South Africa has embarked on an ambitious journey to confront its most pressing national challenges, as President Cyril Ramaphosa officially launched a sweeping National Dialogue in Pretoria on August 15, 2025. The two-day convention at the University of South Africa (UNISA), themed “uniting voices, shaping the nation,” marks the beginning of a months-long, people-driven process intended to craft a shared vision for the country’s future—a vision that organizers hope will inspire and unite a nation still wrestling with the legacy of apartheid, deep inequality, and mounting political tension.
Ramaphosa, addressing a convention of more than 1,000 delegates drawn from across 30 sectors of society, set the tone for the dialogue. “We all agree that there are many things that are broken in our country,” he said, as reported by the Associated Press. “By getting together, talking to each other, we should be able to find solutions on how we can put many of the things that are broken in our country together.” His message was clear: the process must be “a place where everyone has a voice,” and “a people-led, society-wide process to reflect on the state of our country in order for us to reimagine our future.”
The stakes are undeniably high. More than three decades after the end of apartheid, South Africa remains gripped by severe inequality, rampant crime, persistent corruption, and staggering unemployment—now topping 33%, among the highest rates globally, according to organizers and the BBC. Land reform remains a particularly thorny issue, with most farmland still in the hands of the white minority. For many, the National Dialogue is an overdue reckoning and a chance to forge a new national consensus.
Yet the launch of the dialogue has been anything but universally embraced. The Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s second-largest party and a key member of the year-old coalition government, has refused to participate, labeling the process “meaningless” and an “obscene waste” of public funds. Their withdrawal followed a dispute over the dismissal of one of their deputy ministers, Andrew Whitfield, and a broader sense of skepticism about the dialogue’s purpose and execution. The DA’s stance was echoed by the MK Party, now the official opposition, which has also declined to join the process.
Compounding the controversy, several major foundations—including those linked to former president Thabo Mbeki—opted to skip the opening event, citing rushed preparations and concerns over government overreach. Mbeki, who also serves as UNISA’s chancellor, stood by the decision of the so-called legacy foundations to withdraw, criticizing what they described as the government’s “heavy-handedness” in organizing the event. In a letter addressed to the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac), Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, chairperson of the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, made their position clear: they would not participate under the current circumstances.
President Ramaphosa, in his keynote address, took a subtle jab at those absent, cautioning that they might regret not being part of the process. “We must aim to emerge from this process with a shared national vision: one that is bold enough to inspire, yet practical enough to implement,” he urged, according to Reuters. Despite the absences, the convention pressed on, splitting into nine thematic working groups that tackled everything from building a dynamic, inclusive economy to addressing gender-based violence, intergenerational trauma, land and environmental justice, and poverty and inequality.
The dialogue’s structure is designed to be as inclusive as possible—at least on paper. Over the next six to nine months, public discussions will unfold across all nine provinces, both in person and online, with the aim of capturing the voices of ordinary South Africans. An Eminent Persons Group, featuring prominent figures such as rugby captain Siya Kolisi, veteran actor John Kani, and former Constitutional Court judge Edwin Cameron, will oversee the process and help guide its direction.
But on the ground, the atmosphere at the UNISA convention was anything but a grassroots gathering. As News24 observed, the event was tightly controlled, with security, accreditation cards, and a parade of VIPs and blue-light vehicles giving it the air of an ANC gathering rather than an open community forum. Many ordinary citizens found themselves blocked from entering, leading some to question whether the process was truly as inclusive as promised. One delegate, representing Rastafarians, voiced frustration from the floor: “You don’t come to talk down to us here!”
Concerns about the dialogue’s transparency and cost have also dogged the process from the outset. The estimated $40 million price tag has sparked criticism, with some, like the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), warning of a lack of transparency in the budgeting process and the risk that “tenderpreneurs and other unscrupulous, politically connected individuals are all waiting to get their hands on a slice of the pie.” The ACDP has said its continued involvement will depend on whether these concerns are addressed, echoing calls from other groups for a more bottom-up, genuinely participatory approach.
Political analyst Dirk Kotze of the University of Pretoria offered a pragmatic perspective, telling the Associated Press, “If you want to have a real nationwide process, then it is going to cost a lot of money. It’s not something that can be avoided.” Still, Kotze cautioned that the ANC, which lost its parliamentary majority in the 2024 elections and is now in a coalition government, must not attempt to steer the process for its own benefit. “I think the message that comes through specifically for the ANC is that they should stand a little bit back and not try to control the process.”
Despite the turbulence, the first National Convention did see active participation from a wide array of organizations, including Miss South Africa Mia le Roux, who attended a plenary session. The event’s nine breakout themes reflected the country’s most urgent priorities: economic renewal, crime and corruption, education and health, fixing the state, strengthening social fabric, gender-based violence and femicide, trauma and healing, land and environmental justice, and the ongoing struggle against poverty and inequality.
For now, the National Dialogue remains at a crossroads. Its success will depend not only on the breadth of participation but also on the willingness of political leaders, civil society, and ordinary citizens to engage honestly—and on the government’s ability to foster a process that is truly open and responsive. As one organizer, Mazibuko Jara, reminded attendees, this is only the kickoff: “There will be a nine month long process.” For South Africa, the coming months will test whether dialogue can bridge divides and chart a path toward a more just and unified nation.
