2024 has been an exciting year for African Monitor, with the team working hard to organize successful events that amplify the voices of grassroots communities in the development agenda.  

Committed to monitoring development commitments and their impact, we strive to bring stronger African voices to the global development discourse.  

Here’s a wrap of everything we have done for 2024. 

African Monitor Engages Stakeholders for the Voluntary National Review (VNR)

 

South African civil society launched the Voluntary National Review (VNR) process on October 26, 2023, in Johannesburg, followed by workshops to shape the Citizens’ Report, including sessions on hunger (January 25, 2024), education (January 30, 2024), and gender equality (January 31, 2024). Thamsanqa Dlambulo of the Mpumelelo Youth Movement emphasized the importance of inclusion, highlighting how the process empowered marginalized voices. African Monitor is supporting the VNR, facilitating sessions at the initial consultation in February and assisting with future consultations. The process aims to consolidate civil society inputs for an inclusive National VNR consultation. 

African Monitor Supports Municipalities with Voluntary Local Reviews (VLR) 

African Monitor, alongside the South African CSO Working Group on SDGs (SAWG), continues to support the government in localizing the SDGs through the Voluntary Local Reviews (VLR) process. From February 26 to March 1, 2024, African Monitor participated in a final validation workshop, refining VLR draft reports for Buffalo City, eThekwini, Johannesburg, Rustenburg, and Tshwane. 

African Monitor also facilitated stakeholder consultations in several cities: 

• Tshwane (March 19, 2024): A consultation at Tshwane House gathered over 80 participants from civil society, academia, government, and the private sector to improve the Draft Baseline Report, focusing on SDG goals like poverty, clean energy, and climate action. Speakers emphasized the importance of local partnerships and timely reporting for sustainable development. 

• Johannesburg (April 10, 2024): Over 100 participants joined the event at the Sappi Building to discuss SDGs 1, 2, 6, 7, 11, 13, 16, and 17. Key topics included housing, public transport, unemployment, food insecurity, and air pollution, with solutions proposed for housing conditions, waste management, and air quality monitoring.

 

• Mogale City (April 11, 2024): Stakeholders identified challenges like illegal infrastructure connections and water pollution, proposing smart technologies and improved communication to address these issues. Sixolile Ngcobo of African Monitor highlighted that VLRs strengthen local governance, foster partnerships, and align with the National Development Plan and AU Agenda 2063, underscoring African Monitor’s commitment to advancing SDG localization and sustainable development. 

African Monitor joins hands with SALGA  for the Voluntary Local Review Workshops.  

African Monitor participated in the VLR Phase Two workshop on SDG localization in Gqeberha (September 28–29, 2023) to engage with SALGA’s plans and explore opportunities for stakeholder involvement. Following this, AM presented at the Phase Three workshop in Johannesburg (October 25, 2023), focusing on citizen engagement and building civil society capacity for sustainable development. A partnership between AM and SALGA was formalized, leading to a civil society mobilization plan presented at the Phase Four workshop in Durban (November 29, 2023). 

AM also attended a 4-day VLR writing retreat (February 26–March 1, 2024) to strengthen reports for Buffalo City, Mogale City, Johannesburg, Tshwane, uMhlathuze, and Rustenburg. Representatives Puseletso Maile and Sixolile Ncgobo provided input to enhance these cities’ VLR drafts. 

 African Monitor Joins Global Forum Steering Committee Meeting in Oxford 

African Monitor, represented by Nangamso Kwinana, attended the Global Forum Steering Committee meeting in Oxford, UK (January 23–25, 2024), alongside members from diverse countries and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The meeting reviewed progress, shared knowledge, and fostered collaboration to advance the 2030 Agenda. As co-host of the Forum Secretariat with TPI, African Monitor values this platform for partnerships and SDG action. Appointed as Africa Regional Hub coordinator, Nangamso now facilitates member engagement across the continent. 

Emma-Lilas Togba Reflects on Her Internship at African Monitor 

In January, Emma-Lilas joined African Monitor in Cape Town for a three-month internship, completing her master’s in political studies and international Relations from the University of Toulon, France. Drawn by African Monitor’s focus on social change and sustainable development, she gained hands-on experience in political decision-making and public-private collaboration. Her work centred on the Voluntary National Review (VNR) project, contributing to reports, document reviews, and progress tracking, while also developing a communication plan to enhance African Monitor’s impact. 

