The Presidency

President Cyril Ramaphosa will, as Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), participate in the 8th African Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting (MYCM) in the Arab Republic of Egypt. 

The AU Mid-Year Coordination will take place on Sunday, 04 October 2026, in El-Alamein.

The meeting will bring together Heads of State and Government of the AU Bureau, Chairpersons of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the Regional Mechanisms (RMs), heads of the AU Organs and development partners, including United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB).  

The mid-year meeting provides an opportunity for the Chairpersons of Regional Economic Communities to exchange views on the status of continental integration as an important component towards the realisation of the Africa We Want as espoused in Agenda 2063.

The meeting will also assess progress made in the implementation of the Division of Labour between the AU, RECs/ Regional Mechanisms (RMs) and Member States. 

This is to ensure that there are synergies and subsidiarity between the AU, RECs and Member States, given the AU’s limited resources to carry out the implementation of Agenda 2063 alone. 

Furthermore, the Heads of State and Government will review and assess the role of AUDA-NEPAD in speeding up Continental and Regional Integration.

It will evaluate progress in implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.

Leaders will also receive an update on efforts to speed up infrastructure related to water and sanitation.

The Heads of State and Government are expected to consider efforts that the AU is undertaking in addressing and preventing conflicts on the Continent including through enhancing its early warning mechanism.

The Mid-Year Coordination Meeting provides an opportunity for President Ramaphosa to interact with his counterparts bilaterally on African issues of mutual concern.

On the margins of the leaders’ meeting, the Arab Republic of Egypt will host a Business Forum from 2 to 4 October 2026.

Egypt will also convene a Summit of the founders of AUDA-NEPAD on 3 October 2026. 

President Ramaphosa will be accompanied by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr. Ronald Lamola; Minister in the Presidency, Ms Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, and the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr. Parks Tau. 

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President - media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Programme Director,
Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr Gayton McKenzie,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Members of Parliament,
Executive Mayor of the Greater Oudtshoorn Local Municipality, Cllr. Jan van der Ross,
Deputy Chair of the National House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders, Nkosi Langa Mavuso,
All traditional, religious, faith and community leaders present,
Representatives of political parties, business and organised labour,
Our Living Human Treasures present here today,
Leiers en lede van die Oudtshoorn gemeenskap,
Distinguished guests,
Fellow South Africans,

Goeie dag. Molweni. Good Morning. Sanibonani. Dumelang. Ndi masiari. Avuxeni. Lotshani. 

Groete aan die mense van die Klein Karoo! Dit is ń groot plesier om vandag hier by julle te wees.

Molweni bantu baseBongolethu, enkosi ngokusamkela apha namhlanje.

It is an honour to celebrate National Heritage Day in a place that bears witness to the lives of our earliest forebears.

Just outside Oudtshoorn you find some of the oldest and rarest ancient Khoi and San rock paintings, connecting us to a human story that was written thousands of years before our nation was born.

We pay tribute to our Khoi and San ancestors, and to all our forebears who birthed our many languages and traditions. This region connects us to a human story stretching back thousands of years.

We recognise our country’s Living Human Treasures, as well as the traditional practitioners, the storytellers and musicians, the healers, craftspeople, and knowledge holders. 

We honour those who are preserving our natural heritage for the benefit of future generations, and we pledge to support this effort through the National Greening Campaign.

Oudtshoorn and Southern Cape bear testimony to a proud history of struggle in both the coloured and black communities of this region, under the banner of the United Democratic Front (UDF). We particularly honour the rich political legacies of the people of Bongolethu and Bridgton.

Their struggle and their sacrifices are a reminder that we were in the trenches of struggle together; as blacks, progressive whites, Indians and coloureds. 

Aan die gemeenskap sê ons; julle bydrae is nie vergeet nie. Dit sal nie uitgewis word nie. 

History records your contribution, and never shall it be erased.

Today, across our country, as South Africans we are celebrating who we are.

We are celebrating the languages we speak, the songs we sing, the food we prepare, the clothes we wear, the stories we tell and the customs we observe.

We are celebrating the traditions handed down to us by our parents and grandparents.

We are celebrating the knowledge of our elders and the imagination of our young people.

We are celebrating the extraordinary diversity of the South African people.

But Heritage Day is about more than celebrating where we come from.

That is why the theme of this year's Heritage Day is so important:

“Celebrating Our Living Heritage: Strengthening the Ties That Bind Us.”

Our heritage is living because it resides in people.

It lives in our homes and our communities.

It lives in the words of a grandmother telling a story to her grandchildren.

It lives in the knowledge of a traditional healer.

It lives in the hands of the craftsperson.

It lives in the songs of our musicians and the movements of our dancers.

It lives in our ceremonies, our faiths, our rituals and our ways of caring for one another.

It lives in the languages we speak every day.

And it lives in the simple but profound African understanding of ubuntu – that I am because you are.
This is our living heritage.

And today we honour the men and women who keep this heritage alive.

We honour our Living Human Treasures.

We honour the millions of ordinary South Africans who, often without recognition or reward, preserve our languages, traditions and indigenous knowledge.

They are the custodians of our collective memory.

We have a responsibility to ensure that their knowledge does not disappear when they are no longer with us.

We must record it.

We must teach it.

We must practise it.

And above all, we must pass it on.

Because a heritage that is not passed from one generation to another eventually ceases to be a living heritage.

Heritage is also about memory.

A nation that forgets its history risks losing its way.

We must remember the pain of our past.

We must remember dispossession.

We must remember slavery and colonialism.

We must remember apartheid.

We must remember forced removals.

We must remember the humiliation of people who were told that they could not live where they chose, work where they chose, love whom they chose or even enter through the same door as another South African - because of the colour of their skin.

But we must also remember resistance.

We must remember courage.

We must remember solidarity.

We must remember the millions of ordinary people who refused to accept that injustice was permanent.

And we must remember one of the greatest achievements of our people:

That after generations of conflict and division, South Africans chose to build one country, together.
That too is our heritage.

Our Constitution is our heritage.  It is the tie that binds us together. 

We are a country of many cultures.

We speak many languages.

We worship in different ways.

We have different histories.

We come from different communities.

We do not all look the same.

We do not always agree.

Yet we are all South Africans.

Our diversity does not make us less of a nation; our diversity is what makes us the nation that we are.

South Africa asks something different of us.

It asks that we bring all these identities together and build from them something greater.

It asks that we see in our diversity not a reason to separate, but a reason to learn from one another.

But belonging cannot only be something written in the Constitution.

It must be something people experience in their daily lives.

And that is where the challenge of our generation lies.

For although we have inherited freedom, that freedom is still unequally lived.

This freedom is not equally lived by a child born into privilege and a child born into poverty.

This freedom is not equally lived by someone who lives in a community where the streets are safe, and someone who lives every day with the fear of crime.

It is unequally lived by a household that can provide its own electricity and water, and a household dependent on a municipality that is failing to provide basic services.

It is unequally lived by a young person with access to education, technology and opportunity, and another young person whose circumstances deny them those opportunities.

And it is profoundly unequally lived by a man who can walk the streets without fear, and a woman who must constantly consider whether she will be safe.

