Programme Director,
Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers from South Africa and the Continent,
Premiers,
Mayors from South Africa and the Continent,
Head of Infrastructure South Africa,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Leaders of business and labour,
Representatives of development finance institutions and multilateral organisations,
Infrastructure professionals and practitioners,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to join you at the sixth Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium of South Africa.

We meet just a week after the leaders of the Southern African Development Community held the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit in eThekwini.

At the centre of discussion at the Summit was the work we must collectively undertake to further integrate the economies of our region.

Infrastructure is fundamental to the integration of our Southern African region and the African continent.

We need roads, bridges, rail lines, ports, power lines, data cables and gas pipelines that cross our region and continent.

We must link mines to factories and farms to markets. We must link gas fields to industrial plants and wind farms to homes and businesses.

We must link mobile phones to data centres. We must link businesses to customers.

It is for this reason that South Africa has placed infrastructure investment at the centre of our drive for inclusive growth and job creation.

We know that our ability to grow the economy depends on whether we can secure reliable energy, sufficient water, efficient ports and railways, functioning roads, digital connectivity and cities and towns that work.

Infrastructure affects the daily lives of South Africans.

It determines whether a household has clean water, whether a community has functioning sanitation, whether a learner has a safe and suitable school, whether a commuter can travel safely and affordably, and whether a business can rely on the basic services it needs to operate.

When we embarked on the infrastructure investment drive, we were clear that South Africa needed to fundamentally change the way in which infrastructure is planned, prepared, financed and delivered.

We recognised that our infrastructure system was too fragmented.

The result was delay, escalating costs and, in too many instances, projects that did not proceed at all.

We have strengthened coordination through the Infrastructure Development Act and the work of Infrastructure South Africa in preparing and advancing the country's strategic infrastructure pipeline.

We expect Infrastructure South Africa to ensure that our infrastructure pipeline is progressing, that projects are properly prepared, that funding is secured, and that procurement takes place when it is supposed to.

The economic imperative for doing so is clear.

South Africa's level of investment remains far below what is required to achieve faster and more sustained economic growth.

Gross fixed capital formation – which measures investment in productive assets such as infrastructure, machinery, equipment and productive capacity – stood at around 14 percent of GDP in 2025.

This is less than half of the 30 percent investment level envisaged in the National Development Plan for 2030.

These figures should concern us.

And they should motivate us to work with greater urgency and diligence to build the infrastructure our country needs.

As we meet at this sixth Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium, we can say with confidence that we are moving ahead at a greater pace.

The estimated capital value of the portfolio of our Strategic Integrated Projects has grown from approximately R340 billion in 2020 to more than R1.67 trillion today.

There are 195 public and private led infrastructure projects across priority sectors in the current portfolio.

Over the last several years, 32 projects with an estimated value of approximately R48 billion have been completed.

At present, 55 projects with an estimated value of more than R407 billion are in construction.

This tells us that the pipeline is becoming more mature.

But it also tells us where our attention must now be concentrated.

We must focus on conversion.

We need to convert plans into prepared projects, convert prepared projects into investment, and convert investment into construction.

Most importantly, we need to convert construction into infrastructure that supports economic activity and improves the lives of our people.

The role of Infrastructure South Africa is vital to this.

Drawing its mandate from the Infrastructure Development Act, Infrastructure SA plays a critical role in coordinating and facilitating Strategic Integrated Projects across Government.

It identifies blockages and brings the relevant institutions together to resolve them.

One of the most important lessons we have learned is that South Africa does not suffer from a shortage of infrastructure proposals.

Our constraint is that too many of these projects are not adequately prepared.

There is an important difference between a project that is needed and a project that is ready.

Through Infrastructure South Africa’s R600 million project preparation facility, 26 projects have received and are receiving project development support.

This kind of support is particularly important as we shift our focus towards municipal infrastructure delivery.

Municipal infrastructure is not only where the effectiveness of the state is most directly tested. It is the foundation of inclusive economic growth.

Businesses cannot function without reliable municipal infrastructure. Children cannot be schooled. Workers cannot get to work. Communities cannot be developed.

That is why we have to address municipal infrastructure differently.

Providing another grant without addressing the underlying capability of the institution is not sufficient.

Building a new asset without making provision for its operation and maintenance is not sustainable.

Developing long lists of projects without preparing them properly does not constitute an infrastructure pipeline.

The approach we are developing places project preparation, institutional capability, financing and asset management together.

This work is beginning to bear fruit.

For example, Infrastructure South Africa just spent R1.8 million to prepare and package a project for the Matjhabeng Local Municipality to replace over 1,700 kilometres of water pipes.

That relatively modest investment in preparation helped to unlock an R800 million debt financing facility from the Development Bank of Southern Africa.

Through the Adopt-a-Municipality pilot programme, Infrastructure South Africa is preparing and packaging projects to unlock R7 billion of investment.

The programme is focusing on municipal trading services such as water and sanitation, electricity and energy, and waste management.

One of the important reforms we have pursued in recent years is to provide greater certainty and visibility around the country’s infrastructure pipeline.

Today we are releasing the 3rd Edition of the Construction Book.

This showcases projects worth more than R350 billion, spanning sectors such as water and sanitation, transport and logistics, energy and electricity, and municipal infrastructure.

The Construction Book provides the market with a clear view of funded and investment-ready infrastructure projects that are expected to enter procurement over the next 12 to 18 months.

