South Africa, Sept. 2 -- That tension sat behind every session. With unemployment at 33.6% and service delivery dominating headlines ahead of local elections, and with Public Service Commission Deputy Chair Dr Zukiswa Mqolomba warning of a state that is "hollowing out" of the skills it needs to function, the stakes in the room were not abstract. This wasn't a summit about ideas in the distance; it was about a government running out of runway to close the gap between promises and delivery.

Under the theme "Turning policy into performance, promises into progress," the 2nd annual Public Sector Leaders Summit (18-19 August 2026) brought that gap into sharp, sometimes uncomfortable focus.

Setting the tone

Dr Mathews Phosa opened the summit ...