Urban 20 Africa mayors gather in Tshwane to help shape G20 agenda

TimesLIVE

12-06-2025

African mayors are gathered at the Urban 20 meeting in Tshwane to discuss how their cities can take centre stage in shaping the narrative at the Sherpa meeting.
The Urban 20 (U20) was launched in 2017 to bring together mayors from major G20 cities to inform the discussions of national leaders at the G20.
Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya, who is hosting the first leg of the U20 cycle alongside Johannesburg, said it was opportune that the two cities were collaborating to advance their shared goals.
According to the mayor of the capital, this was a signal that Africa was no longer waiting for a place in the global conversation, but was claiming its position with 'clarity, purpose and urgency'.
'This urban transition brings with it great potential. Our cities are becoming centres of innovation, climate action and economic activity. They are where the future of Africa is being shaped. But this future is not guaranteed. Urban 20 gives us a vital megaphone within the G20. It is our opportunity to inject African priorities into global policy, and to ensure that local voices shape global decisions,' said Moya.
She presented the assembly's four themes, calling each one a lever for transformation.
'Inclusive economic growth is the first theme, highlighting the African continental free trade agreement as a 'vision for a collaborative future.' It is one of shared markets, cross-border industries, and cities connected by commerce, not conflict. But visions must rest on strong foundations.
'Are our cities ready to support this vision? Do we have the roads, the regulations, the ports, and the digital rails to make trade flow? We know that we are still far from achieving truly inclusive economic growth. But we also know that cities must be at the centre of this effort — because without inclusive cities, there can be no inclusive continent.'
Moya said financing the urban future is the second pillar, calling a vision without funding an illusion.
'Too many African cities are shut out of global capital markets. We face barriers of creditworthiness, limited financial access and outdated legal frameworks that make investment difficult. If we are serious about building smart, green and resilient cities, we must rethink how we finance them. That means developing innovative funding instruments, creating tailored public-private partnerships, reforming our legal environments, and forging stronger alliances with those who believe in the potential of African cities,' she said.
Third, Moya said, social inclusion and equity was paramount, adding that a city that grows without justice becomes a 'city of walls'.
'As mayor of the capital city in one of the most unequal countries in the world, I see the deep divide between the haves and the have-nots every day. Access to opportunity is not equal. Talent does not always meet support. Hard work does not always lead to progress.
'We cannot build thriving cities while leaving behind the homeless, the informal traders, or the youth with potential but no clear path forward. Cities must be built for dignity. That requires inclusive planning, targeted investment and policies that close the gap, not widen it.'
The mayor urged African cities to work smarter, highlighting innovation as playing a key role in solving service delivery challenges.
'Technology will not solve everything, but it can help us deliver more with less. From digital permitting and e-governance to smart water meters and AI-enabled waste systems, innovation offers us practical tools to improve services and reach more people — faster and more efficiently.
'For a continent with the youngest population in the world, we cannot afford to be left behind as the rest of the world advances. Innovation must not be a luxury. It must be a tool for inclusion, equity, and delivery.'
Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero described the co-chairship as symbolic, marking a practical demonstration of the power of intercity collaboration.
He said it must be unity of purpose that defines the metropolitan agenda, as well as the leadership role African cities are called upon to play in the global discourse in urban transformation that must take centre stage.
'When we assumed the U20 chairship from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro last November, we made a decision to bring the voices of African cities into the centre of G20 deliberations — not as peripheral observers, but as strategic contributors to the global future.
'Let us be unapologetic in asserting that cities are not junior partners in development. We are the engines of innovation, the custodians of resilience, and the closest point of contact between government and the people.'
Johannesburg is expected to host its leg of the event, the U20 mayoral summit, in September. It is at this meeting that they are scheduled to finalise their communique and hand it over to the national leadership to ensure that urban priorities are integrated into the G20.