B20/M20 Dinner Address by Cas Coovadia, B20 Sherpa
Sunday 31 August 2025
Good evening, friends, colleagues and fellow changemakers.
It is a privilege to stand before you tonight – not just as a representative of B20 South Africa, but as someone who has spent a lifetime in dialogue with many of you. Some of you have interviewed me, challenged me and held me to account. And I thank you for that. Because that is precisely the role of a free, fearless and well-resourced media.
Tonight, we also pause to acknowledge the passing this week of Tshidi Madia, a formidable journalist who embodied these very qualities. Her work, including her recent reporting from the White House during a year of uncertainty with South Africa’s G20 presidency, reminded us that journalist is not just about relaying facts. It is about framing the stakes, asking the difficult questions and ensuring our country’s voice is heard on the global stage. We honour her contribution and we extend our deepest sympathies to her family, colleagues and the media fraternity.
We gather here on the eve of the M20 Summit, a space that – unlike many others – places media and journalism at the heart of global progress. And rightly so. Because without information integrity, there is no public trust. Without public trust, there is no effective governance. And without governance, there is no development – social or economic.
Rewriting the African Narrative
Let me begin with a truth we must all confront: the story of Africa has too often been written by others. It has been framed through deficit, disaster and dependency. But we know better.
We live the complexity, the resilience, the innovation. And it is time our media told that story – not as a footnote to global affairs, but as a central chapter.
Africa is not waiting to be saved. It is rising. But for that rise to be visible, for it to be understood and invested in, our newsrooms must be empowered – not just with resources, but with the freedom and capacity to investigate, to question, and to imagine.
Speaking Truth to Power
We have seen, in our own country, the transformative power of journalism. The story of state capture in South Africa was not broken by politicians or business leaders. It was broken by journalists – astute, persistent and courageous. They followed
the paper trails, decoded the emails and exposed the rot. And because they did, commissions were launched, accountability was demanded and a nation began to heal.
That is not just journalism. That is nation-building.
And this is not unique to South Africa. In Brazil, investigative journalists uncovered the sprawling corruption scandal known as Operation Car Wash. What began as a probe into money laundering became one of the largest corruption investigations in history – toppling powerful figures and reshaping the political landscape.
There are so many more we all could mention. These are not isolated victories. They are reminders that media, when free and capable, is not a luxury – it is a pillar of democracy.
Newsrooms as Engines of Accountability
As B20 Sherpa, I must say this clearly: business has a responsibility here. We cannot speak of inclusive growth while ignoring the role of media in holding us accountable. We cannot champion ESG principles while undermining the very institutions that ensure transparency.
Newsrooms need capacity. Not just to survive, but to thrive. To train investigative reporters. To protect whistleblowers. To invest in data journalism and digital security. Because when media is strong, society is strong. And when society is strong, business can flourish with legitimacy.
Partnerships for Integrity
The M20 Summit is a call to action. It is a space where African voices, emerging G20 economies and global media stakeholders can co-create solutions. Let us use this moment to forge partnerships – not just between governments and media, but between business and truth. Between profit and principle.
Let us support media that does not just report the news, but shapes the future. Media that does not just echo power, but questions it. Media that does not just reflect society, but reforms it.
Closing
I am, at heart, an activist. But I am also a realist. I know the challenges are immense – political pressure, financial constraints, digital disinformation. But I also know this: when journalists are empowered, when stories are told with integrity and when Africa speaks for itself, the world listens.
So tonight, as we break bread together, let us also break barriers. Let us commit – not in words alone, but in action – to building a media ecosystem that is bold, independent and deeply rooted in the values we all claim to uphold.
Thank you. And may the M20 Summit be not just a conversation, but a catalyst.
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