CAPE TOWN – South Africa’s commitment to tackling global inequality takes centre stage next week as President Cyril Ramaphosa prepares to deliver the keynote address at the 7th Social Justice Summit in the Mother City.
The high-profile event, scheduled for Friday 17 October at 10:15 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, will see him address an influential gathering of policymakers, civil society leaders, academics and judiciary members under the compelling theme “Social Justice, Food Security and Peace: Pathways to Equality, Solidarity, Sustainability and Climate Resilience”.
Stellenbosch University‘s Centre for Social Justice, in partnership with the United Nations, Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Department of International Relations and Cooperation, has assembled an impressive line-up of speakers, including Western Cape Premier Alan Winde and UN Representative Nelson Muffuh.
SU Rector Prof Deresh Ramjugernath emphasises the summit’s strategic timing: “As South Africa leads the G20 this summit provides a unique platform to strengthen solidarity and shape policies that advance food security, peace and justice.”
The event gains particular significance as it addresses the interconnected challenges of hunger, inequality and climate change, issues at the heart of South Africa’s G20 Presidency that began in December 2024.
Prof Thuli Madonsela, Director of the Centre for Social Justice, describes the President’s participation as “a catalytic moment for social justice in South Africa and beyond,” highlighting how the summit will inspire “urgent, united action to secure a more sustainable and just future for all.”
Council chair Dr Nicky Newton-King underscores universities’ critical role in developing solutions to food security challenges, noting that “collaboration” will be key to achieving socially just outcomes.
Now in its seventh year, the Social Justice Summit has established food justice as a transformative driver of social cohesion and regional security, aligning with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger. The summit follows the 6th International Social Justice Conference (Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 October), which brings together leading academics and practitioners to explore research-based solutions under the theme “Social Justice, Food Security and Peace in a Turbulent World”.
Tickets for the 7th Social Justice Summit and the 6th International Social Justice Conference can be booked at Quicket: Summit & Conference.