If we want to strengthen the ties that bind us, we must close these distances between the lives of our people.

The abuse, rape and killing of women is not our heritage.

There is no culture worthy of the name that diminishes the dignity of women.

The pain and suffering that the women of South Africa have been put through stands out as a national shame.

The women of South Africa have the right to walk the streets of their country at any hour without fear.

In a few days, I will address the nation on the steps government is taking to confront gender-based violence, and to update South Africans on the investigation into the killings of women in and around Ekurhuleni.

Today, however, let us make a simple declaration:

Violence against women will not be part of the inheritance we leave to the next generation.

When we celebrate our heritage on this day, we don’t only refer to outward expressions of cultural pride. 

Democracy is also our heritage.

We live in a country that upholds the right of every citizen to enjoy their culture, practice their religion and to speak and be taught in their own languages.

We live in a country that has strived to correct the historical injustices of the past by returning land to those who were dispossessed of it, including here in Oudtshoorn.

We live in a country where the children of farmworkers have equal rights to education and opportunity as the children of farmers; where the rights of farmworkers to decent working conditions are enforced, and where their rights to tenure and against arbitrary removal are protected.

We live in a country that recognises the institutions of traditional leadership and supports them in their duties of preserving heritage and guiding communities. 

It has been the democratic government that has given formal recognition to Khoi and San traditional leadership, and has strived to preserve their historically marginalised languages.

Leiers en lede van die gemeenskap, Ons herinner ons hierdie geskiedenis nie om onsself te prys nie,

We recall this history not to praise ourselves.

We do so to celebrate how far we have come in building a country that belongs to all who live in it, whether they are black, white, Indian or coloured.

Our Constitution gives expression to the values of non-racism, non-sexism, equality and the pursuit of human dignity.

Since 1994, we have expanded access to education, healthcare, social protection, housing, basic services and economic opportunities.

We have built a robust political culture where all citizens have a voice and can actively participate in the life of the nation. 

We have implemented policies and programmes to include once excluded majority, and at the same time consciously promoted reconciliation and nation-building. 

This was the choice the South African people made in 1994.

We chose to recognise the injustices and suffering of the past, and in spite of that painful past, to live together and to build a new nation.

We chose ubuntu and empathy over bitterness, cooperation over conflict, and the pursuit of human dignity as our foremost aspiration.

These ideals are as much our national heritage as the cultures we practice and the languages we speak.
It is in pursuit of these ideals that South Africans made a conscious decision in 1994. 

We chose reconciliation.

We chose non-racialism.

We chose equality before the law.

As we celebrate Heritage Day we need to ask ourselves what does it mean to be South African today?

What are we building?

A country of opportunity.

A country of equality.

A country where talent matters more than connections.

A country where public office is a responsibility and not a route to personal enrichment.

A country where a young person can dream, work and succeed.

A country where women are safe.

A country where our natural environment is protected.

A country that values knowledge and innovation while remaining rooted in its history and culture.

Where different races live together not merely in tolerance, but in mutual respect.
A country confident enough to embrace the future without forgetting where it comes from.
This is the heritage we must build.

Our task is to build a South Africa in which every person can truly experience the best of what our country can give its citizens.

A country where there is work. 
Where there is dignity. 
Where there is safety for the people of our country. 
Where the government serves its people. 
Where businesses invest. 
Where workers prosper. 
Where children learn

A South Africa where everyone can say - I belong here.
Our ancestors left us many things.

They left us languages.
They left us songs.
They left us stories.
They left us knowledge.
They left us traditions.
They left us this beautiful land.
They also left us lessons born from hardship, struggle, and sacrifice.

It is these wonderful endowments: the knowledge, the capability and the dedication that our forebears left us that are enabling us to deal with the challenges of our times such as: 

-    Dealing with the load shedding we experienced recently. We now gone for 470 days without load shedding;
-    Fostering the economic empowerment of our people so that they can play an equal role in the economy of their country. 
-    Making sure that we have women who were previously held back, to enter into key positions in the leadership of the country, in Parliament, in the Judiciary, 
-    The knowledge and taglines of our forebears are enabling us to tackle youth unemployment.

We will continue to guard against our national unity being undermined by sowers of division who want to turn us against each other.

We must recognise that when it comes to holding the social fabric together, that we have a shared responsibility. 

This is our South Africa. It belongs to all of us. 

The actions and decisions we take now will determine whether we build this country, up or further break it.

Under the umbrella of the National Dialogue process, we want to write the next chapter of the South African story and craft a new vision for our country.

We have attained our freedom, the next step in our collective journey is giving meaning to that freedom. 

Throughout history, nations have always rallied together when confronted by a common enemy. 

In the past, our common enemy was apartheid.

Our enemy today is unemployment, gender-based violence, corruption, and alcohol and drug abuse.  

We must tackle these problems together, like our forebears did when they fought side by side until they defeated apartheid. 

Our common cause today is bringing about the conditions in which every South African can truly live the freedom that was promised them in 1994.

Let us rally around our shared values - whether we are black, white, Indian or coloured; male or female.

The time has come to restore the values of unity, ubuntu and dignity to our Republic.

For it is these three, not race, culture, language or geography, that truly make us who we are.

A nation cannot grow stronger unless its roots are nourished every day by its people.

I end with the words of a former resident of Oudtshoorn, the poet CJ Langenhoven,.

“My land het nuwe stryd gevind,
Vyand wat almal vir eens saam bind,
Gesiglose soldate veg stryd in the strate,
Halfhartige pogings laat nie vyand wyk,
Moet ons nog verder wag en kyk?

Vat voor, vat vas,
Skud af hierdie las
Wat sy vra is nie veel
Al wat sy vra is doen jou deel.”

As we celebrate our heritage this day, let us indeed all play our part. 

Let us put our differences aside and choose to work together as we have done so many times in the past.

Let us choose unity. Let us choose ubuntu. Let us choose the pursuit of human dignity. 

Let us choose this, our country, the Republic of South Africa.

God seën Suid-Afrika en beskerm haar mense. 

May God bless South Africa and continue to protect her people.

I thank you.

Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government;
Honourable Ministers, Ambassadors and High Commissioners;
Heads of Delegation;
Distinguished guests;
Ladies and gentlemen;

President Lula, Prime Minister Støre, Prime Minister Sanchez and I welcome you as leaders of nations united by a common cause – to overcome extreme inequality.

As South Africa’s founding father Nelson Mandela reminded us, for as long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.

In the spirit of Madiba’s words, let today be a day of action.

The task before us is a formidable one, to build a new multilateral frontier and expand our global coalition against inequality.

At its heart is the International Panel on Inequality.

The decision to establish the Panel is one of the most consequential outcomes of the South African G20 Presidency last year.

It builds on the Brazilian G20 presidency that put inequality at the centre of the global agenda.

As evidenced by the wide range of representation in this room today, the coalition in support of an IPI is growing.

It is time to accelerate the momentum, and to get the backing of the General Assembly for a resolution on the IPI.

As Professor Joseph Stiglitz reminds us, inequality is not and never has been inevitable.

It is a problem we can solve with evidence, analysis and cooperation.

Let us forge forward in the spirit of cooperation and common purpose.

