Children’s voices will take center stage at the G20 Summit, to be hosted in South Africa later this year. This was heard at the Africa Children’s Summit is currently underway in Johannesburg.

The event has brought together over 300 children from all over Africa to share and discuss challenges compromising child well-being on the continent. The challenges include violence against children, poor education, hunger and poverty.

Rights of the Child Director at the Department of Social Development, David Chabalala says it is important that children be heard at the G20.

“We have got what we call the national plan of action for children. We are going to take all these outcomes and declarations into the plan. Interestingly so, South Africa is hosting the G20 Presidency and summit at the end of this year. We want to influence the continent and the globe. We are going to make sure that all that these children are going to agree on will be tabled in the G20 gathering,” Chabalala says.

#ACS2025ZA | The Africa Children Summit: Seen, Heard and Engaged 🌍

The summit empowers children by creating a space where they feel seen, heard, and actively engaged with their peers and community.#ChildProtection365 #GovZAUpdates pic.twitter.com/oL6MBSf7YJ

— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) April 6, 2025

📍Masibambane students perform a musical item at the the kick-off of the #ACS2025ZA at #Parktown #Johannesburg

Follow this link for proceedings of the day 👉🏽https://t.co/yEZLo9rCa9…#AfricaChildrensSummit2025 #SeenHeardAndEngaged #ChildProtection365 #AWorkingNation#GGT pic.twitter.com/nTp6cEP5TS

— Social DevelopmentGP (@gpgSocDev) April 5, 2025

Minister of Social Development Ms Nokuzola Tolashe briefing the Media on the purpose of the Africa Children’s Summit saying that it was not a very difficult thing to influence other countries as the Children raise their voices and they were heard by their counterparts pic.twitter.com/YnNMBzJvG5

— GCIS Media Liaison (@GCISMedia) April 5, 2025