G20
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has reassured residents that water and electricity services will remain uninterrupted when Johannesburg hosts the G20 Summit on 22–23 November 2025. He said bulk water supply is secured and key electrification works are complete, with battery backups and emergency lighting in place across critical venues.
Ahead of the G20 leaders’ summit in late November, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi outlined a comprehensive service delivery plan intended to ensure seamless operations of water and electricity systems. At a media briefing yesterday, Lesufi said the province had orchestrated a multi-agency response to ongoing infrastructure pressures in the city.
Despite persistent service-delivery challenges in the City of Johannesburg, including outages, potholes, uncollected refuse and failing streetlights, Lesufi reported that substantial upgrades have been executed with the summit in mind. Johannesburg Water has secured confirmation from bulk supplier Rand Water of an uninterrupted supply throughout the summit period. Dedicated maintenance teams, standby tankers and 24-hour monitoring will be operational.
On power supply, Lesufi said the primary electrification of summit venues and key corridors is complete. Emergency generators, high-mast solar lighting and battery backups have been installed at crucial sites including airports, hotels and the ICC campus. The plan, developed in conjunction with the Departments of Infrastructure Development and Cooperative Governance, also incorporates beautification and safety enhancements across the metropolitan landscape.
A central command centre has been activated under the provincial Disaster Management Centre, integrating emergency services, metro police and utility providers for real-time coordination. Acting Police Commissioner Major General Fred Kekana emphasised that law-enforcement will “leave no stone unturned” in ensuring the safety of residents and international guests alike.
Critics, however, remain cautious. They argue the improvements stem from summit-related urgency rather than long-term municipal reform, warning that the underlying structural issues remain unaddressed. Nonetheless, the provincial government says the effort signals a new benchmark in readiness for major global events.
