Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi says the preparations the provincial government and municipalities have taken ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, will serve as a springboard to accelerate service delivery.

The Premier was briefing the media on the state of readiness for the global gathering to be held in Johannesburg later this month.

“The service delivery improvements implemented, from repaired roads and functional streetlights to enhanced public spaces and advanced security technology, are not for the summit alone.

“They are permanent enhancements designed for the enduring benefit of all who live in, work in, and visit our beautiful province,” he stated.

Lesufi brushed off concerns of window dressing for the thousands of visitors expected to descend on the province for the summit and praised the collaborative efforts by all stakeholders to ensure that the province is ready to host the Leaders’ Summit.

“A dedicated team, including the MECs, Mayors, MMCS and CEOs of our agencies, representatives of the taxi industry and labour, have met weekly to set targets and conducted weekly progress tracking and on-site inspections. This multi-level government approach has been the cornerstone of our success, ensuring that every municipality is aligned and actively contributing to our shared goal.

“The spirit of cooperation between the province and our municipalities has been exceptional, and this partnership has moved beyond planning into decisive action, delivering tangible improvements across the province. We intend to keep this mode of collaboration and adopt it as a blueprint we will use indefinitely to build a better province for everyone,” he said.

The Premier further noted that the summit and its build-up must be “meaningful and accessible to ordinary citizens”.

“We have actively engaged with civil society, business, youth, and people with disabilities through extensive outreach programmes. This includes G20 awareness campaigns in townships and ensuring diverse South African voices contribute to the global dialogue. For public visibility, the Gauteng Provincial Government has rolled out branding and advertising across the city.

“The summit is expected to yield significant benefits for Gauteng, including increased investment, job creation, and a major boost to our tourism and hospitality sectors. It also provides a global platform to share our growth strategy, Growing Gauteng Together 2030, as we position our province as a destination of choice for investors,” he said.

Influx of visitors

Lesufi highlighted that the summit will also be a boon for the province’s tourism sector.

“The summit is expected to place our province in the global spotlight and support our broader goal of expanding and promoting the business tourism sector in Gauteng.

“The G20 Leaders’ Summit will bring a large influx of visitors, including heads of state, delegates, and media, creating a surge in demand for hotels, transportation, and local businesses, particularly in the hospitality and retail sectors,” he said.

He invited the visitors to enjoy the offerings the province boasts.

“With thousands of star-graded accommodation options to fit every budget, including many prestigious international hotel brands, Gauteng ensures comfort and quality for all visitors.

“As part of Visit GAUTENG – Zwakala, we have curated special tourism promotion itineraries that have been loaded on the G20 official site,” Lesufi said.

Resolving challenges

In March this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa conducted a Working Visit to Johannesburg and expressed concerns about service delivery and other challenges particularly with the summit to be held in that city.

“[President Ramaphosa] voiced deep concerns over the province’s deteriorating infrastructure, citing persistent issues like water shortages, potholes, burst pipes, non-functional traffic lights, power cuts, uncollected waste, and sewer spills, which he deemed unacceptable ahead of the global event.

“Today, we are proud to report back to the President that we have resolved all these matters. Today, we are proud to report to all South Africans that we are ready to host this event without all those issues that the President raised.

“We are proud that all municipalities look clean. We are proud that all major centres are now ready to welcome tourists and visitors in our province. We are also proud that all the investment made in infrastructure, repairing streetlights and traffic lights, ensuring that the guardrails are there is not only made for the G20, but it will benefit our people beyond the G20,” he asserted.

Originally posted on SAnews.gov.za