This Edition contains over 170 projects with an estimated value of R264 billion.

To ensure that these projects move from the page onto the ground, we will now publish quarterly performance reports of the Construction Book.

As South Africa, we have situated our infrastructure ambitions within the wider context of regional and continental integration.

I understand that the third Leaders Forum, held yesterday, gave particular attention to the infrastructure required to better connect our economies and markets.

This aligns with the discussions we held last week at the SADC Summit.

We know that physical infrastructure alone will not deliver integration.

We must continue the work of harmonising the policies, regulations, standards and institutional arrangements that enable infrastructure systems to operate effectively across national boundaries.

That is why we are particularly encouraged by the participation of leaders, investors, financiers and technical experts from across the African continent.

None of this work can be undertaken by Government acting alone.

The scale and complexity of infrastructure development demand partnership across the State, with the private sector, with development finance institutions and commercial lenders.

It requires strong cooperation between national, provincial and local Government.

It requires capable state-owned entities and implementing agencies.

It requires engineers, planners, quantity surveyors, construction companies and other infrastructure professionals.

It also requires universities and training institutions that develop the skills our country needs, as well as international and development partners who bring experience, expertise and capital.

This Symposium is important because it brings these different partners together around a common purpose: to improve the way we plan, finance and deliver infrastructure.

The task before us is substantial, but so too is the opportunity.

If we continue to improve the quality of project preparation and strengthen the institutions responsible for delivery, we can significantly increase the pace and scale of infrastructure investment.

If we create greater certainty for investors and build enduring partnerships across Government, business and society, we can create opportunity for all our people.

Let us ensure that what we build will serve our nation, our region and continent not only today, not only tomorrow, but for many generations to come.

I thank you.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, present to the National Assembly in Parliament, Cape Town, updates on Government’s management of migration and related protest action, and interventions under the National Water Crisis Action Plan.

President Ramaphosa will set out Government’s efforts to stop migration-related issues and actions from harming South Africa’s image or standing.

President Ramaphosa will share with Members of Parliament who have submitted questions for oral reply, South Africa’s contribution to efforts to ensure that the Republic of Madagascar returns to a constitutional and democratic order.

The President will provide an update on the National Water Crisis Action Plan and plans Government has put in place to restore the capacity of municipalities and strengthen accountability to ensure that communities receive reliable basic services which will enable job creation.

The President will set out progress Government has made to combat illegal mining in South Africa.

Questions for Oral and Written Reply by the President and the Deputy President are one of the mechanisms through which Parliament holds the Executive to account.

Details of the engagement are as follows:

Date: Tuesday, 25 August 2026
Time: 14h00
Venue: National Assembly, Cape Town

 

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President - media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, deliver the keynote address at the 5th Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium of South Africa (SIDSSA).

The Symposium will be held from 23-25 August 2026 at the Century City Convention Centre, Cape Town, under the theme: “Shaping the Future of Municipal Infrastructure”.

The event aims to facilitate alignment with the objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and South Africa’s National Development Plan (NDP), and to ensure access to greater and economical sources of sustainable funding.

The symposium also aims to highlight the digital sectors, agriculture and housing sectors which align with the SDGs related to infrastructure.

The event will enable interaction among people and institutions working together towards the delivery of the projects presented in the SIDS.

The symposium brings together State Owned Entities, Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), DFIs, Private Sector and Academia in this maiden African consultation session.

The gathering includes Ministers from across the African continent, mayors, development partners, leaders from the private sector, and technical experts to advance infrastructure-led growth and sustainable development.

The focus on municipal infrastructure reflects the central role of local government in service delivery and in strengthening the foundations for inclusive economic participation.

The President will address the Symposium as follows:

Date: Tuesday, 25 August 2026
Time: 12h00
Venue: Century City Convention Centre, Cape Town

 

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President - media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa has in terms of section 98 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996, appointed Minister Stella Ndabeni as Acting Minister of Health with effect from 24 August to 30 September 2026. 

Minister Ndabeni will undertake all functions of the Minister of Health for the said period while Minister Motsoaledi remains on sick leave.  

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya Spokesperson to the President on media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Your Excellency, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa,
Honourable Ministers,
High Commissioners,
Members of the diplomatic corps,
Premiers and MECs,
Business leaders and investors,
Distinguished guests,

Good afternoon,

President Mnangagwa, I welcome you and your delegation to Midrand.

It has been a demanding week for both our governments. 

The fourth session of our Bi-National Commission, which met this morning, was preceded by extensive preparations, including committee meetings and yesterday’s ministerial session.

On Monday, we participated in the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government, where Zimbabwe handed the chairship of SADC over to South Africa.

It is fitting that these two events – the SADC Summit and our Bi-National Commission – took place in the same week, because both meetings were focused on building inclusive, growing economies that transcend the borders between our countries.

We seek an integrated regional market where we not only trade with each other, but where we work together to produce the goods and services that we need – using the abundant resources, skills and capabilities that we collectively possess.

Relations between South Africa and Zimbabwe have their roots deep in our history, long before our countries had borders, long before the arrival of colonial settlers, even before the founding of the civilisations of Great Zimbabwe and Mapungubwe.

In recent times, we were bound together by a common struggle against colonialism, white minority rule and apartheid.

At great cost to themselves, the people of a free Zimbabwe provided shelter, passage and support to South African freedom fighters and exiles.

This is a debt of gratitude that we can never forget.

In the times of struggle, solidarity meant refuge and resistance. 

