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A man walks past a G20 South Africa 2025 sign inside the secured area of the G20 Summit venue at the Nasrec Expo centre, ahead of the summit scheduled for November 22–23 in Johannesburg, South Africa. November 21, 2025.
The Pan South African Language Board, in partnership with Focal Point, has crowned the nation’s linguistic champions revealed the words that shaped 2025.
“G20” emerged top of the list reflecting the noteworthy G20 Leaders’ Summit that took place for the first time on African soil in November.
Other prominent contenders such as “Government of National Unity” kept political conversations alive, proving language is the mirror of our times.
When it comes to the online world, the phrase “Valid” prevailed, echoing Gen Z’s stamp of approval across platforms.
And to bring it to a close, the South African Sign Language Sign of the Year, SASL Sign for “I Love You” exposed the pulse of South African life, showing that language is more than words, it is culture, identity, and power.
Video| Words that shaped 2025 finally revealed:
