Basic Education and Higher Education Ministries hosted a successful G20 Education Ministers' Meeting at the Skukuza Safari Lodge in the Mpumalanga Province on 22 October 2025. The meeting was a culmination of the discussions emanating from the Fourth G20 Education Working Group (EdWG) Senior Officials Meeting, organised and co-facilitated by Directors-General, Mr Mathanzima Mweli from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and Dr Inkosinathi Sishi, from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). The meeting took place from 20 to 21 October 2025, also at the Skukuza Safari Lodge.
As part of the G20 programme, both the DBE and DHET identified three key priority areas to guide the deliberations during South Africa's G20 Presidency. These included: Quality Foundational Learning; Mutual Recognition of Qualifications; and Education Professional Development for a Changing World. The three priority areas cut across the spectrum of basic and post-school education and training.
The G20 EdWG, consisting of basic and higher education senior officials, has been tasked with the responsibility for steering all education-based activities facilitated in accordance with South Africa's G20 Presidency received from Brazil on 1 December 2024. The G20 Presidency will be ending during November 2025. The G20 Education Ministers' Meeting held this week, was the last engagement under South Africa's G20 Presidency.
The G20 EdWG senior officials and Education Ministers applauded South Africa's firm focus on the three identified priorities throughout the deliberations within the education context. G20 Education Ministers could not agree more that to keep the global education systems responsive to social and environmental issues, strengthening of foundational learning is a solution to bottlenecks detected in the school environment. The G20 Education Ministers congratulated South Africa for its excellent approach in facilitating the G20 education activities. During the official closure of the engagements linked to the G20 EdWG and Education Ministers, various delegates indicated that best practice shared during South Africa's G20 Presidency, will inform decision making processes relating to education reform amongst G20 members in the near future. The G20 Education Ministers further highlighted that it will be critical that the G20 members continue to share best practice to transform global education systems for the better.
Minister of Basic Education, Ms Siviwe Gwarube and Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mr Buti Manamela, jointly thanked the G20 Education Ministers for having shown unwavering support since South Africa assumed its G20 Presidency: “The official closure of our deliberations as part of South Africa's G20 Presidency is not the end of our collaboration, but rather the start of a new chapter in our collaboration and the exchange of views and best practice”.