Political events and meetings such the G20 Summit will attract a massive influx of visitors to South Africa in 2025.

South Africa takes over the G20 presidency next month, which brings with it a large number of events and meetings throughout the year. The main event, the G20 Leaders’ Summit, will be in Johannesburg in November next year. It will be the first time that the G20 Summit is held in Africa.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation said, in response to a parliamentary question in September, that the proposed budget for all its events (including meetings of the G20 Sherpa Track and foreign ministers and the Leader’s Summit, amounted to approximately R497 million (€26.4 million).

Of this, R194 million (€10.3 million) has been set aside for the Leaders’ Summit with R103 million (€5.4 million) budgeted for venues, facilities, interpreters and catering, R32 million (€1.7 million) for accommodation and R24 million (€1.2 million) for ground transport. At the time, the budget was not yet approved by Treasury.

The Western Cape will host the G20 Finance Track over the course of next year. Speaking at the Western Cape’s Summer Readiness Dialogue this week, Deputy Director General for the province’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism, Rashid Toefy, said he has been designated as the provincial lead managing events in Cape Town, George and at various wine farms.

These kick off with a massive event in February for all the Reserve Bank Governors and Finance Ministers of G20 countries along with other invitees.

“At the same time as we have our busiest season in the city, we’ll have this influx of visitors,” Toefy said. Other events are scheduled for April and June/July.

The event will be hosted by the South African Reserve Bank and National Treasury with the Western Cape providing support services such as logistics, transport, security and healthcare.

Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism Dr Ivan Meyer said the G20 is “one of the biggest events we’ve ever had politically”.

India, which hosted an “unprecedented” G20 in 2023, welcomed over 100 000 in-person participants from 135 countries at 200 meetings and engagements throughout the year.

Meyer said the Western Cape is also hosting another political event – the Regional Leaders Summit, which will bring together leaders from the Western Cape, Quebec in Canada, Bavaria in Germany, Georgia in the USA, Brazil’s São Paulo, China’s Shandong province and Europe’s Upper Austria.

A global investment conference is also being planned for the province, he added.