Cities are engines of change, says Joburg mayor at U20 Summit

By Thapelo Molefe

Cities are not only sites of global challenges but also “engines of economic opportunity and social care,” with the power to drive solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues, Joburg mayor Dada Morero said as he opened the Urban 20 (U20) Mayoral Summit on Friday.

The three-day summit, held in Sandton, north of Johannesburg, has brought together leading figures in local government from across the globe.

City leaders from 20 cities – including Ahmedabad, Freetown, Accra, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam – are in Johannesburg this weekend for the first Urban 20 summit ever held in the African continent.

The gathering unites mayors, policymakers, and urban innovators focused on building sustainable cities, advancing inclusive governance, tackling climate change, and driving digital transformation.

Morero told international delegates that cities can only succeed if they have the financial tools to match their ambitions.

“Hosting the U20 Mayors Summit in