African Monitor Relocates to Inyathelo, Woodstock 

After six years at South South North in Salt River, African Monitor has moved to new offices at Inyathelo in Woodstock. While leaving was bittersweet, we’re excited for this new chapter and look forward to new milestones in this vibrant space. 

African Monitor at the BRICS Civil Forum 2024 

As co-chair of the Civil Society Forum on the New Development Bank (CSF-NDB), African Monitor joined the BRICS Civil Forum in Moscow (July 1-6, 2024), representing African civil society alongside delegations from South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, and NEPAD. The forum addressed development rights, education, digital security, energy transition, and BRICS’ role in a just global order. Through platforms like CSF-NDB and South Africa’s G20 Presidency, African Monitor advances Africa’s vision of human rights, justice, and good governance. 

Puseletso Maile Takes Part in SDG Initiative Learning Excursion to Germany 

From 24 -31 August, African Monitor’s Puseletso Maile and Sixolile Ngcobo joined a Germany learning excursion under the Sustainable Development Goals Initiatives (SDGI). The delegation, including representatives from South Africa’s Presidency, universities, and GIZ South Africa, held high-level meetings with German stakeholders like BMZ, GIZ, and research institutes to plan SDGI. Highlights included cultural exchanges, sustainability tours, and discussions with the German Parliament and Council for Sustainable Development. 

Sixolile Ngcobo Represents African Monitor at the HLPF in New York 

Sixolile Ngcobo represented African Monitor and the South African Working Group on SDGs (SAWG ) at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York, sharing experiences with VNR processes and emphasizing inclusivity and multi-stakeholder engagement. She presented the 2024 People’s Report, sparking discussions on the vital role of VNRs in achieving the SDGs by 2030. 

Read the People’s Report here: People’s Report 

Civil Society Survey Measures SDG Progress (2015-2024) 

African Monitor, in partnership with Act for Sustainable Development (A4SD), surveyed 48 civil society organizations to assess South Africa’s SDG progress. Using a scale from -5 (regression) to +5 (progress) with 2015 as the baseline, the findings highlight significant challenges across all 17 Goals. 

You can view the survey findings here: Survey Results 

African Monitor and FES Host Dialogue on South Africa’s 2024 VNR Journey 

On September 25, African Monitor, in partnership with FES South Africa and on behalf of SAWG, hosted a hybrid dialogue on South Africa’s 2024 Voluntary National Review (VNR). The event featured stakeholders from various sectors and covered the VNR and Voluntary Local Review (VLR) processes, challenges, successes, and lessons learned. Key speakers included representatives from SALGA, UNDP, and youth organizations. The dialogue underscored grassroots participation, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and greater community and youth engagement in advancing the SDGs. 

The 2024 Open SDGs Club Symposium 

Initiated by African Monitor in 2019, the Open SDGs Club South Africa brings stakeholders together to advance Agenda 2030. Modelled after the Open SDGs Club Berlin, it hosts annual symposia with SAWG-SDGs. 

On the 12 –13 December 2024, at the Southern Sun sandton, the Open SDG CLub South Africa Symposium was hosted under the theme “Mobilising Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships for Accelerated Action and Delivery of SDGs at the Local Level.” 

 The 2024 event assessed SDG progress, launched the People’s Report, and focused on mobilizing partnerships for local-level action. 

 Archbishop Ndugane Honored at UNISA Chancellor’s Calabash Awards  

At the 2024 Chancellor’s Calabash Awards, hosted by UNISA Chancellor Dr. Thabo Mbeki, Archbishop Njongo Ndungane received the Robben Island Alumnus Award for his anti-apartheid activism, Church leadership, advocacy for HIV-positive individuals, and support for gender equality.

Archbishop Njongo Ndungane, founder of African Monitor, continues to champion grassroots development. We celebrate his outstanding contributions to South Africa’s progress. 

 

Thank you for a fruitful year and your continued partnership. We look forward to 2025 and hosting many more events that bring the voices of the grassroots communities to the development agenda.