Deputy President Paul Mashatile and several Cabinet ministers arrived early this morning at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg to welcome G20 leaders attending the G20 Leaders’ Summit, which officially opened at 10am today and ends tomorrow.
Some G20 leaders arrived in South Africa during the week, while others touched down last night. Only a few delegations are expected to arrive this morning.
South Africa is the first African country to host the G20 Summit, having assumed the year-long G20 Presidency in December 2024. The country is hosting the global forum under the theme: “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability.”
Earlier this month, Cabinet expressed its full confidence in South Africa’s ability to host a successful G20 Leaders’ Summit.
Since taking over the reigns as the President of the G20, the country has convened 130 incident-free preparatory meetings, showcasing the diversity of its provinces and tourism destinations.
At the media centre housed at the Summit’s venue, it’s a hive of activity with journalists preparing themselves to cover the Summit from the centre while others are conducting interviews with ministers and senior government officials.
Outside the venue, police are directing arriving vehicles and conducting thorough inspections as part of heightened security measures.
Security around the Nasrec Expo Centre has been significantly tightened, with multiple road closures in the surrounding area.
Earlier this week, the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) reaffirmed the country’s readiness to ensure the safety of delegates and the public during the Summit.
NATJOINTS confirmed that while a soft lockdown is currently in place around the venue, a hard lockdown will be enforced from Friday, 21 November to Monday, 24 November 2025 in the vicinity of the FNB Stadium, which is housing the accreditation centre and the Nasrec Expo Conference centre, which is hosting dignitaries and delegates.
According to NATJOINTS, the hard lockdown means that only individuals with valid accreditation will be permitted in and around the precinct. All vehicles arriving at the venue and in the vicinity are undergoing stringent security checks before being allowed to enter the premises. – SAnews.gov.za
