Economics Student Reflections from the 2025 We the 99% People’s Summit – Global Decision-makers Must
- Rahul Gandhi
Acknowledgements: Thanks to the students who shared their reflections on the summit: Luthando Mbana, Bongeka Mkhize, Catherine Kerigo Wachira, Liza Mfana, Zanele Bhebhe, Lindiwe Khumalo, Thobani Nhlabathi, Dudu Bunye Tshikudu and Katlego Lehari.
The We the 99% People’s Summit for Global Economic Justice was held at Constitution Hill from 20-22 November 2025. This occurred parallel to the formal hosting of the G20 processes in Johannesburg – a space of global economic decision-making which is often criticised for marginalising the experiences of the public and civil society. The summit emerged as a space to consider what decision-making could look like if it began with the experiences of people. The Southern Centre for Inequality Studies, supported by the IDRC, partnered with the Institute for Economic Justice to support several economics students from across South Africa to attend the People’s Summit. These students have provided their reflections on the summit. For Luthando Mbana, the summit was “a prophetic voice… emphasising that Africa’s resources must serve its people, its environment, and its developmental sovereignty.” Liza Mfana wrote of how the summit thus highlighted the importance of “people-centred, equitable solutions.” Lindiwe Khumalo identified this inclusive approach as “the heart of [sustainability]” through engagement with the youth and indigenous peoples.
The students highlighted several specific issues discussed at the summit. Mfana said that the summit identified “Africa’s opportunity to lead on green minerals and sustainable industrialisation, if policies ensure environmental responsibility and shared benefits.” In a similar vein, Khumalo reflected on the “conversations … to create policies that affect the gig economy … however, there is no concern for labour equity, equality, [or] rights within the informal, or gig economies.” As such, the summit contended with issues of inclusive and sustainable development.
As Mfana highlighted, considering care is of importance so that “economic development and climate action protect vulnerable communities” and are inclusive. This was heightened by “speakers from Asia and Africa [sharing] stories about… environmental disasters that have displaced families and destroyed livelihoods.” Bunye Tshikhudo reflected on how these conditions, and “extractive industries: mining, deforestation, and large development projects [taking] over land that communities depend on” increases their vulnerability. Tshikhudu emphasised that these narratives highlight that sustainable development “isn’t just about the environment, it’s actually about people’s lives” and “caring for people and … the planet go hand in hand.”
Considering people in sustainable development means contending with challenges to equitable access to healthcare. Mfana pointed to the resonating “urgency of achieving health equity through universal access to essential medicines and fairer global systems … as someone who [grew] up with limited access to quality healthcare.” Khumalo highlights this urgency in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic when “prices for vaccines were manipulated for African countries to pay higher prices [despite] African countries … already facing one of the highest levels of debt.” Catherine Wachira said that this inequality was the result of “treating health as a commodity rather than a right” or when medication becomes “intellectual property designed to generate profit.” Wachira furthermore pointed to how this is more pronounced in South Africa’s two-tier healthcare system where “the majority depend on chronically under-resourced public clinics.” Wachira put this poignantly; in South Africa, as in many other countries, “where someone lives, their employment status, and income level still determine health outcomes far more than the severity of their medical conditions.”
In the context of these issues, the summit however did reflect upon solutions. Bongeka Mkhize proposed focusing on medical supply chains, smart financing of healthcare services, and regulations to enable “access to health care services a baseline and not a privilege.” Wachira elaborated upon a robust set of solutions:
Governments need to make fuller use of compulsory licensing provisions that allow overriding patents to produce affordable generic medications reducing the concentrated control held by pharmaceutical companies. Building domestic and regional pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity could reduce dependence on multinational corporations and ensure medications reflect local health priorities rather than global profit calculations. More fundamentally, separating research funding from product pricing through public investment could maintain innovation while eliminating monopoly pricing. Universal healthcare systems funded through progressive taxation would ensure access based on need rather than wealth, though this demands strong state capacity and political commitment. Importantly, medication access alone isn't enough and needs simultaneous interventions addressing housing, nutrition, clean water, and education proves essential since these social determinants fundamentally shape health outcomes.
Beyond healthcare, other solutions were also reflected upon. Zanele Bhebhe proposed “cancelling unjust debts and implementing wealth taxes to address inequality …, holding rich polluters accountable for climate finance and just transitions …, [and] valuing care work and ensuring reproductive justice.” Tshikhudu further reflected upon how the inclusion of experiences from people from Africa and Asia highlighted that “different places face similar problems but find their own ways to deal with them.” Not only was this inspiring, but it highlighted the importance of inclusive decision-making – a theme permeating the summit. Thobani Nhlabathi spoke of how the summit created a feeling of deep connection “to broader struggles for justice, equity and dignity, not only as a student of economics but as a young African leader.” An important moment exemplifying this at the conference was a “15-minute moment of silence dedicated to victims of gender-based violence in South Africa”, which served as both “a symbolic act [and] a collective promise to stand against violence and injustice.” The summit was thus both a symbolic act confronting the exclusivity of the G20 conference , as well as a collective promise to promote sustainable development and inclusive decision-making. This position was exemplified by Tshikhudu’s final message to our leaders:
Please remember that your decisions affect millions of lives, not just statistics. Millions of people depend on the choices you make. Step up, be fair, and make policies that work for everyone, not just the 1%. History is watching, and so are we.
Looking to future G20 summits, these insights provide an important message for decision-makers to consider: how do their actions shape issues of healthcare, technology, climate change, and care, and is their decision-making truly inclusive.