Today, solidarity means jobs, investment and a trading relationship that benefits both our peoples.

Trade between our countries is both well-established and growing.

Bilateral trade between South Africa and Zimbabwe reached R81 billion in 2025.

This was nearly double what it was in 2021.

Zimbabwe is South Africa’s second-largest export destination on this continent.

And South Africa is Zimbabwe’s largest single source of imports from the rest of the world.

Yet there is still great potential for the volume of bilateral trade to grow further.

We therefore welcome the decision of the Zimbabwean Government to eliminate trade restrictions in accordance with SADC trade protocols so that we can further boost trade between our countries.

However, we do need to address the reality that our trade relationship is not balanced.

The value of South African exports to Zimbabwe is roughly eight times the value of its imports from Zimbabwe.

Much of what South Africa sends over the Limpopo are finished goods: vehicles, earthmoving equipment, industrial cleaning and mining products.

Zimbabwe sends raw and semi-processed material south: coal and coke products, chromium ore, gold, semi-finished steel and raw tobacco.

This pattern – of finished goods flowing one way and raw commodities flowing the other – has been an impediment to the economic development of our continent for centuries.

This pattern has defined Africa’s trade relations with the rest of the world since colonial times.

The African Continental Free Trade Area was introduced to address these imbalances, both within our continent and beyond our shores.

Through the African Continental Free Trade Area we can expand trade between African countries.

We can put our natural resources to better use.

We can develop our industries and create more jobs for our people.

That is why we welcome the strong presence of South African and Zimbabwean business at this forum. 

Governments can determine policy, sign agreements and ratify protocols, but it is business that turns a signed agreement into a shipment, a factory or a job.

Governments can align customs procedures and standardise regulations, but it is business that produces the goods and carries them across borders.

As South Africa we see Zimbabwe as a key regional market for our goods, products and services, and we remain optimistic about the prospects of the Zimbabwean economy.

According to the African Development Bank, real GDP growth in Zimbabwe rose to an estimated 7.5 percent in 2025, driven by expansion in a number of key sectors including mining and agriculture. Inflation is down on the back of the new Zimbabwe Gold currency.

South African exporters and investors need predictability to commit capital at scale, and a steadier Zimbabwean economy gives them that.

We are committed to developing the infrastructure needed to facilitate the movement of goods across our borders.

The Beitbridge Border Post is the main commercial border between South Africa and Zimbabwe.

For years, it has experienced many challenges: inadequate infrastructure, inefficient processes, limited staffing. 

It has not been unusual for trucks to wait up to several days at a time to cross. 

This is all changing thanks to the modernisation of the border post through public-private partnerships, and innovations like dedicated lanes for commercial, bus and private traffic.

Average truck crossing time has fallen to roughly 14 hours.

We are moving ahead with other initiatives. 

The One-Stop Border Post is under development.

Customs processes are being aligned.

These advances are not confined to the bridge that crosses the Limpopo River.

They are part of a far broader vision of a corridor that links the Port of Durban in the south to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the north.

They are part of a broader regional undertaking to build corridors that are not merely conduits for traded goods, but are arteries of industry, commerce and employment.

The Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone, located next to the Beitbridge Border Post, is a good example of how these corridors can work.

This Special Economic Zone has the potential to be an industrial corridor supporting beneficiation in mining, agriculture, agro-processing, milling, packaging and a host of other industries.

We know that Zimbabwe exports gold, chromium ore and semi-finished steel to South Africa in significant volumes, yet very little of the refining and finishing that follows happens in our region.

We need to explore potential joint ventures between South African and Zimbabwean firms to realise the full value of these resources here. 

We need to establish cross-border industrial zones that link South African capital, technology and market access with Zimbabwean minerals and labour.

Our governments have already agreed on the architecture to make this work.

We have established a Joint Technical Committee on Trade and Industry to facilitate cooperation in industrial value chains and infrastructure development, special economic zones and industrial development parks, trade, tourism, transport and logistics. 

We are taking forward work on a draft Memorandum of Understanding on Economic Cooperation.

Our development finance institutions have already committed significant resources to building and improving the infrastructure that underpins our economic cooperation.

They now need to invest in the industrial capacity to produce the goods that will travel along this infrastructure.

The expectations of this Business Forum are great.

It needs to deliver partnerships that create decent jobs, deliberately targeting opportunities for women and youth in particular.

It needs to transform value chains, using the natural resources mined in one country to manufacture products in the other.

Using the skills and capabilities in one country to complement the technology in the other.

Using capital from one country to finance factories, mines and data centres in the other.

Our companies need to find these opportunities and they need to invest in them.

Economic relations between our countries have survived currency shocks, policy shifts and difficult conditions on both sides of the border.

And yet trade between our countries keeps growing.

This says much about the potential we still have to realise.

It says much about what we can achieve once we start building together instead of merely trading across a river.

The relationship between South Africa and Zimbabwe was founded in a shared struggle for freedom. 

It continues today in a shared struggle for inclusive growth, employment and prosperity for all.

Today, the instruments of struggle are different: financial markets, factories and mines, roads and ports.

But the principle of solidarity remains.

Your growth is our growth. Our development is your development.

When you rise, we rise. When we prosper, you prosper.

Together, South Africa and Zimbabwe have abundant resources, means and advantages.

Together, let us harness our shared capabilities to achieve progress and prosperity for both our nations and for all our people.

Now is the time for cooperation. Now is the time to get to work.

