THIS WEEK
18: G20 Leaders’ Summit under the theme “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet”. President Cyril Ramphosa will deliver South Africa’s statements at the respective plenary sessions on the fight against hunger and poverty and later on the reform of the institutions of global governance. South Africa will be officially handed the G20 Presidency this week and will continue to consolidate initiatives of its global south predecessors from 1 December 2024 under the rallying call of Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability. The G20 is made up of 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Russia, Türkiye, UK and US) and two bodies: the African Union and the European Union (Rio).
19: The Edelstam Prize award ceremony. A journalist detained in an Eritrean prison without trial for 23 years has won the Swedish human rights prize for his commitment to freedom of expression. Dawit Isaak, who holds dual Eritrean-Swedish citizenship, was awarded the Edelstam Prize ‘for his... exceptional courage’, the foundation behind the award said in a statement. Dawit was one of the founders of Setit, the nation’s first independent newspaper. He was detained in 2001 after his paper published letters demanding democratic reforms. Dawit's daughter, Bethlehem Isaak, will accept the prize on his behalf (Stokholm).
19: Connected Banking Summit – Innovation & Excellence Awards – West Africa. This premier event explores the future of banking, bringing together esteemed global executives, industry experts, and visionary leaders to shape the next chapter of financial services (Accra).
20: UN Africa Industrialisation Day
21: Africa Tech Forum. An annual gathering for startups, regulators, investors, enthusiasts, disruptors across various layers of the tech ecosystem. Thought-provoking keynote sessions, led by industry leaders will dive deep into the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of Africa’s tech ecosystem. The event equally features large exhibitions, providing multiple tech companies with an opportunity to showcase their latest innovations and engage directly with key players in the market and explore potential partnerships (Kigali).
20-22: World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference. The conference, themed ‘Innovation Empowers the Future, Skills Enlighten New Life,’ will convene over 1 000 global leaders, educators, and industry experts to discuss key topics such as industry-education integration, sustainable development, skills development, teacher training, lifelong learning, and quality assurance in vocational education.(Tianjin).
21: Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka, the current Public Protector of South Africa, will address the Press Club on the current state of the Public Protector's office, the progress it has made over the past 12 months and the status of key investigations (Cape Town).
22: South African farmer Zachariah Olivier, accused of killing two women and throwing their bodies into a pigsty, is expected to apply for bail. He appeared briefly in the Mankweng Magistrate's Court in Limpopo earlier this month. He is charged with two counts of murder, attempted murder, defeating the ends of justice and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition (Polokwane).
23: Libya’s state National Oil Corporation will be holding its first forum with private sector companies entitled the ‘’Strategic Partnership Forum For Oil and Gas’. The organisers say the forum will be focused on empowering Libyan private sector companies working in the field of oil and gas to be a key partner in the development of the Libyan oil and gas sector. The forum will also be a platform for private companies to present innovative solutions, enhance efficiency, and contribute to the development of integrated and sustainable infrastructure. It also seeks to build a network of relationships and partnerships that support long-term co-operation between the NOC and local companies (Tunis).
OTHER:
* The ‘She Leads’ project to support entrepreneurship for women in the cities of Tripoli and Sabha were launched in Tripoli last week. The launch took place in the presence of the Minister of Labour & Rehabilitation, Ali Al-Abed Al-Reda, the director-general of the project, Sami Al-Alous, the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Libya, representatives of diplomatic missions from Turkey, Malta, France, Germany, and the EU delegation to Libya. The project, funded by the Dutch Government and implemented by French NGO Supernova in co-operation with the National Rehabilitation and Reintegration Project and several other entities, aims to train more than 80 women in entrepreneurship to facilitate their entry into the labour market.
* South Africa’s Department of Sport, Arts & Culture invites applications for bursaries from tertiary students from institutions accredited and registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training who wish to pursue studies in heritage related programmes. Closing date for applications: 31 January 2025.
* The Government of Chad said hundreds of Boko Haram fighters are fleeing the central African state's territory and crossing over into Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria. The fighters fled after clashes with Chadian forces last weekend that killed more than 100 Boko Haram fighters as well as close to 20 Chadian soldiers.
* The Border Management Authority (BMA) has reiterated its call for South Africans wishing to travel to Mozambique for holiday, not to do so. The authority said although its operations at the Lebombo border post had resumed, tensions remain in Mozambique.
* UK-Based Assura is set to list on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) this week. Assura is a diversified healthcare REIT. It manages over 600 healthcare buildings and services over six million patients annually. The group’s portfolio is valued at £3.2bn The group has been listed on the London Stock Exchange since 2003. The group’s latest financial results were also strong, with the company’s portfolio of 625 properties seeing an annualised rent roll of £179.1m.
* A women’s development and empowerment organisation is calling on African women, including Namibians, to submit their artwork for the African Women in Art Awards. The visual art competition that celebrates the immense creativity of women artists from Sub-Saharan Africa. This project is part of the Kalingalinga Girls NGO. In the latest call for submissions on 1 November, Dubeykovska said the awards would offer African women international exposure, as their work would be showcased in galleries across Africa, Europe, and beyond. Shortlisted candidates will be announced on 1 December, and winners will be revealed on 1 February 2025.