Ramaphosa heralds a new era of infrastructure development in South Africa
Image: Supplied
President Cyril Ramaphosa heralded a new era of infrastructure development in South Africa, describing it as the "flywheel" of economic growth and job creation during his address at the 2025 Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa (SIDSSA) in Cape Town on Monday.
Ramaphosa outlined ambitious plans to leverage infrastructure to drive economic progress, reduce inequality, and position South Africa as a prime investment destination.
"Infrastructure is fundamental to the development of our country," Ramaphosa said, saying it served as the backbone of economic growth and social progress.
"Good infrastructure will boost trade and will reduce the cost of doing business. This is essential as we open up to the advent of the African Continental Free Trade Area. This will enable us to trade with ease with our sister countries on the continent, representing a market of 1.3 billion people." he said.
He referred to the recently released Construction Book 2024/2025 by Infrastructure South Africa (ISA), which details 250 fully funded projects valued at over R238 billion. He said this marked a record for public investment in roads, energy, water, logistics, and social infrastructure, reversing a prolonged decline exacerbated by the Covis-19 pandemic.
The symposium, held at Century City, showcased South Africa's commitment to transforming infrastructure development from plans to reality. Ramaphosa noted that public infrastructure spending is projected to exceed R1 trillion over the next three years, making it the fastest-growing budget item. However, he acknowledged the government's financial constraints, stressing the need for public-private partnerships (PPPs) to mobilise domestic and international capital. Reforms are underway to streamline PPP approvals for projects under R2 billion, reducing regulatory hurdles and enhancing investor confidence.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Ramaphosa underscored ISA's role as a "centre of excellence," expediting project approvals and mobilising financing. Since 2020, ISA has grown the capital value of Strategic Integrated Projects from R340bn to over R1.3 trillion, with projects spanning energy, water, transport, and digital infrastructure. Notable completions include the Hazelmere Dam in KwaZulu-Natal and the 100 MW Redstone Concentrated Solar Power Plant in the Northern Cape, which powers over 100,000 households annually.
The president also highlighted the Infrastructure Fund's impact, packaging 26 blended finance projects worth R102 billion, de-risking investments for pension funds and banks. Additionally, the Leaders Forum at SIDSSA fosters collaboration among African infrastructure ministers, aligning policies to support the African Continental Free Trade Area and regional integration.
Ramaphosa called for infrastructure to be placed at the heart of South Africa's development agenda.
"We are moving from great ideas to executable plans and implementation," he said, expressing optimism for SIDSSA 2025's outcomes in driving sustainable growth across the continent. Visit: www.businessreport.co.za
BUSINESS REPORT
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
eNCA
2 hours ago
- eNCA
Hiccups as Ramaphosa meets Preparatory Task Team
JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa has met representatives from the interim Preparatory Task Team, on the state of readiness of the National Dialogue. And it wasn't good feedback. Members of the PTT representing some of the Foundations involved in the initial planning, say the National Convention should be postponed to a later date. But Ramaphosa is adamant the convention must proceed as scheduled. In a statement, the President says in light of the difficulties within the PTT, the convention's organising team has been reorganised. Various other social partners and civil society groups have now been added. He says this will ensure the National Convention is successfully held from the 15th of August, and the National Dialogue process can begin.
The South African
11 hours ago
- The South African
Did Elon Musk snub handshake to Ramaphosa?
A clip of Elon Musk seemingly snubbing a handshake from President Cyril Ramaphosa has gone viral. But is it all it seems for the Pretoria-born billionaire who has accused the South African government of promoting 'openly racist laws'? On the X app, a short clip of President Cyril Ramaphosa's visit to the White House resurfaced. In May, the president visited the Oval Office alongside a delegation, where he met with US President Donald Trump. In the video, Ramaphosa shakes the hands of US officials, whilst Elon Musk laughs and looks on. 'Elon Musk doesn't touch k******. This is embarrassing 💔', read a X post. However, a community note quickly corrected the fake news by posting the full clip of Elon shaking the president's hand. Last year, the two men met to discuss the potential operation of Elon Musk's internet satellite service, Starlink, in the country. In images posted by the president, Musk was seen smiling while shaking his hand. South Africa is one of a few African countries that has not granted Elon Musk's internet satellite service, Starlink, a licence to operate. According to the world's richest man, this is a result of 'racist laws', which require his company to adhere to a 30% local ownership mandate. The Pretoria-born billionaire is referring to the transformative legislation, Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), which he has reportedly rejected. According to reports, Starlink, which falls under SpaceX, could effectively bypass the law with its plans to invest over R2 billion in the country. Business Day reports that the company would finance infrastructure to support the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which is made up of 16 countries. Could Starlink operate in South Africa without adehering to transformative legislation? Images via X: @starlink In May, Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi gazetted a policy direction for his department on Equity Equivalent Investment Programmes (EEIPs), which are considered 'alternatives' to transformative legislation. Without mentioning Starlink or Elon Musk, the minister claimed that the policy would 'attract investment,' specifically in operating licensing. The minister revealed that current legislation for foreign investments 'did not allow companies to contribute to transformation goals in ways other than traditional ownership'. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
Eyewitness News
12 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
Ramaphosa urges men to help women 'to succeed and to prosper'
JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned men who abuse women, saying that real men do not rape or beat women. Speaking at the National Women's Day commemoration in Tzaneen, Limpopo, the president honoured the women who marched to the Union Buildings in 1956 to protest apartheid-era pass laws. As the country marks Women's Day, Ramaphosa highlighted the ongoing struggles women face, including gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide. He also called on men across the country to support, uplift, and protect women. "So, we want the men of our country, of South Africa, to respect our women, to support our women, to uplift our women, to ensure that the women of South Africa succeed. Don't compete with women, help them to succeed and to prosper. Then, if you do all that, as a man, you will be a real man."
