Remarks by Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile at the Business Gala Dinner of the Sixth South Africa Investment Conference, Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg

Programme Directors, Ms Nozipho Tshabalala and Mr Mpho Tsedu;
The Honourable Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Parks Tau; 
Ministers and Deputy Ministers present; 
Business Leaders and Investor Representatives; 
Directors-General and Senior Government Officials; 
Distinguished Guests; 
Ladies and Gentlemen;

Good Evening, 

It is my honour to welcome you to this gala dinner after what has been a truly remarkable day of dialogue, partnership, and vision at the Sixth South Africa Investment Conference (SAIC). 

This Conference has once again affirmed that South Africa’s growth and recovery depend on robust partnerships between government, business, labour, and society.

What made this day truly exceptional was the unity we witnessed among our partners, and the way our nation spoke in one voice. A voice of reform, a voice of resilience, and a voice ready to explore new frontiers of investment.

As we gather here tonight, we are anchoring that voice even deeper. We are not only celebrating the commitments announced today, but we are also committing ourselves to the journey ahead.

The steps that we took this afternoon are the results of a journey that began in 2018 under the leadership and vision of His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa when we launched the first South Africa Investment Conference. 

His vision positioned this Conference not as a talk shop, but as a delivery focused platform to mobilise investment, unblock constraints, and drive implementation. 

Ever since, the Investment Conference has been anchored in a practical social compact that recognises the government as a creator of an enabling environment, while the private sector brings capital, skills and innovation.

In his keynote address this morning, the President reminded us that innovation and credibility are the foundations of confidence, and that our economy has remained financially stable. He noted that investors seek strong, resilient, and reform-oriented destinations, which South Africa embodies. "As investors, you are looking to investment destinations that have strong fundamentals, that are resilient, credible, and reform-oriented and the South African economy meets this criteria".

As President Ramaphosa noted, South Africa Investment conference stands at the crossroads of opportunity and ambition, ready to turn pledges into projects on the ground. This is why our focus has shifted decisively from commitments to implementation, from policy intent to measurable outcomes. 

Similarly, Minister Parks Tau framed the scene, reminding us that reform is not abstract policy but the lived reality of investors, workers, and communities. Minister Ramokgopa and our telecommunications partners showed how energy and digital infrastructure serve as catalysts for competitiveness, and how the power and data grid together form the backbone of our future economy.

Through a series of panel discussions, the opportunities in energy and critical minerals were examined, emphasizing South Africa's strategic advantages in platinum, manganese, and chrome within the global clean energy transition. 

Additionally, sessions addressed topics such as innovative financing, agritech, tourism, high-value manufacturing, and institutional oversight, reinforcing the message that South Africa is open for business and ready to deliver. Regional economic diplomacy sessions showcased South Africa as a gateway to Africa, while TED-style talks highlighted themes of digital transformation, green skills, creative industries, and health-tech innovation.

All the sessions we had were not a collection of standalone sessions. Rather, they built a coherent narrative: reform credibility, investor confidence, deployable opportunities and global partnerships.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me to echo that message tonight, that without an inch of doubt, South Africa is a premier investment destination, offering high returns through its role as Africa's most industrialised, diversified economy and a gateway to the continent.
In other words, as Minister Tau has said, “South Africa does not ask you to take a leap of faith”. 

We invite you to join a journey already in motion, with results already unfolding. Partner in our digital economy, and you will connect Africa’s youth to opportunity.

As a nation, we are experiencing a resurgence characterised by the integration of reforms, enhancement of institutions, and the restoration of stability in critical economic sectors.
Our country remains one of the most diversified economies on the African continent, and we see our economic future as inseparable from that of Africa. 

Of the more than 50 countries represented here, the majority are African. This reflects our shared understanding: African cooperation and integration are essential to sustained growth. 

This is the essence of our theme: Invest. Partner. Prosper.
Our engagement aligns directly with the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which seeks to create a single African market, deepen industrialisation, and build regional value chains. 

Through the AfCFTA, investors gain access to a continental market of 1.4 billion people, while our partnerships span Europe, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East.

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

In the context of shifting global geopolitical and economic dynamics, Africa’s unity presents a strategic opportunity. As global value chains are re-organised, Africa offers scale, resources, a growing consumer base, and a youthful population. To harness this potential, we must strengthen regional integration, beginning with our immediate region.

South Africa is committed to consolidating SACU and deepening integration within SADC, a region of more than 150 million people, with significant potential for industrial expansion, infrastructure development, and cross border investment.

I must also indicate that South Africa is a nation that has proven resilience. Against global headwinds, from the pandemic to energy constraints we mobilised R1.5 trillion in commitments between 2018 and 2023, exceeding our target. More than R600 billion has already flowed into factories, mines, call centres, and technology hubs. Jobs have been created, communities uplifted, and industries modernised.

This is the indication that we are committed to policy reform and certainty, to improving the ease of doing business, and to ensuring that investment supports transformation, localisation and sustainable development.

Through Operation Vulindlela, we have unlocked grid access, streamlined water licensing, opened freight logistics to private participation, and reformed visas to boost tourism. 

Our financial governance has been strengthened, earning us our first sovereign credit rating upgrade in nearly two decades and removal from the FATF grey list.

Through continued partnership, we will ensure that investment commitments are translated into projects, projects into productive activity, and productive activity into decent jobs and shared prosperity
South Africa is expanding opportunities through an accelerated energy transition, with renewable generation, green hydrogen, and battery storage becoming realities. Moreover, the nation is advancing its digital transformation with broadband expansion, fintech innovation, and AI infrastructure, establishing itself as Africa’s digital portal.

Additionally, the announcements from platinum and gold clusters to agritech, manufacturing, and services confirm that capital is not waiting for reform to begin. It is flowing into projects already underway. The investment pipeline of R284.8 billion across 66 projects is not a promise; it is a plan in motion.

Tonight, as we share this dinner, let us anchor our message in partnership. Let us commit not only to investment, but to building industries, creating jobs, and shaping futures. Together, we can turn commitments into factories, agreements into technologies, and announcements into livelihoods.

Let us leave here tonight with a shared pledge that the voice we spoke with today will echo tomorrow in boardrooms, in communities, and in the lives of millions of South Africans. Working together, government, business and our African partners, we can shape a future defined by growth, stability and opportunity for all.

In a nutshell, South Africa is implementing reforms. South Africa is building partnerships. South Africa is open for investment.

Let us invest. Let us partner and let us prosper together.

I thank you