I thank you.
 

Your Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa,
Honourable Ministers,
High Commissioners,
Senior officials,
Distinguished guests,
Members of the media,

As we conclude this Fourth Session of the Bi-National Commission, I once again express my deep appreciation for the presence of President Mnangagwa and his esteemed delegation.

Today, we have reaffirmed the bonds of friendship, solidarity and cooperation that exist between our two countries and peoples. 

We have received and deliberated on the comprehensive report from the Ministerial segment, which illustrates the depth and scope of our bilateral relations. 

While recognising the impressive collaboration between our two countries, our deliberations show that much more must be done to realise the vast potential of our relationship for mutual benefit.

The agreements and Memoranda of Understanding signed in our presence today, together with the decisions reached, reflect our concrete plans to deepen cooperation. 

These instruments must now be implemented so that our countries and peoples benefit.

For South Africa, Zimbabwe remains a strategic partner.

It remains one of our largest trading partners. 

We have undertaken here to redouble efforts to expand investment and trade.

Inclusive economic growth will give us the means to widen access to food, shelter, health, education, water and sanitation.

It will give us the means to create employment and economic opportunities, especially for women and for the young.

As infrastructure and industrialisation initiatives are pursued, the political will we have shown today should encourage companies from both countries to invest with enthusiasm. 

We see great opportunities in agriculture and agro-processing, energy, mining, transport, medicines and vaccines, water, tourism, finance and digital technology. 

We are committed to moving people and goods seamlessly and securely across our border in a well-managed and coordinated manner.

Our Ministers, supported by Senior Officials, will follow up on the implementation of the identified priority projects. 

In celebrating our shared heritage, we will work to further build people-to-people relations and enable more cultural engagement. 

We will build safer communities by working together to remove the threat of cross-border and transnational organised crime.

Working in concert with our fellow SADC neighbours, we will continue to pursue the integration and industrialisation of our region. 

We are gathered here inspired by the vision of our forebears, who knew that current and future generations would benefit from our partnership. 

Our common history and geography are the foundations of our shared future.

The realisation of that shared future depends on effective and sustained collaboration. 

As we prepare for the Fifth Session of our Bi-National Commission, let us turn our decisions into actions. Let us turn our people’s expectations into reality. 

Your Excellency, My Brother,

On behalf of the Government and people of South Africa, let me once again thank you and your delegation for joining us for this historic meeting of two great neighbours.

I thank you.

Your Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa,
Honourable Ministers,
High Commissioners,
Senior officials,
Distinguished guests,
Good morning,

My Brother, I welcome you and your delegation to the Fourth Session of our Bi-National Commission.

This meeting testifies to the deep and historic relations between our peoples.

We meet, Dear Brother, in the aftermath of the tragedy on Lake Kariba, where the capsizing of a ferry claimed close to a hundred lives.

Our heartfelt condolences go to you, the people of Zimbabwe and to the bereaved families.

May we all rise to observe a moment of silence for those who lost their lives in that tragedy.

Your Excellency,

We are one people. Our spirits are inseparable.

Our past has been shaped by shared culture, history and language.

Our future will be shaped by shared aspirations.

We stood together in the fight against colonialism, white minority rule and apartheid.

As South Africa, we will forever remember that the people of Zimbabwe gave us shelter, protection and support in the darkest times of our struggle.

Since then our countries have held high the values of cooperation over division, peace over conflict, and partnership over competition.

Zimbabwe is one of our largest trading partners.

Over the last four years, the value of our bilateral trade has almost doubled.

However, there is a significant imbalance in trade between our two countries.

South Africa exports much more to Zimbabwe than it imports.

Through instruments like the Memorandum of Understanding on Economic Cooperation, we need to work together to narrow this deficit.

We must use the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area to increase the volume and balance the composition of trade between our two countries.

We must enable both Zimbabwe and South Africa to expand the production and export of goods that we manufacture from our abundant natural resources.

We therefore look forward to the presentation of the Ministerial report to this meeting, which will assess progress and identify opportunities in areas such as mining, energy, agriculture, transport, logistics and water management.

The growth of our economies and the expansion of trade rely on increased investment in infrastructure.

We should be working together to build the bridges, roads, dams, airports, health facilities and schools that will drive our economies into the future.

Institutions like the Development Bank of Southern Africa and the Industrial Development Corporation stand ready to invest in high-impact projects in Zimbabwe.

These are projects that connect factories and farms to markets.

Projects that connect power stations to businesses and homes. That connect dams to taps. That connect countries to their neighbours.

Working together, we must convert our abundant mineral resources into jobs, opportunity and prosperity for our people.

Zimbabwe’s mining revenue continues to rise as the country increases investment in technology and efficiency.

With growing production of gold, platinum and critical minerals such as lithium, Zimbabwe is fast emerging as a global participant.

South Africa is increasing its investment in exploration and beneficiation.

We have said for many years that our minerals should be processed at home, that we should export finished products.

Together, we need to put that aspiration into practice.

Together, we need to deepen cooperation in energy.

We have seen the value of the Southern African Power Pool.

Now we must embrace its potential to establish Southern Africa as a leader in the generation of clean, affordable and reliable energy.

There is great potential for cooperation on water.

The agreement to supply water from Zimbabwe’s Beitbridge Water Works to Musina is one example of how we can work together to meet our people’s basic needs and make our countries more resilient in the face of climate change.

We must work together to ensure that all our people have enough food.

Let us use our vast arable land for intensified production and support our communal and commercial farmers.

I was deeply impressed by the 115th Zimbabwe Agricultural Show last year, where I saw some of the capacities, technologies, tools and services available to industrialise farming – to make it more productive, resilient and sustainable.

This is particularly important as we strive to expand our agricultural base amid accelerating climate change and the El Niño droughts that erode our water sources and grazing land.

As neighbours that have so much to offer each other, it is critical that we continue our cooperation on migration and border management.

To ease the movement of people and goods, we must modernise our facilities and systems.

We must strengthen our combined efforts to counter trans-border crime.

The development we seek depends on the maintenance of peace and stability, in our countries, in our region and on our continent.

We remain concerned about the ongoing conflict and instability in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Cabo Delgado province in Mozambique, and Madagascar.

We must also be concerned about civil strife and armed conflict beyond our region.

Sudan is of utmost concern, given the grave loss of life, displacement and suffering, and the challenges it poses for the Horn of Africa.

We are also worried about the enduring impasse in South Sudan and the continued armed insurgency in the Sahel region.

In a geopolitical environment that has become unpredictable and fractured, there is now even a greater need for the peaceful resolution of conflict, mediation and dialogue.

We congratulate Zimbabwe on its election to a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2027-2028 term.

We know that Zimbabwe will focus the world’s attention on conflicts that are impeding Africa’s development and mobilise global support for Africa’s home-grown efforts to resolve them.

South Africa and Zimbabwe stand together.

We are two countries with a common history and a common destiny.

This Bi-National Commission affirms our determination to deepen the bonds between our peoples.

To build inclusive economies that create work and sustainable livelihoods.

To build societies in which every person may equally enjoy the fruits of freedom.

Our people expect that this Bi-National Commission will deliver concrete results.

As we prepare to receive the report from the Ministers, I am proud to oversee these proceedings with you, my Brother.

It is my great privilege to declare this Fourth Session of our Bi-National Commission open.

I thank you.

President Cyril Ramaphosa and His Excellency President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, will on Friday, 21 August 2026, address the South Africa–Zimbabwe Business Forum at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand.

The Business Forum forms part of the programme of the Fourth Session of the South Africa–Zimbabwe Bi-National Commission (BNC), which will be hosted by President Ramaphosa in Pretoria.

The Forum will bring together government representatives, business leaders and other stakeholders from South Africa and Zimbabwe to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation and identify opportunities to expand trade and investment between the two countries.

The Business Forum provides a platform for the private sector to engage directly with government on opportunities and challenges affecting trade and investment between South Africa and Zimbabwe. It will also seek to translate the political commitments made by the two Heads of State into practical economic partnerships and opportunities for businesses in both countries.

The Forum forms part of the broader efforts by South Africa and Zimbabwe to advance regional integration, industrialisation and inclusive economic growth, while supporting the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional integration agenda.

MEDIA PROGRAMME: SOUTH AFRICA–ZIMBABWE BUSINESS FORUM
Date: Friday, 21 August 2026
Time: 14h00 (Accredited media are requested to arrive no later than 13h00 for security purposes and to allow sufficient time for setup)
Venue: Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand (Further details regarding the media programme, access arrangements and timings will be communicated to accredited media.)

MEDIA ACCREDITATION:
Note that accreditation is closed.  Access to the Business Forum will be limited to media already accredited for the Ministerial meeting, Heads of State Meeting, as well as those accredited specifically for the Business Forum.

Media enquiries: 
The Presidency:
Vincent Magwenya, 
Spokesperson to President Ramaphosa - media@presidency.gov.za

Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic):
Kaamil Alli
Ministerial Spokesperson
Mobile/WhatsApp: +27 82 520 6813
E-mail: KAlli@thedtic.gov.za

Bongani Lukhele
Director: Media Relations
Tel: (012) 394 1643
Mobile: 079 5083 457
WhatsApp: 074 2998 512
E-mail: BLukhele@thedtic.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria
 

Government-Business Partnership launches Phase 3 to unlock growth, jobs and confidence

Phase 3 is focused on urgently addressing the societal crisis of low growth and unemployment. It adds additional sectors to the partnership platform, with the goal of 3%+ growth and one million additional jobs by 2030.
 
President Cyril Ramaphosa today launched Phase 3 of the Government Business Partnership for Growth and Jobs, marking the next chapter of the joint effort between government and business to accelerate inclusive economic growth, unlock investment, strengthen confidence and create jobs.
 
The challenge is urgent. While growth has improved over the past two years, it remains too low to meaningfully expand employment, 8.5 million people are without work, and roughly 300,000 net new work-seekers enter the labour force every year. At below 3% growth, new entrants outpace job creation; above it, jobs compound. Phase 3 is designed to get South Africa decisively above that line.
 
Building on the progress achieved since the Partnership was established in 2023, Phase 3 sets an ambitious shared goal: to help move South Africa onto a path of sustained GDP growth of more than 3% per annum, and contribute towards the creation of one million additional jobs by 2030. 
 
The Partnership enters Phase 3 with a simple guiding principle: every initiative will be assessed against its contribution to inclusive growth, job creation and confidence.
 
Since its establishment, the Government Business Partnership has brought together the capabilities and resources of government and business in a unique delivery model focused on implementation, accountability and measurable outcomes. Through Phases 1 and 2, government and business worked together to address binding constraints to South Africa’s growth through coordinated interventions in energy, transport and logistics, crime and corruption, and youth employment.