An International Panel on Inequality is now firmly on the horizon, and fully within our grasp.

I thank you.

The time for an International Panel on Inequality is now.

Programme Director, MEC for COGHSTA, Lebogang Mothlaping;
Premier of the Northern Cape, Dr Zamani Saul;
Executive Mayor of the Frances Baard District Municipality, Cllr Wende (Patrick) Marekwa;
Deputy Minister of Small Business Development, Jane Sithole;
Deputy Minister Masondo Tentative;
SALGA Provincial leadership;
Northern Cape SAPS Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Otola;
Deputy Provincial Commissioner, Vispol, Major General Besnaar;  
Acting District Commissioner Frances Baard, Brigadier Mtongana;
Acting Provincial Head, Inspectorate Colonel Malgas;
Station Commander, Hartswater, Lt Colonel Ntidi;
Deputy Director Generals present;
Community Representatives, and Community Members;
Ladies and gentlemen;

Good afternoon! Goeie middag! Dumelang!

Let me begin by expressing my sincere appreciation to the people of Phokwane for welcoming us into your community. Thank you for your frankness, your honesty, and your willingness to engage Government on matters that affect your daily lives.

Today, we began our programme with visits to several important sites, including the Vaalharts/Taung Irrigation Scheme, the Vala Zonke Project, and the Pecan Nut Processing Plant. These visits provided us with a firsthand understanding of both the enormous potential that exists within this municipality and the challenges that continue to hold back development and service delivery.

This outreach programme forms part of the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Service Delivery, chaired by Deputy President, Paul Mashatile. It is intended to ensure that Government leaders do not govern from offices in Pretoria alone, but that we come directly to communities, listen to people, assess progress on the ground, identify service delivery blockages, and coordinate speedy, practical solutions.

The Deputy President, who initiated these outreach visits, had hoped to be here with you today. Unfortunately, on the advice of his medical team, he has had to temporarily scale down his public engagements. 

However, I want to assure you that the issues raised here today will be reported directly to him, together with the observations we have made during our engagements in the municipality.

As the leader responsible for coordinating the implementation of South Africa's District Development Model (DDM), he continues to drive efforts aimed at improving local government performance and strengthening service delivery across all three spheres of Government. It is for this reason that we have come together today.

Programme Director, the people of Phokwane have spoken clearly.

You have raised concerns about unreliable water supply, ageing infrastructure, potholes and deteriorating roads, sewer spillages, electricity interruptions, housing backlogs, unemployment, youth development, healthcare services, land matters, and the future of your children. 

These concerns are legitimate, and they deserve urgent attention.

Government acknowledges that the municipality continues to face significant challenges. With an unemployment rate of approximately 43%, many households remain without sustainable sources of income, particularly young people, women, and persons with disabilities. Yet, this is a municipality blessed with agricultural potential, resilient communities, and hardworking people. The challenge before us therefore is to ensure that economic opportunities benefit local communities.

When we visited the Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme today in particular, we saw one of the most important agricultural assets in South Africa. We also heard concerns regarding the condition of infrastructure, the need for investment, land-related matters, and the desire of local communities to participate more meaningfully in the agricultural value chain. 

Government understands these concerns and will immediately engage all relevant stakeholders to unlock the full economic potential of this strategic asset.

To the residents of Pampierstad, we have heard your concerns regarding asbestos water pipelines, recurring pipe bursts, sewer blockages, and sanitation challenges. Access to clean water is not a privilege; it is a constitutional right. 

Government is already implementing projects aimed at upgrading bulk water and sanitation infrastructure, but we acknowledge that more needs to be done and that communities expect visible progress.

As Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, I fully understand the frustration of families who have been waiting for housing opportunities for many years. 

We are aware of the housing backlog, the shortage of serviced sites, and delays associated with bulk infrastructure and land availability. We are also aware of projects that are already underway in Ganspan, Bonita Park, Kingston, Masakeng, Andalusia, and Nkandla.

We wish to acknowledge as Government that the pace of delivery on these and other projects is far from satisfactory. We must improve this. We deeply understand that housing is more than shelter; it is a foundation for dignity, social justice, and an improved quality of life.

To our young people, perhaps the most painful issue raised today is unemployment. Many young people have qualifications but no jobs.

We have seen many young men and women from different communities who completed their studies years ago and are still searching for employment. Like countless other young people in Phokwane, they wake up each morning with hope and determination, only to go to bed feeling disappointed and discouraged.

Some of you here know exactly what that feels like. You have sent out countless CVs, travelled long distances for interviews, and taken whatever work you could find just to put food on the table and support your loved ones.

The truth is that our young people are not asking for favours. They are not asking for handouts. They simply want a fair chance, a chance to work, to earn an honest living, and to build a better future for themselves and their families.

We therefore have a responsibility, both as Government and as the private sector, to do more. We must work together to open doors for young people across Hartswater, Jan Kempdorp, Pampierstad, and the surrounding areas. 

Whether through employment opportunities, skills development, or support for small businesses, we must ensure that our young people can turn their ambitions into reality.

That is why we must ensure that every infrastructure project, every agricultural investment, every housing development, and every Government programme becomes a vehicle for local job creation, skills development, and enterprise opportunities for the people of Phokwane.

I therefore call upon the Phokwane Local Municipality, major employers, agricultural enterprises, local businesses, and investors operating in this area to strengthen local recruitment, local procurement, skills development initiatives, internships, apprenticeships, and learnership programmes.

Government cannot solve unemployment through the public sector alone. However, we are committed to strengthening programmes that promote skills development, entrepreneurship, Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) opportunities, Community Work Programmes, agricultural development, and partnerships with the private sector.

We have also heard the call for a TVET College or expanded post-school opportunities in this municipality so that young people do not have to leave their communities to access education and training.

I was particularly encouraged to learn about the work being undertaken by organisations such as the Thabang Community Development Centre and House of Thabang NPC, which are equipping young people and community members with practical skills and supporting local enterprise development. Such initiatives demonstrate that communities themselves are important partners in development.

Programme Director,

Some community members asked, why does Government keep coming to meetings while our lives remain unchanged?

That is a fair question.

The answer is that while progress has been made in some areas, implementation has often not happened at the speed communities deserve. 

Today's visit is therefore not merely an exercise in listening. It forms part of a broader process of identifying blockages and holding all spheres of Government accountable for delivery.

When it comes to roads, Government is implementing interventions such as the Kolong Road Project and the Vala Zonke Programme. However, we acknowledge that the infrastructure backlog remains significant and requires additional resources, investment, and improved maintenance.

Another issue of concern repeatedly raised by community members relates to ageing infrastructure, network constraints, vandalism, and electricity theft. Investment is being directed towards electrification and network upgrades, including the electrification of households that currently do not have access to electricity.

However, infrastructure protection is equally important. Communities and Government must work together to stop the vandalism and theft of public infrastructure.

As Government, we do not claim to have all the answers. But what we can promise is that we have listened. We have taken note of your concerns. We have seen your challenges. Most importantly, we have witnessed your determination and resilience.

