Western Cape to hold the twelfth Regional Leaders’ Summit

Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde, has welcomed six official delegations from international partner regions to the 12th Regional Leaders’ Summit (RLS), taking place from 2 to 5 November 2025.

The Western Cape Government will host the RLS at the Cape Town International Convention Centre under the theme, “Growth through Economic Resilience”.

The RLS is a multilateral forum where the seven partner regions strengthen relations, focusing on key priority areas such as trade, investment, and safety. The official opening is set for Tuesday.

The summit takes place every two years, with members gathering to strengthen regional partnerships and trade; share expertise in addressing common challenges; and advance mutual growth and sustainable development that will benefit their respective citizens.

For nearly 20 years, the RLS has been held biennially, attended by the leadership of subnational governments from five continents. Member regions represent around 187 million people and account for a total of 4% of global economic output.

The multilateral forum is made up of seven regions from across the world: Western Cape (South Africa), Bavaria (Germany), Georgia (United States of America), Québec (Canada), São Paulo (Brazil), Shandong (China), and Upper Austria (Austria).

Delegations attending the summit include governors, vice-governors, ministers, business representatives, scientific experts, and media.

“It is our profound privilege to host the twelfth RLS in our beautiful province and Mother City. We are honoured to welcome our international partners, who for years have worked closely with us in building an inclusive, resilient, and jobs-rich economy,” said Winde.

“Our province works tirelessly to build an enabling environment for business, investment, and job creation, driven by sound governance, strong infrastructure development, energy reform, and a commitment to partnership.

“We believe that collaboration, especially between sub-national governments, with the help of the private sector, academia, and civil society, is a powerful catalyst for growth,” he said.

“Provinces, regions, and states are increasingly having to step up and step in to address urgent challenges. If we stand together with our partners, we will be able to do more in addressing international challenges such as the current uncertain trade environment and domestic issues like safety and unemployment.”

The RLS deliberations will focus on six thematic areas: Investment Cooperation, Trade Collaboration, Infrastructure Development, Technology and Innovation, Economic Opportunity and Workforce Development, and Cultural Capital and Sporting Excellence.

“Partnerships are instrumental to our shared success. We have enjoyed stable and strong relations with our regional partners for years, and through the 12th edition of the summit, we must take these relationships to new heights,” said Winde.