Pretoria, 14 March 2022.
Underlining the success of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s investment drive and highlighting the significance of the Africa Free Continental Trade Area (AfCTA) to the Africa’s economic growth prospects will be the background against which presidential economic envoy, Jeff Radebe, will address a business breakfast on the 16th March 2022.
The business breakfast comes ahead of the Fourth South African Investment Conference (SAIC) scheduled for Sandton Convention Centre on 24th March. In 2018, President Ramaphosa committed to raising R1.2 trillion over a five-year period. To date, significant progress to achieving this goal has been made. And, of the 152 projects pledged to date, 45 have been completed while 57 are still under construction.
These investments range from automotive, medical, food, industrial, construction and other sectors. It is anticipated that the SAIC will, among other objectives, help stimulate the country’s massive build programme, start-ups in hemp and cannabis production, oil and gas exploration, upstreaming of the gas industry, renewable energy, high tech plus industries with high growth potential such as automotive, clothing, textiles, chemicals, plastics and agriculture.
This is in addition to expansion opportunities offered by manufacturing, mining, infrastructure, technology, and telecommunications. Further to this, the SAIC will showcase the thirteen special economic zones.
Of particular interest, South Africa is creating an environment in which the private sector can grow and access new markets, create new products and create employment opportunities. Some new policies announced by government to help boost economic growth include the proposed new visa regime to enable economic growth. Water-use licences will now be fast-tracked and processed within 90 days; administrative procedures have been simplified including a newly formed dedicated unit in the Presidency is set to reduce red tape.
It is expected that more information on this comprehensive social compact will be announced later in May.
The conference complements the established Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan which works toward:
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- securing the energy supply, growing small and medium businesses, boosting agriculture;
- drawing more people into the economy, the youth in particular, through several mass public employment programmes;
- increasing financial stability through better revenue collection, fiscal prudence, managing the public sector wage bill; and
- mobilising the country around an infrastructure-led recovery that emphasises localisation.
Media Enquiries: Mr. Ayanda Holo
E-mail: holo@gcis.gov.za
Mobile: +27 61 488 0634
DTIC Media Relations: Mr. Bongani Lukhele
Mobile: +27 79 508 3457
WhatsApp: +27 74 299 8512
E-mail: BLukhele@thedtic.gov.za
Meropa Communications: Ms. Leigh-Ann Carey
E-mail: leigh-annc@meropa.co.za
Mobile: +27 73 055 1015