The District Development Model teaches us that no sphere of Government can work in isolation. National, provincial, and local government must work together, plan together, budget together, and deliver together. The people of Phokwane do not care which sphere of Government is responsible for a particular function. They simply want services, dignity, and opportunity, and rightly so.

Let me conclude by reaffirming that today's engagement is not the end of the conversation. It is the beginning of a renewed commitment between Government and the people of Phokwane.

We leave this municipality with a clearer understanding of your challenges, but also with confidence in your potential.

The future of Phokwane is not defined by its challenges. It is defined by the agricultural potential of Vaalharts, the entrepreneurship of local businesses, the aspirations of young people, the commitment of community organisations, and the collective determination of Government and society to build a better future.

Together, we must build a municipality where every household has access to reliable basic services, where every young person has a pathway to opportunity, where every family can live in dignity, and where economic growth translates into jobs, hope, and improved livelihoods.

Let me conclude by encourage every eligible resident to make their voice heard in the upcoming Local Government Elections. Democracy is strongest when citizens actively participate in shaping the future of their communities. Voting may seem like a small act, but it is one of the most powerful ways we can shape the direction of our communities.

Let us all play our part by exercising our democratic right and helping to build communities that work for everyone. Together, we can create the future we want to see.

On behalf of Government, I thank you for your participation, your constructive inputs, and your commitment to building a stronger Phokwane.

Let us continue working together to turn today's commitments into tomorrow's results.

I thank you. Ke a leboga. Baaie Dankie!

President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed into law the Public Service Commission Bill, which strengthens the role of the Public Service Commission in promoting constitutional values and professional ethics in the Public Service.

The Commission is mandated to undertaking monitoring and evaluation of a wide range of practices in the Public Service and is able to investigate administration practices and service delivery failures.

The new Public Service Commission Act repeals the Public Service Commission Act of 1997 and the President’s assent reinforces Government’s focus on building a capable and ethical State, which is one of the 7th Administration’s top three priorities.

The Public Service Commission is an independent body established in terms of section 196(1) of the Constitution.

According to the Constitution, the Commission is independent and must be impartial, and must exercise its powers and perform its functions without fear, favour or prejudice.

The Commission is mandated to advance the maintenance of effective and efficient public administration and a high standard of professional ethics in the Public Service.

Among others, the law regulates the procedure for the appointment of Commissioners by the President and provides for the establishment of the Secretariat of the Commission to support its work.

The new law strengthens the independence of the Commission as a constitutional institution and extends the Commission’s mandate to include local government and public entities.

The Act gives the Commission the power to direct the relevant executive authority or any other person against whom the Commission makes a decision, to report to the Commission progress in implementing such decisions.

Any person found guilty of obstructing the Commission in the exercise of its powers and performance of its functions will be guilty of an offence and liable for conviction to imprisonment of up to 12 months or a fine of up to R50 000, or both fine and imprisonment.

President Ramaphosa said: “The new Public Service Commission Act should be welcomed by public servants and citizens alike as a means to improve the lives of all South Africans and to enable growth through ethical and efficient conduct in our Public Service.

“While the Public Service Commission is a critical enabler of improved public services, it is incumbent upon all public servants to honour citizens in line with the Batho Pele (People First) principles and to view their responsibilities as tools of transformation.

“The enactment of the Public Service Commission Act during our annual Public Service Month should inspire renewed pride and ethics in the Public Service.”

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President - media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa has, in terms of Section 2A of the Public Holidays Act of 1994, declared Wednesday, 4 November 2026 – the date for Local Government Elections - as a public holiday throughout the country.

The President calls on all registered voters to use the opportunity of the public holiday to exercise their democratic right and civic duty by voting in this election that empowers citizens to elect local public representatives and influence service delivery where they live.

Voters are reminded as well that they will only be able to cast their votes at the polling stations in wards where they are registered.

In the event that voters may consider travel, they will not be able to transfer their votes to voting stations away from their designated wards.

President Ramaphosa also urges employers to make provision for employees to exercise their Constitutional right to vote on 4 November.

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President - media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Programme Directors,
Minister of Basic Education, Ms Siviwe Gwarube,
Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Dr Reginah Mhaule,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
MECs,
Members of Parliament,
Representatives of teacher unions,
Representatives of business,
Representatives of School Governing Body Associations,
Members of the National Teaching Awards adjudication panels,
Our sponsors and partners,
Distinguished guests,
Our esteemed educators,
And all the teachers of South Africa,

Good morning.

It is an honour to be here among some of the finest teachers in our country.

Standing before you today, I am reminded of the teacher who had the greatest influence on my own life.

When I was at school, I was an inquisitive learner.

I asked many questions and, from time to time, challenged my teachers on some of the subjects they were teaching.

I did not do so out of disrespect. I wanted to understand.

But perhaps I asked one question too many, because some of my teachers felt that I should be expelled from school.

My school principal, Mr Ntsandeni, thought differently.

He saw something in me that others did not see.

He intervened and protected me from being expelled.

Perhaps he understood that curiosity should not be punished, but guided and encouraged.

I have often wondered how different my life might have been had he not intervened.

I will forever remember Mr Ntsandeni as the most outstanding teacher in my life.

He did more than keep me in school. He gave me the opportunity to continue learning, to develop and to become the person I am today.

If Mr Ntsandeni were still alive, I would have wanted him to be here with us today.

I would have wanted to present him with a National Teaching Award – not only for what he did for me, but for understanding what lies at the heart of teaching: seeing the promise in a young person and giving that promise the opportunity to flourish.

That is what great teachers do.

They see potential in a learner that others may overlook.

They recognise possibility where others may see only difficulty.

Sometimes, by believing in one young person at a decisive moment, a teacher can change the entire course of that person’s life.

There are many South Africans who can point to a teacher who did the same for them.

It may have been a teacher who recognised an ability that they did not yet see in themselves.

It may have been a teacher who encouraged them when they were ready to give up.

Or it may simply have been a teacher who said: “I believe in you.”

The influence of such a teacher lasts long after we have left the classroom.

That is why the National Teaching Awards are so important.

They give our nation an opportunity to recognise and celebrate educators and school leaders who demonstrate excellence, innovation, dedication and measurable impact in the education of our children.

This year’s awards take place under the theme:

“Uniting for Excellence: Elevating Achievement, Empowering Educators to Shape South Africa’s Future.”

This theme reminds us that excellence in education is a shared endeavour.

It also reminds us that the future of our country is being shaped every day, in every classroom, by every lesson taught and by every learner encouraged to succeed.

Today’s ceremony begins our celebration of World Teachers’ Day, which takes place on the 5th of October.

Let this be the moment when the whole country turns its attention to the classroom and declare that we honour those who teach.

These awards show that excellence is found across every phase of education, across different subjects and in schools serving vastly different communities.

They show that excellence can be found in a rural school with limited resources, in a township school confronting difficult social conditions and in a well-resourced urban school.

Our responsibility is to ensure that such excellence is recognised, supported and replicated.

A method that succeeds in Limpopo should inspire a teacher in the Eastern Cape.

A leadership approach that turns around a school in the Western Cape should be shared with principals in KwaZulu-Natal and across the country.

Good practice should not remain a secret.

It should become part of the common wealth of our education system.

