17 Global Goals

Uniting for a Sustainable World on Mandela Day.

TEDxJohannesburg, supported by the United Nations in South Africa, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, and the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), brought together an unforgettable lineup of speakers and performers who shared ideas around the world's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This inspired partnership harnessed the strengths of TEDxJohannesburg's idea-sharing platform, the United Nations in South Africa's regional strategic interventions and advocacy, the Nelson Mandela Foundation's enduring legacy, and GIBS’ expertise in leadership and strategy. It was crafted to amplify voices and catalyse action. These goals provided a roadmap for addressing pressing global challenges and promoting sustainability as we approached the 2030 target. The event came two months before world leaders descended on the UN HQ to attend The Summit of the Future to forge a new international consensus on “how we deliver a better present and safeguard the future.”

TEDxJohannesburgSalon: 17 Global Goals took place on Nelson Mandela International Day, Thursday, 18 July 2024, from 8:30 am to 4 pm at GIBS.

The day was an extraordinary affair, with three sessions featuring 17 changemakers—experts, thinkers, and doers—who shared their experiences, insights, and solutions for embracing, advancing, and embodying the 17 goals. The programme opened with a partners’ panel discussion, followed by an eclectic mix of speakers, artists, and performers from the partnership's extensive local and regional networks. Each champion explored the theme through the lens of a specific goal. Together, through talks, poetry, music, and art, they illuminated the limitless potential in the intersections, connections, and transitional spaces between them.

The quintessential TEDxJohannesburg experience was delivered—a dynamic mix of incisive, fast-paced talks infused with profound wisdom, interspersed with moments of levity, and underpinned by a foundation of innovation. In true TED style, minds were challenged and expanded on issues at the heart of our survival.