The City of Cape Town, Western Cape Government,* the National Department of Human Settlements (NDHS) *“All of Society Stakeholder Engagement”* takes place today (3 July) and on Friday (4 July) at the Cape Town Civic Centre under the theme: *“Looking Back, Taking Stock, Creating the Future”.* The purpose of this event is to bring stakeholders together to collate inputs and data from the Western Cape for possible addition into the National Report on how South Africa is implementing the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) *New Urban Agenda.* 

South Africa has been an active participant in the global urban governance processes being led by UN-Habitat), and together with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), other sector departments and representatives from all sectors of society, has 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 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 South Africa’s 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 urbanisation transition process is moving faster than anywhere else. 

Just as had happened in 2022, the NDHS 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 order to make sure we leave no one behind. 

The consultation process started in the Sedibeng District Municipality in  Gauteng on 26 and 27 June 2025, followed by Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape on 30 June and 1 July 2025 where the workshop delegates visited some of the projects that showcase their response to rapid urbanisation and restoring the dignity of previously marginalised communities. 

Next week the all-society stakeholder engagements on the New Urban Agenda will take place in KwaZulu-Natal on 7 and 8 July 2025, followed by one in North-West on 10 and 11 July 2025. 

*Details for the Western Cape event* 

*Date:* 3 and 4 July 2025
*Venue:* Cape Town Civic Centre
*Time:* 08:00 am

*Enquiries:*
Dr Lwandiso Mpepho, Acting Director International Relations on 073 586 2574 | Lwandiso.Mpepho@dhs.gov.za. 

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