This collaboration has helped to stabilise two of South Africa’s most important network industries, advanced critical structural reforms and laid stronger foundations for economic recovery. Loadshedding has ended – from 335 days of power cuts in 2023 to a stable grid, with Eskom in profit for the first time in eight years. Logistics performance is recovering, with Durban named the world’s most improved port. South Africa has exited the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list and recorded its first primary budget surpluses in 15 years. Economic reforms coordinated through Operation Vulindlela are accelerating and strengthening credibility among domestic and global investors.

Phase 3 is designed to convert this momentum into faster growth and job creation. While South Africa is showing signs of improvement – including six consecutive quarters of growth, sovereign rating upgrades by S&P and Fitch, an improved Moody’s outlook, a stronger Rand, declining inflation and other significant green shoots – GDP growth was just 1.1% in 2025, while unemployment stands at 33.6%. Unemployment at this scale is a national crisis, and it will not be resolved at current growth rates. The Partnership must now focus on the constraints preventing growth from accelerating above 3%, the level needed to create jobs at scale.

Phase 3 is organised around three complementary pillars that together are designed to accelerate growth, create jobs and strengthen confidence.
 
The first pillar focuses on South Africa's economic growth enablers and comprises the Energy and Transport and Logistics workstreams. These remain fundamental to improving competitiveness, attracting investment and driving growth across the economy.
 
The second pillar focuses on four new growth drivers: Mining, Tourism, Infrastructure, and Agriculture and Agro-processing. These workstreams focus on sectors where South Africa has strong competitive advantages and where targeted interventions can unlock investment, expand output and create jobs. They were selected through a disciplined, evidence-led assessment of materiality and size, potential to scale and impact on both rural and urban areas, and the ability to absorb large numbers of lower-skilled workers, with a particular focus on the youth.

The third pillar focuses on confidence multipliers: Crime and Corruption, which has been part of the Partnership since earlier phases; addressing challenges in local government, including the city of Johannesburg and Youth Employment; and building an evidence-based national growth narrative. These areas recognise that sustainable investment depends not only on economic reform, but also on a safe, well-governed operating environment, credible public institutions and visible progress that builds confidence in South Africa’s growth trajectory and maximises participation by the private sector.

Youth employment is both a dedicated workstream and a cross-cutting outcome pursued across every focal area, ensuring that growth translates into greater opportunities for young South Africans.
 
President Cyril Ramaphosa says: "What started as a platform to address multiple crises has evolved into a platform for growth and shared prosperity. This partnership has endured because our ambition for South Africa is strongly aligned. We both seek an economy that is growing, an economy that is creating jobs, and an economy that includes those who have been left outside it for too long. Through our efforts, our economy is again showing signs of sustained recovery. More rapid and inclusive economic growth is within our reach. “  
 
Adrian Gore, BLSA chairperson and co-convenor of the Partnership, says: “I am optimistic about our collective ability to fulfil South Africa’s potential. We have world-class capabilities, deep natural advantages and sectors with enormous unfulfilled potential. Phase 3 has been meticulously designed to unlock that potential through targeted interventions in areas where South Africa can compete globally and win.

“Growth is essential for large scale job creation. We need to move beyond business as usual and lift growth above 3% if we are to start to create net jobs. Business is fully committed to contributing leadership, expertise, implementation capacity and investment support alongside government. We believe South Africa has a significant opportunity to build a self-reinforcing cycle of an improved narrative, investment, growth, jobs and increased confidence. The inclusion of many additional CEOs to lead our work bears testimony to our approach.”
 
The Government Business Partnership has become a unique national asset: well governed, proven in delivery, and able to bring together the respective strengths of government and business in the national interest. Under the leadership of the President, Phase 3 will continue to operate through this proven delivery model, bringing together Ministers, senior government officials, senior business leaders, CEOs and dedicated implementation teams with clear priorities, measurable targets and the rapid resolution of implementation bottlenecks. 

Detailed delivery plans and metrics for each focal area will be announced in the fourth quarter of 2026. These will form a standing agenda item at the Partnership’s quarterly meetings with the President, and the Partnership will report publicly against them – on progress and challenges alike.

Media enquiries:
THE PRESIDENCY
Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President: media@presidency.gov.za 

BUSINESS FOR SOUTH AFRICA
Sandra Sowray, B4SA media: 079 167 6863 / sandra@prologconsulting.co.za 
Dani Cohen, B4SA media: 082 897 0443 / dani@prologconsulting.co.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria
 

Ministers,
Business leaders,
Chief executives of State-owned enterprises,
Directors-General,
Representatives of labour and civil society,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon.

We gather today not merely to extend the Government-Business Partnership, but to raise its level of ambition.

This partnership was born at a moment of crisis. Since then, it has become an instrument of inclusive growth and economic transformation. This partnership has gone through a number of distinct but interlinked and interrelated phases.

Phase One was about stabilisation.

Phase Two was about reform.

Phase Three must be about growth.

The Partnership must be about converting the progress we have made into investment, productive activity and jobs.

It must be about ensuring that economic recovery is felt not only in improved balance sheets, stronger markets and favourable economic indicators, but in the lives of the South African people.

This partnership was established in 2023 at a moment of great difficulty for our country.
Rolling load shedding was causing immense damage to businesses, households and public institutions.
The deteriorating performance of our railways and ports was constraining exports, disrupting supply chains and weakening our competitiveness.