No teacher succeeds alone.

Behind every excellent classroom is a principal who protects teaching time, a district official who provides meaningful support, a province that delivers learning materials on time, and families and communities that ensure that children attend school at an early age.

By the same measure, teachers cannot be expected to overcome every weakness in the education system on their own.

Government must provide safe and suitable school infrastructure.

We must reduce unnecessary administrative burdens, strengthen professional development and ensure that teachers receive the support they need throughout their careers.

We must address overcrowding, protect teaching time and act firmly against violence, intimidation and disruption in our schools.

We must create the conditions in which teachers are able to do what they entered the profession to do: to teach.

The National Teaching Awards were launched in 2000 by the late Minister of Education, Professor Kader Asmal, to acknowledge, appreciate and celebrate excellence in teaching.

It is therefore fitting that we present the Kader Asmal Lifetime Achievement Award to honour educators who have devoted decades of their lives to the development of South Africa’s children and communities.

Professor Asmal believed in education as an instrument of social transformation.

He believed in intellectual rigour, professional excellence and an education system that expands opportunity and challenges inequality.

To this year’s recipient, we say:
Thank you for giving so much of your life to education.

Your legacy lives in the learners you have taught, the schools you have strengthened and the teachers you have inspired to follow in your footsteps.

Teachers are central to the transformation of our education system and to the development of our country.

If we want better educational outcomes, we must invest in better teaching.

We must attract talented young people into the profession.

We must support new teachers as they enter the classroom.

We must enable experienced teachers to continue developing their skills.

And we must restore teaching to its rightful place as one of the most respected professions in our society.

The purpose of educational excellence is ultimately to improve the life chances of every learner.

The true measure of our progress is the child who learns to read for meaning, the young person who masters mathematics and science, and the learner who leaves school with knowledge, confidence, dignity and real opportunities.

This is why foundational literacy and numeracy must remain among our foremost national priorities.

If a child cannot read with understanding in the early years of schooling, every stage of their education becomes more difficult.

Every teacher, every principal, every district and every education department must therefore be focused on the essential task of improving learning outcomes.

We are living through a period of profound technological change.

Artificial intelligence and other digital technologies are changing how people work, communicate and learn.

They hold great promise for education.

They can give teachers access to new resources, help them prepare lessons, support learners with different needs and bring knowledge from around the world into the classroom.

But technology also presents risks.

Our learners must be able to distinguish knowledge from misinformation.

They must learn to question what they see, to think independently and to use technology responsibly, safely and ethically.

Artificial intelligence may be able to provide an answer, but a teacher helps a learner understand the question.

Technology can transmit information, but it cannot replace the encouragement, discipline, empathy and human connection that a good teacher provides.

The teacher remains essential.

Today, we recognise the more than 133 teachers who participated in the national adjudication process here in Gauteng earlier this month.

We congratulate all the finalists and all those who will receive awards.

The Minister’s Special Award, #MyTeacher, gives learners an opportunity to tell the nation about teachers who have made a difference in their lives.

This is particularly meaningful because the most important evidence of a teacher’s impact is not always found in a report or examination result.

Sometimes it is found in the words of a learner who says:
“My teacher saw me.”
“My teacher encouraged me.”
“My teacher believed in me.”

We thank all the learners who nominated their teachers.

To all the finalists and nominees: whether or not your name is announced today, reaching this stage is itself an important recognition of your contribution.

Two years ago, at the 24th National Teaching Awards, I said:
“All of us are who we are because of the teachers we once had.”

These words have particular meaning this year as we mark the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Soweto uprising.

We rightly honour the courage of the young people who took to the streets to reject an education system designed to diminish their humanity and limit their future.

But we should also remember the teachers who, during times of repression and instability, provided guidance, knowledge and leadership.

Constrained by the injustice of Bantu Education, and often themselves subjected to repression, many teachers became sources of strength and wisdom to young people.

They kept the flame of learning alive in dark times.

We remember the teachers who were imprisoned, tortured, banned, exiled or killed for their role in the struggle.

They understood that teaching is never only about what happens in a textbook.

It is also about the values by which we live and the society we seek to build.

Even in our democracy, we continue to look to teachers for guidance, leadership and moral courage.

Our country needs such leadership as we confront social ills like gender-based violence and femicide.

The violence perpetrated against the women and girls of South Africa is inhuman and intolerable.

Women should not have to live in fear.

Girls must be safe in their homes, in their communities and in every place of learning.

We cannot tolerate sexual harassment, abuse or exploitation by teachers, staff members or fellow learners.

Every school must be a place of safety.

Every educator must uphold the highest standards of professional conduct.

But we must go further.

Education must help us prevent violence before it happens.

We must teach young people about respect, dignity, equality and consent.

We must equip them to resolve conflict without violence and to build healthy interpersonal relationships.

We must teach boys and young men that strength is not demonstrated through domination or abuse, but through respect, responsibility and self-control.

We need to strengthen age-appropriate life-skills education from early childhood development through to high school.

This must be an intergenerational effort.

Teachers, parents, relatives, religious leaders, traditional leaders and community elders must work together to raise a generation defined by mutual respect, tolerance and equality.

For generations, teachers have been regarded as standard-bearers of integrity and development in our communities.

The teachers of today must carry these values forward.

They must prepare young people not merely to find their place in the world, but to change the world for the better.

As I conclude, I wish to thank the sponsors and partners who support the National Teaching Awards.

Your contribution demonstrates that education is not solely a responsibility of government.

It is a responsibility shared by the whole of society and an investment in the future of our nation.

Congratulations once again to all the recipients.

Your achievement belongs not only to you, but also to your learners, colleagues, families and communities.

We wish you strength as you prepare learners for the final examinations.

To the class of 2026, these final weeks matter.

Use them well.

Remain focused, support one another and draw on the guidance of your teachers.

These awards celebrate achievement, but they also recognise potential.

It is therefore appropriate that we congratulate the Minister of Basic Education, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, on being named among the TIME100 Next list of the world’s most influential rising stars.

This recognition is an honour for the Minister and for South Africa.

It is also a challenge: to turn recognition into results and promise into progress for every learner in every school.

Finally, to the teachers of our country:
Continue the great work you are doing.

Continue to equip our children with knowledge.

Continue to nurture their curiosity.

Continue to instil in them the values of democracy, equality and mutual respect.

Continue to guide them and continue to believe in them.

South Africa’s future is being shaped in our classrooms.

It is being shaped in the mind of every child who learns to read.

It is being shaped in the confidence of every learner who discovers their ability.

And it is being shaped by every teacher who refuses to give up on a child.

Thank you for teaching our children.

Thank you for believing in our children.

And thank you for building our nation.

I thank you.

Programme Director,
Members of the media,
Partners across the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention,
Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning.

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the release of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention Quarterly Progress Report for the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, covering the period April to June 2026. Today’s report provides an account of the progress being made in responding to one of the most pressing challenges facing our country: youth unemployment and the difficulty many young South Africans face in moving from education and training into meaningful economic participation.

We understand that completing school, obtaining a qualification or acquiring skills does not automatically translate into access to the labour market. Many young people still need opportunities to gain experience, earn an income, develop skills, establish enterprises, or take their first steps into the world of work. It is in response to this challenge that the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention was launched in 2020.

