By Lesedi Sibiya-Diplomatic Insider 

Preparations for the G20 Leaders Summit are steadily underway with the Summit expected to officially kick off from 22-23 November 2025 at the Johannesburg Expo Centre in Nasrec, Johannesburg.

The preparations started from April 2025 with the Sherpa Meeting as well as the Central Bank Governors and Finance Deputies meeting which was held in Sandton from 09-12 December 2024. These events were followed by the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting which was held in Nasrec on 20-21 February 2025 in Cape Town. 

Sector groups have each had their own specialised ministerial meetings over the course of the year which include Tourism, Trade, Education, Women, Employment and the second meeting of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors took place in Washington DC on 23-24 April 2025 alongside the IMF meeting. 

The G20 Inter-Ministerial Committee had approved a string of events that will be undertaken by the relevant departments in all provinces in order to raise the awareness of South Africa’s G20 Presidency which was led by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS).

 The G20 Social Summit will be set to take place from 18-20 November 2025 with the South African government intending to enhance the G20 as “a site of democratic global engagement”. 

 Media accreditation launched from 01 September 2025 as official media applying for accreditation under the same portal as delegates with accreditation applications closing at 07 October 2025 as no late applications will be accepted.

 Media can collect accreditation in person at the IDC 19 Fredman Drive, Sandton, Johannesburg as collection will begin from 14 November. Emails for accreditation were sent on 15 October 2025.