Gqeberha, Eastern Cape Province:* The National Department of Human Settlements together with the Eastern Cape Dept. of Human Settlements will lead an *“All of Society Stakeholder Engagement”* under the theme: *“Looking Back, Taking Stock, Creating the Future”,* to collate inputs and data towards the National Report on how South Africa is implementing the New Urban Agenda tomorrow, Monday 30 June and 01 July 2025 at the Boardwalk Hotel. 

South Africa has been an active participant in the global urban governance processes being led by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and together with the Department of Cooperative Governance, other sector departments and representatives from all sectors of society, actively contributed to the development of the New Urban Agenda. 

A year after countries agreed on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, which is the blueprint for a better future, for people and the planet, by 2030. World leaders adopted the New Urban Agenda in Quito, Ecuador in 2016 to set a global standard for urban development that integrates all facets of sustainable development to promote equity, welfare, and prosperity. 

Following the adoption of the New Urban Agenda, the sector developed a Localization Framework, which sought to align the New Urban Agenda with the Integrated Urban Development Framework (IUDF) and was also a key contributor to the establishment of another important global framework – the Global Action Plan for Accelerating Transformation of Informal Settlements and Slums by 2030. 

The New Urban Agenda represents the human settlements sector’s contract toward the attainment of SDG Goal 11 - to make cities safe, inclusive, resilient and \ sustainable. The global convergence to advance the creation of sustainable human settlements reflects the importance of Urbanisation, in particular for Africa, where the urban transition process is moving faster than in any other region of the world. 

Thus, just like in 2022, the department will once again be submitting a National Report on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda on behalf of South Africa. This second report not only serves as an administrative deliverable in the analysis of South Africa’s New Urban Agenda performance, it also tracks progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and a process of engagement and reflection on how we are progressing as a country in making sure we leave no one behind. 

The consultation process started in the Sedibeng District Municipality of Gauteng Province last week on 26 and 27 June 2025 wherein the also visited some of Gauteng’s Mega Housing Projects that showcase the Provincial government response to rapid urbanisation and restoring the dignity of previously marginalised communities. 

From the Eastern Cape, other physical “all of society stakeholder engagements will take place as follows - Western Cape Province on 03-04 July, followed by KZN on 07-08, North-West on 10-11 July and the Virtual workshops for the Northern Cape and Free State on 14 July and Limpopo and Mpumalanga on 16 July 2025.

 *Details for Eastern Cape* *Date:* 30 June and 01 July 2025 *Venue:* 

Boardwalk Hotel 

*Time:* 08:00 am

 *Enquiries:* Acting Head of Communications – National Department of Human Settlements, Gwen Shole on 082 859 0509 | Gwen.Shole@dhs.gov.za or Yanga Funani, Head of Communications: Eastern Cape on 078 348 0099 | YangaF@ecdhs.gov.za 

*Issued by the Department of Human Settlements, Govan Mbeki House 240, Justice Mahomed Street, Sunnyside, Pretoria