Ninety days before South Africans vote in the municipal elections, the Public Sector Leaders Summit puts one question to the people who run government: If our businesses and our sports teams can be the best in the world, why can’t our public service, and what will it take?
South Africa is the number-one rugby nation on earth. Its revenue service went from the wreckage of state capture to collecting a record R2 trillion in a single year. Its banks, insurers and telecommunications firms compete at a global standard. The country is not short of world class institutions, it is short of world class institutions inside the government. Closing that gap is the sole purpose of the 2nd annual Public Sector Leaders Summit, hosted by Topco Media on 18–19 August 2026 at the Indaba Hotel & Conference Centre, Fourways.
The timing is deliberate. Three months before the November municipal elections, service delivery is no longer just an administrative question but also a political one. Water that runs, lights that stay on, roads without potholes, and grants that reach the people they are meant for, this is what the electorate will judge. The Summit convenes the Director-Generals, Deputy Director-Generals, Chief Directors and Municipal leaders responsible for that delivery, alongside the business leaders and civil society partners for the benefit of SA Inc under a single banner: The Delivery Playbook.
“This is not a conference about what is wrong with the government, South Africans live that story every day and do not need it narrated back to them,” said Ralf Fletcher, CEO of Topco Media. “It is a working summit about what is possible. We have proof, in this country, that a broken public institution can be rebuilt into a world-class one. We have proof, on the rugby field, that South African teams can be the best on the planet when the system behind them is ruthless about standards, selection and accountability. The Delivery Playbook is about moving that formula across the line into partnerships that empower and transform the public service.”
Rather than a programme of speeches, the Summit is built around documented turnarounds and the systems behind them. Delegates will examine how a public entity rebuilt its capability and its credibility to deliver record results; what public-private partnerships, corporate secondments and civil-society collaboration look like when they actually materialise; how the high-performance culture behind South Africa’s sporting success translates into public institutions, as well as how digital tools such as as AI and cutting-edge software solutions are providing real-time performance tracking and already changing service delivery as we know it. Each delegation will leave with one concrete delivery commitment, and Topco Media will track progress against those commitments in the Public Sector Leaders publication ahead of the elections. The Summit does not end when the doors close, it reports back.
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Confirmed programme highlights include: the Deputy Minister’s Address, “Mobility as a Public Service: Why Access Is About More Than Roads,” delivered by Hon. Mkhuleko Hlengwa, Deputy Minister of Transport; a keynote on greener, more resilient road infrastructure by Dr Mathews Phosa; and working sessions featuring Eskom’s Group Chief Technology Officer, Len de Villiers and Chrissy Dube, Chief Stakeholders, Projects & Advocacy Officer at Good Governance Africa, with a focus on infrastructure finance, the capable state, youth in public-sector delivery, and the turnaround leadership behind state-owned enterprises.
Over the past year, Topco’s platforms: Top 500: South Africa’s Best Managed Companies, Nedbank Top Empowerment, Standard Bank Top Women and Sentech Africa Tech Week have convened 4,600 delegates in 2026 and welcomed Hon. Enoch Godongwana, Minister of Finance; Hon. Parks Tau, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition and Hon. Solly Malatsi, Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, among other cabinet members and Deputy Ministers. Delegates can expect two days of engaged networking, qualified business development and knowledge sharing between stakeholders who are committed to building a thriving and inclusive economy.
The Summit is supported by:
Silver Partner: The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
Bronze Sponsors: National Housing Finance Corporation(NHFC), Polmed & Gensize Consulting
VIP Networking Lounge: LexisNexis South Africa
Showcase Counter Sponsors: Old Mutual, Milpark Education, Boxfusion, iFix Business Solutions & GRIPP Advisory
Lifestyle Partner: ARTHUR FORD & Nailporium & More
Media Partners: ITWeb, Newzroom Afrika, eNCA, Daily Maverick & Primedia Outdoor
To register to attend, sponsor or partner, visit lp.topco.co.za/psl-summit-conference
Purchase your pass on Quicket here
Partnership and Sponsorship Queries: Emlyn Dunn, National Project Manager — emlyn.dunn@topco.co.za
To Request a Delegate Booking Form : Samila Nkohla, Marketing Executive — samila.nkohla@topco.co.za
