashatile at a Sabbath Church Service hosted by the Thulani Temple of the Nazareth Baptist Church of Ebuhleni Home in Willowfontein, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday.

The service brought together members from approximately 31 temples across the uMgungundlovu District, community leaders and residents. The service also marked the presentation of a newly completed worship facility built through the collective efforts of church members.

Conveying the Deputy President’s greetings, the Minister noted his continued support for the Nazareth Baptist Church and its leadership while he is on medical leave.

The Minister recognised the church’s longstanding contribution to faith, cultural preservation, social cohesion and community solidarity, since its establishment in 1910 by Inkosi Isaiah Mloyiswa Mdliwamafa Shembe.

“The Nazareth Baptist Church has stood as a beacon of faith, cultural preservation and social solidarity among communities for generations.”

Pule emphasised that government cannot build a caring and prosperous society alone, highlighting the important role of faith-based organisations in supporting families, children, elderly people, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups.

She also urged the church to strengthen its partnership with the Department of Social Development through initiatives, including the Men and Boys Programme, Families Matter Programme and Asikhulume, which works with faith communities to confront gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).

The Minister further encouraged faith leaders to help address the abuse of older persons, alcohol and substance abuse, and other social challenges affecting communities.

Service delivery challenges
During the community engagement, Pule responded to concerns about access to government services, including the case of uGogo Mtolo, who does not have an identity document, and her grandchildren who do not have birth certificates.

The Minister directed the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) to urgently intervene and ensure that affected families receive the necessary support.

“I have directed that SASSA work around the clock to ensure that uGogo Mtolo and many other families that have similar challenges in this area receive the necessary support services without any further delays,” the Minister said.

SASSA Regional Manager, Thamo Mzobe, was also directed to work with the Provincial Department of Social Development, including the local municipality, Home Affairs Department, and other stakeholders, to resolve the challenges raised.

A report on planned interventions is expected within a week.
Minister Pule stressed that eligible children, including older persons and persons with disabilities, must be able to access social assistance, to which they are entitled.

“Administrative challenges involving identity documents and birth certificates must not prevent eligible beneficiaries from receiving support.”

As part of government’s commitment to taking services closer to communities, the Social Development Department, SASSA and the National Development Agency (NDA) also brought government services to Willowfontein and surrounding communities.

The Minister called on the NDA to work with the church’s youth and women to explore opportunities to establish cooperatives and contribute to local economic development.

The Minister also reaffirmed government’s commitment to working with the leadership of the Nazareth Baptist Church towards the completion of its new church structure, in line with the commitment conveyed by the Deputy President.

Prayer for peaceful elections
As South Africa approaches the 2026 Local Government Elections on 4 November 2026, Pule called on the Nazareth Baptist Church and faith communities across the country to pray for peaceful elections and to continue promoting unity, compassion, humility, and love.

“Together, we can build a South Africa in which every person enjoys dignity, every child is protected, every family is strengthened, and every community has hope for a better future,” Pule said.

She commended the leadership and members of the Nazareth Baptist Church for their continued contribution to serving humanity, promoting social cohesion, and strengthening communities. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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New Delhi, India – President Cyril Ramaphosa has identified artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies as tools that, if used effectively and responsibly, can help reduce inequality, poverty and underdevelopment.

However, he warned of the risks and called for greater oversight of these systems.

“We should therefore neither fear AI nor approach it recklessly. Our responsibility is to ensure that human governance advances as rapidly as artificial intelligence itself,” President Ramaphosa said on Sunday at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi.

The President was speaking during a session on Shaping the Future for Inclusive Growth, where he said artificial intelligence and associated technologies have the potential to usher in a new era of productivity and human progress.

“It is showing that it has the capability to transform medicine, education, scientific discovery, agriculture, productivity and development. But we must listen carefully to what those who are developing the most powerful AI systems are themselves telling us.

