We are gathered here today not for an ordinary briefing, but for a decisive moment in the history of Johannesburg, Tshwane, and indeed South Africa. This Pre-Briefing Session of the Urban 20 is more than a formality—it is the opening note in a global conversation. It is the space where we, as cities, prepare to take our rightful place at the centre of the world’s most powerful forum, the G20.

Why is this moment significant?

Because in 2025, South Africa holds the Presidency of the G20. For the first time in our democratic era, our nation will guide the world’s premier platform for global economic and political cooperation. And within that larger frame, the U20—our platform as cities—gives Johannesburg and Tshwane a historic opportunity: to remind the world that cities are not the margins of global governance. Cities are the beating heart of global governance.