Address by the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation Professor Blade Nzimande on the occasion of the 3rd G20 Research and Innovation Ministerial meeting at the CSIR convention Centre, Tshwane, 23 September 2025
Honourable Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Nomalungelo Gina;
Your Excellency, Former Prime Minister of Italy, Mr. Enrico Letta;
Your Excellencies Ministers and Deputy Ministers;
Director-General of the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr Mlungisi Cele;
Prof. Phil Diamond, Director-General of the SKAO;
Dr Phil Mjwara, former Director General of the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation and now South Africa’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO;
Representatives from governments;
Heads of the local and international research institutions:
Distinguished guests:
On behalf of the government and people of South Africa, I wish to extend a warm South African welcome to each of you. I am deeply honoured to deliver this opening address to this important occasion-the 3rd G20 Research and Innovation Ministerial Meeting.
This Ministerial meeting is a culmination of a number of G20 related activities that we have undertaken over the past few months, as South Africa’s Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, under the auspices of the Research and Innovation Working Group.
The strategic importance of our G20 Presidency
As you may be aware, this is the first time that an African country is assigned the role of G20 President and for the duration of our Presidency, we will be guided our country theme of “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability”.
Even though the role of G20 President is assigned to South Africa- we view our Presidency as an African Presidency. For this reason, we will also seek to strengthen our support for the African Union’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2034 (STISA-2034).
We will also use our G20 Presidency to support continental priorities such as Science, Technology and Innovation funding, health innovation, climate technologies, digital inclusion, and the development of a sovereign research agenda for Africa.
South Africa’s RIWG strategic focus areas
Inspired by our country’s theme, for our Research and Innovation Working Group, we have adopted the theme ‘Science, Technology and Innovation for Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability.”
Guided by this theme, we identified the following priorities for the Research and Innovation Working Group:
• Open Innovation for Sustainable Development
• Biodiversity information for sustainable development; and
• Diversity Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility in Science, Technology, and Innovation.
The way forward
This 3RD G20 Research and Innovation Ministerial Meeting will receive a presentation on the deliverables of the RWIG and host the signing of a Letter of Intent on the establishment of an STI Policy Portal.
It is also anticipated that the final outcome of this 3rd G20 Research and Innovation Ministerial Meeting will be the adoption of the Tshwane Declaration.
Call to action
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, the words ‘Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability’ are more than just a theme. They are a call to action, which in practice would mean the following:
1.Solidarity- For countries to willingly use their scientific knowledge and infrastructure to develop joint responses to global challenges such as climate change, pandemics and other health emergencies, armed conflict and using science, technology, and information as a tool to foster diplomacy;
2.Equality- For countries to make scientific knowledge and technologies easily accessible and ensuring that even people outside the scientific community have access to and benefit from the outcomes of research; and
3.Sustainability -For countries to jointly implement existing global protocols on the preservation of our planet and its resources. For our own survival and the benefit of future generations, we must leave the planet in a better condition than we found it.
Thank you for your attention.
