UN Resident Coordinator Nelson Mandela at the Nelson Mandela SDGs Business Book Launch

Thank you, Programme Director, Krivani Pillayt.

• Former Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Amb. Nozipho Bardill (former Chairperson of the UNGC Network SA)
• Dr. Mbongiseni Buthelezi, CEO of Nelson Mandela Foundation
• Dr. Achieng Ojwang, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network South Africa
• Dr. Tanya Dos Santos-Ford, University of Pretoria's Gordon Institute of Business Science

Good morning, dear friends, colleagues, and partners.

It’s a true honour to stand before you today—during Mandela Month, no less—for the launch of a publication that is both a tribute and a challenge: the Nelson Mandela SDGs Business Book.

This is more than a book. It’s a call to action. A reminder. A spark.

As Madiba once said, “It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it.” That spirit is woven into every page of this book. It brings together his timeless wisdom and aligns it with the Sustainable Development Goals—our shared blueprint for dignity, justice, and prosperity for all.

With just five years left to 2030, we know we’re not where we need to be.

According to the 2025 SDG Progress Report, only 35% of the SDG targets are on track or making moderate progress, while nearly half are making slow or marginal progress. Sadly 18% are regressing and 29% lack sufficient data to assess.

In South Africa, progress on critical goals such as decent work (SDG 8), reduced inequalities (SDG 10), and climate action (SDG 13) remains uneven, with youth unemployment and informal labour rates still alarmingly high. 

The report is clear: without bold, systemic shifts—especially from the private sector—we risk missing the mark entirely. 

The time for incrementalism is over.

But we also know this: the private sector holds immense power to shift the trajectory. Business leaders are not just economic drivers—they are architects of social change.

Madiba taught us that freedom means little if people go to bed hungry. His vision of justice was not only political—it was profoundly human.

That’s why this book matters. It connects his values—justice, dignity, equity, service—to the goals that define our global development agenda. And it reminds us: the SDGs are not just for governments. They belong to all of us—especially those who create jobs, manage resources, and shape the future through daily decisions.

This publication is filled with real, inspiring stories of South African companies stepping up:

- Bringing healthcare to underserved communities.

- Empowering women farmers and bridging the digital divide.

- Investing in renewables and transforming waste into opportunity.

- Training displaced communities in regenerative agriculture.

These stories show what’s possible when values drive action. They remind us that even amid deep socio-economic challenges, innovation and impact can flourish.

But time is not on our side. To meet the 2030 targets, we must move from incremental to transformational. Here’s how:

1. Embed the SDGs into your core strategy including operations, supply chains, and investment strategies. Not as an add-on, but as a compass.

2. Partner boldly—with government, civil society, and communities. Together, we go further.

3. Innovate inclusively—design for those often left out.

4. Advocate courageously—for policies that reduce inequality and strengthen institutions.

The Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact remain a universal framework for ethical business. I urge more South African companies to embrace them—and to integrate the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights into their operations.

Let’s be clear: every SDG is a business opportunity. An opportunity to invest in decent work, empower youth and women, drive innovation, and build climate resilience.

And none of this happens in isolation. I want to thank our incredible partners:

- The Nelson Mandela Foundation—for keeping Madiba’s legacy alive.

- GIBS—for championing values-based business education.

- The UN Global Compact Network South Africa—for making sustainability a standard, not a slogan.

To every business leader here: take this book back to your boardrooms, your teams, your communities. Let it be your compass. Let it inspire catalytic change.

As Madiba warned, “If we do not act now, in concert, the brushfire crises around the world may become an uncontrollable conflagration.”

The stakes are too high for half-measures. This book is not just a reflection—it’s a rallying cry.

Let’s honour Madiba by turning his words into deeds, his ideals into outcomes, and his legacy into a future where no one is left behind.

Let’s be bold. Let’s be compassionate. Let’s be united in action.

Thank you.