The PYEI is a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder intervention designed to accelerate the transition of young people from learning to earning. It brings together Government departments, public entities, the private sector, civil society, and other partners to address the barriers young people face in accessing economic opportunities. At the centre of this approach is the National Pathway Management Network, which connects young people to different opportunities and forms of support through a national network.

Understanding "Earning Opportunities”

Before I turn to the progress made during the quarter, I want to clarify an important point about the terminology used in this report. When we refer to “earning opportunities,” we are referring to a range of opportunities that enable young people to earn income, gain workplace experience, participate in work-integrated learning or provide paid services. These include work-based placements, work-integrated learning, and paid-service opportunities, among others.

Therefore, when we report that more than 2.6 million temporary earning opportunities have been accessed since the inception of the PYEI, we are not claiming that 2.6 million permanent jobs have been created. We are reporting opportunities through which young people have been supported to participate economically, gain experience and move along a pathway towards sustainable earning. This distinction is important. For a young person who has never had the opportunity to enter a workplace, gain practical experience or earn an income, such an opportunity can provide an important bridge into further economic participation.

At the same time, we recognise that temporary opportunities alone cannot resolve South Africa’s youth unemployment challenge. This is why the PYEI also focuses on systems change, demand-led skills development, enterprise development, sustainable earning pathways and connecting young people to opportunities through a national network.

Progress during the first quarter

Turning to the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, the PYEI recorded 139 693 earning opportunities secured by young people through the National Pathway Management Network. Of these, 106 093 opportunities were secured through SA Youth, while a further 33 600 earning and learning opportunities were secured through ESSA.

Let me briefly explain these platforms, because they are central to how young people access opportunities through the PYEI.

SA Youth is the platform through which young people can register, access information, and connect to services and opportunities within the National Pathway Management Network. During the quarter, SA Youth surpassed 6 million registered young people. Since the inception of the PYEI, more than 2.6 million earning opportunities have been secured through SA Youth. Importantly, close to 70% of opportunities have been accessed by young women, demonstrating the network’s contribution towards addressing gender disparities in access to economic opportunities.

The second platform is the Employment Services of South Africa system, or ESSA. ESSA forms part of the employment services infrastructure through which young people can register and access employment-related services and opportunities. By the end of the quarter, close to 5.7 million young people were registered on ESSA, with 386 733 opportunities secured through the system since inception. During the first quarter alone, ESSA recorded 33 600 earning and learning opportunities.

Workplace experience through YES

Another important area of progress is workplace experience.

The Youth Employment Service, or YES, is a private-sector-led initiative that provides young people with workplace experience opportunities across various sectors of the economy. During the first quarter, YES placed 5 244 young people into workplace experience opportunities. Since the inception of the PYEI, 233 393 workplace experience opportunities have been delivered, with 72% through YES and 28% through the Department of Higher Education and Training Sector Education and Training Authorities.

Workplace experience is important because qualifications alone do not always provide young people with the practical experience required to enter the labour market. The PYEI therefore places emphasis on creating pathways that allow young people to apply what they have learnt and develop practical workplace skills.

National Youth Service

We also made progress through the Revitalised National Youth Service. During the quarter, a further 2 866 young people were recruited into Phase 5 of the programme. This is the largest phase of the Revitalised National Youth Service to date and is recruiting 100 000 young people across South Africa. Since inception, the National Youth Service has provided 140 922 paid service opportunities across its five phases, with young women accounting for 68% of these opportunities.

Supporting young entrepreneurs

The PYEI also recognises that not every young person will enter the economy through a traditional employer-employee relationship. Enterprise development and self-employment are therefore important components of the intervention. During the first quarter, the National Youth Development Agency provided 5 214 enterprise support opportunities, consisting of 4 795 non-financial and 419 financial opportunities. Across the ecosystem, enterprise support opportunities have now reached 277 349 since inception.

Investing in innovation

We are also investing in new approaches to addressing the barriers young people face. The National Pathway Management Network Innovation Fund, led by the Department of Employment and Labour and administered by the Industrial Development Corporation, supports initiatives that test and scale innovative approaches to youth employment. During the quarter, R95 million was committed to the fourth Call for Proposals, with a focus on strengthening economic linkages in rural and marginalised communities, supporting sustainable earning, expanding participation by young people living with disabilities, and deepening the participation of civil society and youth-led organisations.

As of 30 June 2026, the Innovation Fund portfolio had facilitated access to more than 32 000 earning opportunities, with more than 52 000 unemployed young people registered across the Fund. One example highlighted in the report is Edunova, which is creating a digital pathway into self-employment for young people in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape. By the end of the quarter, Edunova had enrolled its full cohort of 600 young people, with micro learning completions reaching 108% of the project target and retention standing at 83%.

Progress against our overarching targets

The progress reported today must also be considered against the broader targets of the PYEI. The intervention set a target of engaging at least 5 million young people in the National Pathway Management Network. We have now exceeded that target, with more than 6 million young people registered and accessing opportunities through the network. The second target was to support young people to access 1.5 million temporary earning opportunities. To date, young people have accessed more than 2.6 million.

The third target is to engage 500 000 young people in sustainable earning opportunities through workforce development programmes. This remains a work in progress, with evaluations and tracing studies underway. This is an important measure of accountability. The impact of the PYEI cannot be assessed only by the number of young people who access an opportunity. We must also understand what happens afterwards: whether young people move into further opportunities, secure sustainable income, progress into employment or enterprise, and whether the pathways we are creating are helping young people build livelihoods.

The road ahead

As we enter the remainder of the 2026/27 financial year, our focus is twofold.

First, we will continue to scale initiatives that are demonstrating progress and ensure that more young people can access opportunities through the PYEI.

Second, we will strengthen the quality and sustainability of the pathways we create. Young people need pathways that are accessible, relevant, and connected to real opportunities in the economy. They need opportunities to gain experience, earn, develop skills, establish enterprises and progress towards sustainable livelihoods.

The PYEI cannot address youth unemployment alone. The scale and complexity of the challenge requires continued cooperation between Government, business, civil society, educational institutions, and other partners.

Government has a responsibility to ensure that the systems are in place to help young people navigate these opportunities and to remove unnecessary barriers wherever possible.

The first quarter of 2026/27 demonstrates continued progress, while also reminding us that significant work remains ahead.

As we reflect on 50 years since the 1976 Soweto Uprising, we are reminded of the role young people have played in shaping our country’s history and of our responsibility to ensure that young people are able to shape its economic future.

Our ambition is a South Africa where young people can participate in the economy with greater dignity, opportunity, and agency.

That is the purpose of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention.

I thank you.

Your Excellencies,
Ministers,
Officials,
Guests,

Thank you for your participation in this constructive engagement.

The attendance at this Summit demonstrates that the leaders of this continent remain deeply concerned about the future of our sister country.

We wish to thank President Salva Kiir Mayardit for his engagement with the Summit.

The briefing from the President and from the African Union on the state of readiness for the elections was most valuable.

