PRESS RELEASE
14 August 2025
With South Africa hosting the G20 this year, the New Economy Hub (NEH) and Oxfam South Africa are launching a five-part public dialogue series to ask a transformative question: What if the economy was built to care for us — not control us?
Over five Sunday afternoons, Economy is Care will convene economists, policy-makers, activists, artists, and community members in intimate, culturally rich spaces to reimagine economic policy through the lens of justice, sustainability, and care. Each event will blend rigorous conversation with art, music, and food. Creating a space for deep reflection and practical imagination.
“Economic policy should not be an abstract exercise in numbers,” says Sekoetlane Phamodi, Director of the New Economy Hub. “It’s about dignity, work, community, and the planet we share. These dialogues are our contribution to shifting the national conversation.”
“This year’s G20 presidency offers South Africa a unique platform to champion a people-centred economic agenda,” adds Isobel Frye, G20 Senior Policy Advisor at Oxfam South Africa. “Through Economy is Care, we are creating a space where excluded voices can shape the ideas and policies that will define our future.”
The dialogues will be recorded and released as podcasts, videos, and visual explainers under a Creative Commons licence, ensuring they remain a resource for educators, journalists, and civic leaders long after the events.
Programme & hosts
- 24 August — Beyond GDP (Host: Lebohang Pheko)
- 7 September — Debt & Discipline (Surprise host)
- 21 September— Taxing Fairly; Spending Justly (Host: Thoko Madonko)
- 5 October— Money Power (Surprise host)
- 19 October — So, Whose Economy Is It Anyway? (Host: Ayabonga Cawe)
For media enquires contact:
Phemelo Khaas | New Economy Hub, Communication Specialist | 0837633472
Bongani Maseko | Oxfam South Africa, Communications & Innovation Lead | 0615459425