South Africa’s grey-listing by the Financial Action Task Force exposed serious weaknesses in our systems for combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

Confidence in the country’s economic prospects was under severe strain.
Government and business therefore came together around a common purpose: to address the most immediate constraints on growth and to restore confidence in South Africa’s future.

This partnership was founded on a simple but powerful principle.

There are challenges that government must lead in resolving. There are investments and capabilities that only business can mobilise. There are reforms that require the support of labour and the participation of communities.

And there are national challenges that none of us can overcome on our own.

This partnership does not transfer the responsibilities of government to business.

It does not blur the distinction between public authority and private interest.

Rather, it brings together the respective capabilities of government and business in pursuit of clearly defined national objectives.

It recognises that the state must govern, regulate and deliver.

It recognises that business must invest, innovate, produce and create employment.

And it recognises that both government and business have a shared responsibility to build a more inclusive economy and a more equal society.

We have learned through this partnership that when we agree on the problem, establish clear priorities, mobilise the necessary expertise and hold each other accountable, we can make meaningful progress.

This lesson has relevance beyond our borders.

Last week, South Africa hosted the 46th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government.

The Summit focused on the actions needed to deepen regional integration, advance industrialisation, expand trade and create employment.

Southern Africa faces substantial challenges.

These include the growing impact of climate change on food and water security, constrained economic growth, high youth unemployment and the continuing threat of disease outbreaks and pandemics.

Yet ours is also a region of immense promise.

We possess extensive agricultural land, abundant renewable energy resources, significant reserves of critical minerals and a young and increasingly connected population.

Southern Africa is well positioned to benefit from the green energy transition, the digital revolution and the reorganisation of global production and trade.

But potential does not become prosperity by itself.

It requires sound policy, capable institutions, efficient infrastructure, regional value chains and investment on a far greater scale.

No country can sustain prosperity within a region that is stagnant.

Our national economic recovery must therefore contribute to the industrial development and economic integration of the entire Southern African region.

This is another reason why partnerships between governments and business are so important.

Over the last three years, the Government-Business Partnership has demonstrated what focused collaboration can achieve.

In energy, government established the Energy Action Plan and the National Energy Crisis Committee to restore energy security and reform the electricity sector.

Business mobilised technical expertise and resources in support of Eskom, while investing substantially in new generation capacity.

South Africa has now gone for more than a year without load shedding.

Power station performance has improved, and a substantial pipeline of private investment in new generation has been established.

Important steps have also been taken towards the creation of a competitive electricity market.

These include granting a Market Operator Licence to the National Transmission Company South Africa and approving new Grid Capacity Allocation Rules.

These achievements are significant.
But we must not confuse the absence of load shedding with the completion of energy reform.

We still need to expand the transmission grid, bring new generation capacity online, address the crisis in municipal electricity distribution and ensure that electricity remains affordable for households and businesses.

In freight logistics, government established the National Logistics Crisis Committee and adopted the Freight Logistics Roadmap.

The decline in rail and port performance has been arrested, and freight volumes are beginning to recover.

Rail access agreements have been concluded with 11 private train-operating companies.

This marks an important step towards a more competitive freight rail system, in which public infrastructure is strengthened through additional investment and operating capacity.

Here too, the work is far from complete.
Our mines, farms and factories depend on railways and ports that operate efficiently, reliably and at globally competitive cost.

In the fight against crime and corruption, government established an intergovernmental task team to address the weaknesses identified by the Financial Action Task Force.

The removal of South Africa from the FATF grey list in October 2025 was a major achievement.

It strengthened the integrity of our financial system and sent an important signal to investors and international partners.

The establishment of Digital Forensics South Africa is another important development.

It will help strengthen the capacity of the state to investigate complex financial crimes and corruption using modern technology and specialised expertise.

Our work in this area must now move beyond compliance.

We must increase the investigation and successful prosecution of serious commercial crimes, recover stolen assets and dismantle the criminal networks that are damaging our institutions and our economy.

In Phase Two, the partnership expanded its focus to youth employment.

This recognised that unemployment—and particularly youth unemployment—is the greatest social and economic crisis confronting our country.

Government and business worked together to expand access to the SA Youth platform and the Youth Employment Service.

The backlog in the Global Business Services incentive was addressed, contributing to the creation of more than 26,000 jobs in that sector in 2025 alone.

The partnership also focused on employment-intensive sectors such as tourism and the digital economy.

These interventions have opened opportunities for many young people.

But they have not yet reached the scale demanded by the crisis we face.

We must be honest about the distance we still have to travel.

Despite the progress made in energy, logistics, crime and corruption, and youth employment, our economy continues to grow below the level required to reduce unemployment on a sustained basis.

For the millions of South Africans who cannot find work, economic recovery remains an abstract idea.

For a young person who has never held a job, progress must mean an opportunity to work.

For a small business struggling to survive, reform must mean reliable electricity, efficient municipal services and access to finance and markets.

For a farmer, progress must mean water security, functioning roads and railways, effective biosecurity and access to domestic and international markets.

For workers and communities, growth must mean rising incomes, greater security and a fair share in the country’s prosperity.

The true measure of reform is not the number of policies we announce.

It is the change that reform produces in people’s lives.

There are encouraging indications that our economy is moving in the right direction.
South Africa has received sovereign credit-rating upgrades.

Bond yields have improved, the rand has strengthened and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange has performed well.

These developments reflect growing confidence in the direction of our reform programme.

