Cape Town – More than 500 international experts, researchers and policymakers from over 60 countries will gather in Cape Town in September for the 17th Global Conference on Ageing, organisers announced this week.
The four-day event, scheduled for 9–12 September 2025 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), will be co-hosted by the International Federation on Ageing (IFA), North-West University (NWU) and the South African government.
Under the theme “YEBO/YES! Action on Ageing: Evidence | Policy | Practice,” the conference will focus on translating research into policies and practical solutions to address the challenges of a rapidly ageing world.
“This conference is not only a global convening of experts; it’s a platform for local innovation, leadership, and collaboration,” said IFA Secretary General Gregor Sneddon. “South Africa’s role as host signals a strong commitment to advancing age-friendly progress at home and across the continent.”
Long-term care and community facilities
The programme will include plenary sessions, workshops, masterclasses and a dedicated Age-Friendly Summit. Discussions will centre on nine themes: age-friendly environments, inequality, healthy ageing, innovation and digital technologies, immunisation, rights of older people, long-term care, financial security, and cognitive health.
Pre-conference site visits to local long-term care and community facilities will give delegates first-hand exposure to South African approaches to ageing.
Professor Mzubanzi Bismark Tyobeka, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of NWU, said the gathering aligned with the university’s strategy to explore new knowledge frontiers that benefit society. “Our framework aligns with the IFA’s vision of advancing healthy ageing for both current and future generations,” he said.
The IFA, which has consultative status at the United Nations and the World Health Organisation, said the event supports global commitments under the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing and the WHO’s Age-Friendly Cities and Communities framework.
Africa’s population of older adults is expected to nearly quadruple by 2050, making the Cape Town gathering a timely platform to discuss how ageing intersects with development, urban planning and health equity.
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C0mpiled by Betha Madhomu
