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To: G20 leaders
Reimagining Economic Futures Through Care, Equality and Sustainability
Thirty years into democracy, South Africa stands at a crossroads. Entrenched poverty, unemployment, gendered inequality, ecological collapse, and failing public services have deepened the country’s crisis of economic legitimacy. Trust in institutions is fraying, and fiscal narratives remain dominated by austerity, growth fundamentalism, and technocratic silos, ignoring the lived realities of millions of South Africans.
In response, Economy is Care is a five-part public dialogue series that reclaims the economy as a public good—not a market logic. Convened by the New Economy Hub and Oxfam South Africa, this series positions care—for people, communities, and the planet—as the starting point of sound economic policy. In an intentionally curated creative space, we invite five hosts to invite a panel of people to explore, challenge, subvert and re/construct a new way of understanding of the themes to equip people to challenge stale orthodoxies.
Specifically, the Economy is Care Dialogue Series has five objectives:
In response, Economy is Care is a five-part public dialogue series that reclaims the economy as a public good—not a market logic. Convened by the New Economy Hub and Oxfam South Africa, this series positions care—for people, communities, and the planet—as the starting point of sound economic policy. In an intentionally curated creative space, we invite five hosts to invite a panel of people to explore, challenge, subvert and re/construct a new way of understanding of the themes to equip people to challenge stale orthodoxies.
Specifically, the Economy is Care Dialogue Series has five objectives:
1. Interrogate dominant economic narratives and their gendered, racialised, and ecological blind spots.
2. Catalyse inclusive dialogue and democratise economic thinking by engaging communities, researchers, policymakers, and youth.
3. Surface alternative macroeconomic tools rooted in care, redistribution, and ecological restoration.
4. Create alternative content for South Africa’s National Dialogue process.
5. Build public understanding, narrative framing and ownership over key economic institutions and choices.
Why is this important?
Globally, actors and activists are using processes including the G20 and Financing for Development Four to call for renewed attention to sustainability, climate resilience, debt architecture, and inclusive growth. Simultaneously, South Africa’s National Dialogue is creating space for a national reckoning to address the lack of public trust in government and the nation due amongst other things to the rise in inequality, exclusion, corruption, lack of accountability for wrongdoing and worrying instances of democratic backsliding.
The dialogues connect national and global debates, feminist and ecological economics, and through conversation we hope will construct alternatives for a just, inclusive, and sustainable future. In this space, we would like to see the co-creation of new economic imaginaries that can address South Africa's intersecting crises with the urgency and creativity they demand.
The dialogues connect national and global debates, feminist and ecological economics, and through conversation we hope will construct alternatives for a just, inclusive, and sustainable future. In this space, we would like to see the co-creation of new economic imaginaries that can address South Africa's intersecting crises with the urgency and creativity they demand.
Join us as we unpack the historical construction of South Africa’s economy, explore feminist, ecological, and justice-based alternatives for assessing national well-being, unpack the real cost of austerity budgeting on the economy and human rights, and explore progressive tax reforms to fund a care-centred, just transition.
The dialogue series will take place between August and October 2025.