“They are warning about systems capable of advanced cyber operations, assistance in biological weapons development, autonomous action, manipulation, mass surveillance, disruption of employment and, ultimately, systems whose capabilities may become difficult for human beings to control,” he said.

South Africa agrees with industry leaders such as Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, who argue that AI companies should be subject to formal external checks, audits and government oversight.

“Such oversight is standard practice in other industries whose activities have a significant impact on human safety and well-being, such as aviation, pharmaceuticals, nuclear power and financial institutions.

“We must never reach a situation where technological capability has moved beyond our capacity to understand it, supervise it and control it,” the President said.

South Africa has therefore proposed that BRICS establish an international mechanism for the independent scientific evaluation of artificial intelligence.

“This should be backed by meaningful human-control principles, mandatory reporting of serious incidents, progressively stronger safeguards as capability increases, and simultaneous investment in sovereign AI capacity for developing economy countries.

“We support continued scientific cooperation in initiatives such as the BRICS Intelligent Telescope and Data Network and the BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre,” he explained.

The President added that the capabilities of artificial intelligence models were becoming more powerful and rapidly reshaping almost every area of economic and social life.

“We must strengthen medical sovereignty, vaccine development, genomic surveillance and diagnostic capabilities for the Global South. We must work together to transform agriculture through innovation.

“Economic and financial cooperation is at the centre of the resilience we seek. South Africa supports a balanced and gradual expansion of the New Development Bank.”

This comes as South Africa welcomed continued discussions on the proposed New Investment Platform and the BRICS Multilateral Guarantees initiative.

“BRICS must press ahead with greater use of local currencies, stronger cross-border payment systems and deeper financial interconnectivity. As BRICS enters its third decade, it should be more ambitious.

“Our engagement with Partner Countries should spur deeper cooperation, particularly in public health, education, science and technology, finance and trade,” said the President.

20 years of BRICS
The President said the 20th anniversary of BRICS was a moment to reaffirm its commitment to deeper cooperation and a more ambitious agenda, ranging from science, technology and innovation to sustainable development and economic transformation.

“We live in a rapidly changing world that contains both risks and opportunities. The achievement of inclusive growth requires that we address persistent global challenges such as poverty and inequality, while responding to the devastating effects of climate change and the rapid advances in artificial intelligence.

“The increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters threaten to reverse hard-won development gains and deepen inequality. Resilience is therefore essential for inclusive growth and human development,” Ramaphosa said.

He commended India for prioritising resilience, which he said was directly linked to the Disaster Risk Reduction outcomes of South Africa’s G20 Presidency.

“We must integrate disaster risk reduction into macroeconomic policy, climate financing and sustainable infrastructure. Vulnerable countries must have equitable access to the technologies, finance and capacity to withstand future shocks,” Ramaphosa said.

He emphasised that the global energy transition must prioritise reskilling, protect livelihoods and anchor new industries that generate quality jobs.

“It is important that markets for critical minerals and transition technologies are built on transparency, and that value chains are diversified and responsible.
“To ensure inclusive growth in Africa and other regions of the world, beneficiation of minerals must take place at source,” the President said.

President Ramaphosa arrived in India to attend the 18th BRICS Summit on Friday, with the Presidency saying South Africa will use the Summit to advance its diplomatic and economic priorities.

The President also addressed the BRICS Business Forum on Friday, where he said the ambition of governments and business communities must extend beyond increasing intra-BRICS trade to deepening productive relationships between economies.

On Saturday, the President called on BRICS countries to strengthen multilateralism through reform and action. The President was speaking during a closed session on Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism.

READ | President calls on BRICS to strengthen multilateral order

Earlier on Saturday, President Ramaphosa addressed the India-South Africa Business Leadership Roundtable.

The Summit which began on Saturday, also saw the release of the adopted New Delhi Declaration.

READ | BRICS to strengthen cooperation in ICTs

–SAnews.gov.za 

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