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South Africa's Social Media Summit for Government postponed to July 2026

STAR REPORTER|Updated
The annual Social Media Summit for Government, originally slated for the end of June, has been postponed to 8–9 July 2026.

The annual Social Media Summit for Government, originally slated for the end of June, has been postponed to 8–9 July 2026.

Image: Supplied

The annual Social Media Summit for Government (the Summit), originally scheduled for 30 June–1 July 2026, has been postponed to 8–9 July 2026.

The decision by the organisers and partners to reschedule was not taken lightly. It was deliberate, with one priority above all others: the safety and security of every delegate, speaker, partner, and worker travelling to and throughout the summit.

Organised by Decode., a Pan-African reputation advisory and strategic communications firm, in partnership with the University of Johannesburg Business School and endorsed by the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA), the Summit is South Africa's leading platform for government and public sector communication professionals.

Nothing about the summit changes except the dates. 

The Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, will still deliver the keynote address on day one, now on Thursday, 8 July 2026. The programme remains unchanged, and the Summit's purpose of reimagining citizen engagement in an ever-evolving digital landscape remains as urgent as ever.

For registered delegates, nothing changes:

  • The venue remains the University of Johannesburg Business School, Auckland Park
  • Existing bookings have been automatically transferred to the new dates
  • No re-registration is required
  • All speakers, panel discussions, presentations, and breakaway sessions will proceed in full, in line with the published programme

The full programme is accessible at https://decode.co.za/sms4gov-2026.

"We recognise that schedule changes cause inconvenience, and we do not take our delegates', speakers', sponsors’ and partners’ time for granted. We are grateful for the trust they have placed in this platform, and we are fully committed to delivering an experience that justifies that trust. We believe that no programme, however strong, is worth proceeding with if the conditions for a safe and productive gathering cannot be fully assured," said Lorato Tshenkeng, Founder and CEO of Decode.

"The Social Media Summit for Government exists to serve the people who shape how government communicates with citizens. Rescheduling was the responsible decision. We look forward to welcoming this community to Johannesburg Business School on 8 July and to the conversations that matter," concluded Tshenkeng.