But confidence is not an end in itself.

Confidence must lead to investment.

Investment must lead to production.

Production must lead to jobs.

And jobs must lead to better lives.

Government has placed economic growth at the centre of its programme.

We are implementing the Plan for Growth and Inclusion and the Industrial Development Strategy of 2026.

We have set a new ambition to mobilise R3 trillion in investment.

Through Operation Vulindlela, we are accelerating structural reform in electricity, freight logistics, water, telecommunications and the visa system.

These measures are establishing the foundations for stronger growth.

Phase Three of the Government-Business Partnership must now build upon these foundations.

Its central framework is Inclusive Growth, Jobs and Confidence.

Our immediate objective is to lift economic growth above 3 per cent.

But growth of 3 per cent cannot be the summit of our ambition.

It is a necessary threshold from which we must advance towards higher, sustained and more inclusive growth.

The composition of growth matters as much as its rate.

We need growth that is labour-intensive.

We need growth that expands our industrial capacity.

We need growth that supports small and medium enterprises, black industrialists, women-owned businesses and businesses owned by young people.

We need growth that reaches rural communities, townships and smaller towns.

For this reason, Phase Three should expand the partnership’s work into tourism, agriculture and agro-processing, and mining.

These sectors have been selected because they have significant potential to attract investment, earn foreign revenue, strengthen localisation and create employment at scale.

Tourism is one of the fastest ways to generate jobs across a wide range of skills. Every additional visitor supports employment in accommodation, transport, food services, entertainment, retail and the creative industries.

Our task is to remove the barriers holding the sector back.

We must improve air access, modernise visa processing, strengthen destination marketing, enhance tourist safety and expand investment in tourism infrastructure.

We must ensure that the benefits of tourism extend beyond the established destinations to our villages, townships, small towns, heritage sites and national parks.

Agriculture and agro-processing have the potential to create jobs across the country and strengthen our food security.

We must address the constraints relating to water, transport, biosecurity, agricultural finance and access to markets.

We must build competitive agro-processing value chains that enable us to export more processed products rather than only raw agricultural commodities.

We must accelerate land reform in a way that expands production and creates a new generation of successful black commercial farmers.

We must connect smallholder and emerging farmers to finance, technology, extension services, commercial supply chains and export markets.

Mining remains one of the foundations of our economy.

The global transition to cleaner energy is creating unprecedented demand for the critical minerals that South Africa and the broader region possess.

We must take advantage of this opportunity.

This requires a modern, transparent and efficient mining-rights system, reliable electricity, improved rail and port infrastructure, greater exploration and stronger action against illegal mining and organised crime.

It also requires greater beneficiation, meaningful community participation and increased opportunities for junior miners and black-owned mining companies.

The expansion into these sectors does not mean that we will reduce our focus on energy, logistics, crime and corruption, and youth employment.

We cannot declare victory while critical reforms remain incomplete.

In Phase Three, we must deepen implementation, embed the reforms already undertaken and ensure that progress cannot be reversed.

This phase must be defined by disciplined execution.

Every workstream must have clear objectives, measurable targets, firm timelines and accountable leaders.

Progress must be monitored regularly and reported transparently.

Where implementation falls behind, we must intervene rapidly.

Where policies or regulations are holding back investment without serving a legitimate public purpose, they must be reviewed.

Where institutional capacity is weak, it must be strengthened.

And where corruption or vested interests obstruct progress, they must be confronted.

We must maintain the highest standards of governance and public integrity.

The partnership must operate transparently, within the law and in the public interest. There can be no special favours, no privileged access and no weakening of the state’s regulatory responsibilities.

The credibility of this partnership depends not only on what it delivers, but on how it delivers.

Business also has an important responsibility.

As confidence improves, South African businesses must invest.

They must expand production, open new markets, develop local suppliers and create jobs.

They must support transformation not merely as a compliance requirement, but as an economic necessity.

An economy cannot reach its full potential while the majority of its people remain excluded from ownership, opportunity and decision-making.

Companies must invest in skills, support small businesses, pay suppliers on time and open procurement opportunities to new entrants.

They must give young people their first chance to enter the world of work.

Government, for its part, must provide policy certainty, efficient regulation, capable institutions and reliable public infrastructure.

We must improve the ease of doing business while protecting workers, communities and the environment.

We must build a professional and ethical public service and strengthen the rule of law.

Above all, we must act with urgency.

South Africans cannot live on the promise of future growth.

They need to experience progress in the present.

They are looking to us to demonstrate that partnership can produce results, that reform can improve lives and that growth can restore hope.

The establishment of Phase Three is therefore both an expression of confidence and an acceptance of responsibility.

We have shown that we can stabilise.
We have shown that we can reform.
We must now show that we can grow.
We must show that growth can create employment on a scale that changes the prospects of an entire generation.
We must show that transformation and growth are not competing objectives, but mutually reinforcing imperatives.

Government cannot build this economy alone.

Business cannot build it alone.
Labour cannot build it alone.
Civil society cannot build it alone.

But by working together—while respecting our distinct roles and responsibilities—we can build an economy that is more competitive, more inclusive and more resilient.

We can build an economy in which every South African has the opportunity to work, to participate, to prosper and to hold a meaningful stake.

Let us make Phase Three the phase in which confidence becomes investment, investment becomes jobs and growth becomes shared prosperity.

Let us proceed with urgency, discipline and a common purpose.

I thank you.