The City of Johannesburg has assured the public and international community that it will be fully prepared to host the upcoming G20 summit in November, despite ongoing service delivery and infrastructure challenges.
South Africa currently holds the G20 Presidency and will welcome global leaders under the theme “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability.” President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged to prioritize Africa’s development during the summit.
City Readiness Amidst Challenges
Recent concerns over Johannesburg’s crumbling infrastructure and service delivery failures had cast doubt on its ability to host such a high-profile event. However, Mayor Dada Morero expressed confidence, citing the city’s successful hosting of four preliminary G20 ministerial meetings.
“We are confident,” Morero stated. “We have already hosted almost four meetings—foreign ministers in Nasrec, health ministers in Melrose, finance ministers, and local government ministers in Sandton. The November summit will be the last, and we believe Johannesburg has the capacity to host it.”
To address governance and financial instability, President Ramaphosa earlier this year established a presidential working group tasked with stabilizing the city’s administration.
Showcasing Capability with Urban 20 Summit
As a further test of readiness, Johannesburg will host the Urban 20 (U20) Summit on September 12, bringing together 80 to 100 mayors from G20 cities and across Africa. The summit will focus on urban development, municipal finances, and climate change.
“This will be an opportunity to demonstrate our ability to handle major international events,” Morero said.
Service Delivery Concerns Persist
Despite the optimism, residents in areas like Jabulani, Soweto continue to grapple with service delivery failures. During a recent inspection, Morero led a high-level operation to address issues such as sewage blockages, which residents say pose health risks, particularly for the elderly and chronically ill.
One resident expressed frustration over delays: “They keep postponing, but today we were impressed that they attended to the matter.” Another highlighted the dangers of neglected infrastructure: “We have sick and elderly people here—sewage problems make life even harder for them.”
Morero has vowed that service delivery improvements will not be a “once-off event,” signaling ongoing efforts to address these critical issues ahead of the G20 summit.
With just months remaining before world leaders arrive, all eyes are on Johannesburg to prove it can rise to the occasion.