We also thank His Excellency former President Kikwete and His Excellency Geoffrey Onyeama for their insightful briefings.

Their assessments have assisted in identifying the immediate priorities requiring both political attention and coordinated support.

We take note of the progress that the Government of South Sudan has made.

Yet we are mindful of the many challenges and tremendous work that still lie ahead.

In the interests of national elections that are free, fair and credible, we urge the Government of South Sudan to work with speed to resolve the challenges that remain.

As indicated in the Declaration, this Summit has made a number of recommendations, including the following:

•    That all parties comply fully with the provisions of the Revitalised Peace Agreement and demonstrate their commitment to its full implementation.

•    That all parties immediately cease hostilities, uphold the Permanent Ceasefire and refrain from unilateral measures that could undermine the Revitalised Peace Agreement.

•    That, while respecting the sovereignty of South Sudan and its judicial processes, the Government of South Sudan release all persons arbitrarily detained on political grounds and guarantee the rights, humane treatment and due process of persons facing judicial proceedings, thereby contributing to an inclusive political environment.

•    That the Government of South Sudan adopts a feasible, consensual and time-bound electoral roadmap that clearly sets out the legal basis, scope and sequencing of elections.

•    That the Government of South Sudan provides predictable, adequate and timely domestic financial resources to the electoral and transitional institutions to enable credible preparations.

•    That the Government of South Sudan works in earnest towards addressing the political, legal, technical, operational, financial and security requirements necessary for a peaceful, credible, inclusive and transparent electoral process.

•    That all parties protect civilians, humanitarian and medical personnel and United Nations peacekeepers; ensure safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access to affected communities; and ensure accountability for attacks against peacekeepers and humanitarian personnel.

•    That the AU, C5 and IGAD should coordinate voluntary and needs-based technical assistance in support of the electoral process and the implementation of the Revitalised Peace Agreement.

We appeal to international partners to support South Sudan in the most effective and coordinated manner.

Primary responsibility for the implementation of the agreed measures rests with the government and parties of South Sudan.

The support of the C5, the African Union and international partners must reinforce South Sudanese national ownership and respond to clearly identified priorities.

We have agreed that the Revitalised Peace Agreement remains the paramount legal instrument with which all parties must comply and by which progress in South Sudan will be measured.

Peace, stability and prosperity for South Sudan are aspirations we all share.

For democracy to take hold in South Sudan, its leaders must demonstrate genuine commitment to inclusivity, peace and national reconciliation.

Only then can South Sudan begin in earnest to build its institutions, strengthen democratic practice and build a unified nation.

I thank you once again for honouring the invitation and for your commitment to our sister country.

I am confident that, acting together, we can accompany South Sudan through this critical period and help secure a future of lasting peace and democracy for its people.

I thank you.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will tomorrow, Thursday, 24 September 2026, lead the National Heritage Day celebrations at Bongolethu Sport Stadium in Oudtshoorn, Western Cape.

The national day will follow the theme,, “Celebrating Our Living Heritage: Strengthening the Ties That Bind Us.”

The theme highlights the role of living heritage in promoting national unity, social cohesion, Ubuntu and a shared sense of belonging.

National Heritage Day provides an opportunity for South Africans to celebrate the country’s diverse cultural heritage and reflect on its significance to nation-building.

The celebration marks the culmination of Heritage Month, during which communities, heritage institutions and practitioners participated in programmes promoting cultural expression, intergenerational knowledge-sharing and the preservation of Indigenous Knowledge Systems.

Following an earlier announcement of George as the venue for the national event, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has secured Oudtshoorn as the site for the celebration.

 
Media enquiries:

Zimasa Velaphi, Head of Communication and Marketing: Department of Sport, Arts and Culture on 072 172 8925 / ZimasaV@dsac.gov.za

Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President - media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Programme Director;
Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Mr Thamsanqa Ntuli;
Ministers and Deputy Ministers;
Executive Mayors;
Amakhosi and other traditional leaders;
Ambassadors and High Commissioners;
Chairman of Fosun International, Mr Guo Guangchang;
President and CEO of Club Med, Mr Stéphane Maquaire;
Chairman of Tinley Leisure Ltd, Mr Moses Tembe;
Representatives of Collin Residential;
Representatives of the business community and the tourism sector;
Community representatives;
Guests;
Ladies and gentlemen;

Sanibonani. Good morning.

I regret that I am unable to join you for the global opening of South Africa’s first Club Med and to welcome our guests from across the world to this beautiful part of our country.

This mega-development is a vote of confidence in South African enterprise, in the capabilities of our people and in the future of our tourism industry.

South Africa is blessed with its natural beauty, so it is no wonder that Club Med has brought its famous brand here.

This facility represents more than R2 billion in investment, making it the largest hospitality investment in South Africa and the broader Southern African Development Community since Sun City first opened its doors in the 1970s.

This is a proudly South African-funded development, backed by a South African investment consortium committed to advancing broad-based black economic empowerment.

The value Club Med recognised here has taken shape in the provision of employment, skills and opportunities for South Africans, especially the local community.

It echoes Premier Ntuli’s call last week at the KwaZulu-Natal Economic Council for Government, business, organised labour and academia to work together to create jobs.

Today, we are witnessing the fruit of what happens when all role-players work together.

I am encouraged to hear that during construction more than 2,300 direct and indirect jobs were created.

In addition, 600 permanent direct jobs have been created and a further 1,500 indirect jobs are being supported across local suppliers and related industries.

We commend the Club Med group and its partners who made it a priority to employ local people.

I am told that 84 percent of the employees at the Beach Resort are South Africans.

At the same time, all the employees at the Vikela Safari Lodge are from surrounding communities.

That speaks to what this investment means for the Province, for our economy and, most importantly, for the people whose lives it has changed.

This resort brings together two extraordinary experiences: the Indian Ocean coastline and the wildlife of northern KwaZulu-Natal.

It gives travellers another compelling reason to choose South Africa, to stay longer and to discover more of what our country offers.

For this calendar year until the end of July 2026, South Africa’s tourism sector continued its strong growth trajectory.

The growth in international tourist arrivals between January 2026 and July 2026 to 6.5 million is phenomenal.

This represents growth of 12.4 percent compared to the same period last year.

The opening of this new jewel in the North Coast comes at the right time as the tourist industry is getting ready to welcome guests for the festive season.

I am confident that the official opening of this jewel will entice more visitors to our shores.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This resort will need fresh produce, maintenance, transport and a dependable network of suppliers.

Each of these connections can create an opening for a small, micro and medium enterprise.

I am encouraged by Club Med’s concerted effort to partner with local business.

Local procurement, fair access to supplier opportunities and partnerships with smaller tourism operators will help ensure that the success of this resort is shared more widely.

That is how tourism investment can contribute to the prosperity of a nation.

Tourism begins with something deeply human.

People travel because they want to rest. They want time with their children, their partners and their friends. They want to discover something new or simply find the space to enjoy being together.

Here in South Africa, that happiness has the potential to travel far beyond the resort’s gates.

We wish to recognise the people who have built this beautiful development: the construction workers, artisans, contractors and many others whose effort turned plans into reality.

The experience they have gained on a project of this scale is an asset that they can carry with confidence into their next project.

