Cape town: President Cyril Ramaphosa has positioned South Africa as a trusted and competitive global investment destination, while reaffirming the government's commitment to infrastructure-led growth, job creation, and economic reform. Delivering the keynote address at the South Africa Infrastructure Investment Summit in Cape Town on Wednesday, President Ramaphosa stated that the country is ready to partner with global investors to build modern, resilient infrastructure that supports inclusive growth and development.
According to South African Government News Agency, the summit, convened by Global Infrastructure Partners and BlackRock, brought together government leaders, investors, and business representatives to explore opportunities for infrastructure investment in South Africa and the African continent. President Ramaphosa highlighted that infrastructure development in Africa presents one of the world's largest untapped investment opportunities, noting that private capital and expertise are critical to accelerating development on the continent.
President Ramaphosa emphasized South Africa's sophisticated financial sector, deep capital markets, industrial capacity, renewable energy potential, and digital infrastructure as some of the country's competitive advantages. He reiterated the government's focus on creating a predictable and stable policy environment to encourage investor confidence and support long-term growth. The President underscored the importance of sustaining a stable macroeconomic framework as essential for faster inclusive growth and job creation.
He noted that the government's structural reform agenda, driven through Operation Vulindlela, continues to improve the efficiency of network industries, expand private sector participation, and strengthen public-private collaboration. The President detailed how Operation Vulindlela has reduced regulatory bottlenecks, expanded private sector involvement, improved infrastructure pipeline efficiency, and strengthened public-private collaboration.
The government is accelerating project preparation and execution through strategic public-private partnerships and blended finance models aimed at unlocking investment and scaling infrastructure delivery. Through the Infrastructure Fund, the government has committed R100 billion in fiscal support over ten years to attract private capital into strategic infrastructure projects.
President Ramaphosa announced plans for South Africa to invest more than R1 trillion in infrastructure over the next three years across all government spheres, public entities, and state-owned enterprises, including investments in ports, freight rail, roads, electricity generation, and transmission infrastructure. Water and energy infrastructure remain immediate national priorities, with ongoing reforms to improve efficiency, lower costs, and strengthen service delivery.
Over the past two years, the government has implemented reforms to stabilize the country's electricity system and expand generation capacity. President Ramaphosa declared that a debilitating energy crisis is largely over, with improved coal-fired power plant performance, expanded private generation capacity, and system stabilization. Efforts also include expanding transmission infrastructure, accelerating renewable energy deployment, and advancing gas-to-power solutions to build a more competitive and sustainable energy market.
The President highlighted South Africa's improving economic outlook and reform momentum as factors strengthening global confidence in the country. He reported signs of recovery with four consecutive quarters of growth into early 2026, stable inflation, an upgraded sovereign rating, and removal from the Financial Action Task Force grey list. South Africa secured R1.5 trillion in investment commitments during the first five years of the country's investment drive, with the recent South Africa Investment Conference securing pledges worth R890 billion.
Encouraged by these commitments, President Ramaphosa set a new investment goal of R3 trillion (approximately $180 billion) over the next five years. He called for stronger partnerships between government and investors, emphasizing that infrastructure development would play a critical role in driving economic growth, industrial expansion, and job creation. 'We are not merely building infrastructure. We are building a new growth path for South Africa, one defined by resilience, competitiveness, and shared prosperity. Together, we can convert ambition into action and action into lasting impact,' the President said.