Minister Chikunga from the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities gives a keynote address at the G20 Breakfast Meeting. Photo: Tanya Ntuli
Historic G20 breakfast meeting mobilises public-private partnerships to ensure “no woman is left behind” in Africa’s economic future.
By Simon Manda
JOHANNESBURG – In a powerful display of solidarity and determination, South Africa called for urgent, transformative action to place women at the heart of economic recovery during a strategic G20 breakfast meeting in Sandton today. The event, convened by the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, brought together government officials, private sector leaders, and civil society to forge sustainable partnerships that would outlive the nation’s historic G20 presidency.
Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga, whose passionate address resonated throughout the room, clarified that this moment represents far more than diplomatic protocol. “This is not just another G20 meeting,” she declared, her voice carrying the weight of 30 years of democracy. “It is part of a national effort to make inclusion and mainstreaming the norm in how we lead, invest, and grow.”
Speaking to an audience of business leaders and policymakers, Minister Chikunga painted a stark picture of the reality facing South African women: “It is the woman in a mining town, trying to feed her children while navigating extractive economies that extract more than ore—they extract their dignity, safety, and voice. It is the woman leading a risk unit in an insurance company, navigating boardrooms where gender still limits whose decisions matter.”
The Minister’s remarks profoundly addressed South Africa’s economic challenges. Despite being classified as a middle-income country, two-thirds of citizens live in poverty, with women bearing the heaviest burden. Her message was uncompromising: “Growth that excludes the majority only deepens inequality.”
Deputy Minister Mmapaseka Steve Letsike brought urgency and hope to the gathering, emphasising that “financial inclusion is a powerful enabler of empowerment. It is the foundation upon which independence, resilience, and prosperity are built.” Yet she highlighted a troubling reality: millions of women with disabilities remain excluded from mainstream financial systems, unable to access basic banking services or secure affordable credit.
The breakfast meeting showcased South Africa’s ambitious G20 legacy projects, with the Deputy Minister outlining plans for a Disability Inclusion Centre of Excellence and emerging industrialist programmes in critical minerals. “This platform must advance an action-orientated agenda towards the inclusion of all persons with disabilities in their diversity so they can participate fully and meaningfully in all areas of human endeavour,” she emphasised.
UN Women’s Resident Representative, Ms Alleta Miller, brought a global perspective to the local urgency, noting that “women are not equitably benefiting from South Africa’s economic status. Instead, they remain on the margins of development, excluded from the full promise of prosperity and progress.”
Miller’s call was clear: proven solutions exist, but what’s needed now is “to accelerate public-private partnerships, global solidarity, and coordinated action to unlock these solutions and ensure that no woman is left behind.”
The G20 meeting outlined three transformative priorities under South Africa’s leadership: recognising and investing in the healthcare economy, expanding women’s financial inclusion, and addressing gender-based violence as an economic issue. With R1.5 trillion in projected public procurement over the next three years, the government aims to ensure that at least 40% reaches women-owned businesses.
Perhaps most significantly, the gathering revealed South Africa’s vision for critical mineral beneficiation, with Minister Chikunga announcing plans to approach the Minister of Mineral Resources about emerging industrial accelerator programmes. The strategy recognises that raw bauxite fetches $65 per tonne, processed aluminium commands $2,335 per ton—a transformation that could revolutionise women’s participation in high-value industries.
The Call to Action
The ministers issued eight concrete demands for immediate action:
- Mainstream disability-responsive financial policy across all government tiers
- Recognise and integrate informal finance mechanisms like stokvels
- Expand financial literacy and digital inclusion programmes
- Reform legal barriers to land and asset ownership
- Strengthen institutional collaboration between sectors
- Implement data-driven accountability mechanisms
- Support entrepreneurial well-being through mentorship
- Enable women’s leadership in finance and policy sectors
As the G20 meeting concluded, Deputy Minister Letsike emphasised the moment’s significance: “This is not just a roundtable. It is a platform for a purpose. A space to co-create a financial future where no woman, no young person, and no person with a disability is left behind.”
Minister Chikunga’s closing challenge echoed beyond the conference room: “Let the impact of our work stretch far beyond the high-rise buildings of Sandton. Let it be felt in the daily lives of the informal trader in Lusikisiki, the baker in Ga-Rankuwa, the commercial farmer in Limpopo, and the young woman coder in eThekwini who needs one opportunity to thrive.”
With South Africa’s G20 presidency marking 30 years of democracy and 30 decades since the Beijing Platform for Action, today’s gathering signalled a definitive shift from policy dialogue to measurable action, ensuring that solidarity, equality, and sustainability are more than words.