To the employees who now welcome guests, prepare meals, care for the grounds and keep this resort running, the experience visitors take home will bear their imprint.

Their professionalism and hospitality will help shape how they remember our country.

This project also speaks to the power of partnership between the public and private sectors, working alongside communities.

We recognise the investors who committed capital, the developers who brought the project to life, and Club Med, which brings its expertise and international reach.

We also recognise the training organisations and community partners that help connect investment to local opportunities.

Government has a responsibility to create the conditions in which investments like this can succeed: reliable infrastructure, responsive public services, efficient administration and communities in which residents and visitors can feel safe.

Business has a responsibility to invest for the long term, develop its workforce and build meaningful relationships with the communities around it.

When these responsibilities come together, public and private partnership becomes something people can see in their daily lives.

People see new job opportunities, businesses growing, the youth obtaining the necessary qualifications and communities becoming partners.

That is the kind of cooperation we must deepen across South Africa.

We must also protect the natural heritage on which this opportunity depends.

Responsible use of water and energy, less waste and care for the surrounding environment must remain part of the everyday work of tourism.

To Club Med and its partners, thank you for your belief in South Africa and for the work that has brought us to this occasion.

To our international guests, welcome.

Enjoy this resort and take time to discover the people, places and stories beyond it.

May this opening mark the beginning of many years of shared opportunity, friendship and discovery.

I thank you.

Programme Director,
Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa,
Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Parks Tau,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Acting Premier of the Western Cape, Mr Tertuis Simmers,
Members of the diplomatic corps,
Representatives of development finance institutions and development agencies,
Representatives of business, labour, civil society and academia,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning.

It is a pleasure to address this premier event on expanding the frontiers of the green hydrogen economy in Africa.

I am sorry that I am unable to attend in person, but am grateful for this opportunity to participate virtually.

This Summit showcases innovation, investment and collaboration in a sector that is set to change the trajectory of industrial development.

With abundant renewable energy and water resources and vast reserves of critical minerals, Africa is positioned to become a major global hub for this burgeoning industry.

Energy technologies and critical minerals have become important features of global relations.

I have just returned from the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, which recognised the foundational role of energy security in social and economic development.

The BRICS leaders agreed to cooperate on zero- and low-emissions hydrogen and its value chains.

As African nations, we are keenly aware that we must significantly accelerate our efforts if we are to be at the forefront of opportunity.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Africa to be at the forefront of transformational industrial development.

Green hydrogen sits at the intersection of two of the defining imperatives of our time: firstly, to strengthen energy resilience and security, and, secondly, to grow inclusive, low-carbon economies.

Both imperatives are fundamental to human development.

There are less than four years to the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals.

That means there are less than four years in which we need to make sufficient progress towards the realisation of Sustainable Development Goal 7 on affordable, reliable and modern energy for all.

Growing the green hydrogen economy is therefore about far more than investment and a foothold in an emerging industry.

It is about materially improving the lives of millions of Africans who continue to experience energy poverty.

By expanding access to affordable energy and creating jobs across the value chain, we give true meaning to a just energy transition.

That is why we need to move with speed from conceptualisation to implementation, from project idea to project pipeline, and from breaking ground to producing gigawatts.

Progress is not measured by presentations, announcements or the value of a pipeline.

It is measured by capital committed, equipment ordered, construction under way, production achieved and customers secured.

That is what makes this year’s Summit so significant.

As the Minister noted, ambition is now translating into committed capital.

Today we are proud to announce the first wave of Green Hydrogen Projects under our national green hydrogen programme.

The first wave consists of six projects that emerged from a rigorous assessment process.

The process has standardised how we assess bankability and strengthen investor confidence.

Leading this wave is the Phelan Green Group’s electro-Sustainable Aviation Fuel project in Saldanha Bay, which has reached final investment decision.

Phelan has committed $100 million in equity and secured an offtake.

Construction is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027 and we expect to see the export of the first electro-Sustainable Aviation Fuel in the first quarter of 2029.

This is an important milestone. As the World Economic Forum noted earlier this year, “the real bottleneck in scaling clean hydrogen is demand, not technology”.

Scaling therefore rests on securing long-term offtake agreements.

This project gives practical meaning to the challenge we made at last year’s Summit: an investment decision has been taken, equity committed, major equipment ordered and a defined route to construction established.

What follows is production and offtakers.

As a managed priority portfolio, the first wave concentrates project preparation, investment mobilisation and government coordination on credible projects with defined milestones.

The remaining projects in the first wave reflect the depth of the value chain.

The Coega Green Ammonia Project in the Eastern Cape has completed early preparatory work. Further commercial, technical and financing work is needed to reach a final investment decision.

The Saldanha Hydrogen Direct Reduced Iron Project on the West Coast is at pre-feasibility stage and will link green hydrogen to lower-emissions iron and steel production.

The Prieska Power Reserve in the Northern Cape is a green ammonia project for the domestic market currently at development stage.

The Green e-Fuels Producers Green Methanol Corridor targets European demand and is at pre-feasibility stage.

Finally, the Green Hydrogen Solutions Project is a smaller-scale project directed principally towards South African demand. It has completed front-end engineering design.

By designating these as priorities, Government and its partners now have a mechanism to help the remaining five projects reach final investment decision, construction and production.

A second wave of projects will follow, bringing further credible projects into the portfolio.

The founding premise of this Summit is that Africa is not merely a source of renewable energy, minerals or molecules.

Africa must participate across the value chain as owner, manufacturer, technology partner, producer and market.

The green hydrogen economy must support Africa’s industrialisation through areas such as fertiliser production, green iron and steel, sustainable fuels, equipment, engineering and related services.

The development of the green hydrogen economy will be aided by the African Continental Free Trade Area, which will open larger markets and enable seamless regional value chains.

The green hydrogen economy must harness African talent and capacity for innovation while expanding local procurement, manufacturing, employment and skills transfer.

And it must sustainably support continental energy transition and decarbonisation.

It must involve communities as stakeholders, not passive bystanders.

I therefore call on technology partners to establish manufacturing, training and research capacity in Africa.

Africa should not simply be seen as a market for imported equipment.

African nations must step up practical cooperation on standards, certification, infrastructure corridors and project preparation, including through the Africa Green Hydrogen Alliance.

While we continue to work with our BRICS and European partners to diversify financing, African development finance institutions must be at the forefront.

These institutions need to increase project-preparation funding and offer instruments suited to the risks of these first-of-a-kind projects.

We call on prospective buyers to convert non-binding interest into credible long-term offtake arrangements capable of supporting project finance.

The progress that we can now see must give us encouragement to do more.

Since last year’s Summit, we have moved from an undifferentiated pipeline to a managed priority portfolio.

This demonstrates that with partner support, public and private financing and proper planning, African nations can move from a concept on paper to projects in development.

In an increasingly contested world, the nations of the Global South are charting a new energy future on their own terms.

We are demonstrating that it is fully within our means to harness the green hydrogen economy for energy security, decarbonisation and sustainable development.

We are taking responsibility for the future of our economies and the progress of our people.

We are charting a new industrial future for our countries, our continent and indeed for the world.

I thank you.