President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for greater urgency in preparing, financing and delivering infrastructure projects, saying South Africa must turn its growing project pipeline into tangible economic activity and improved public services.

Addressing the sixth Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium of South Africa on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, Ramaphosa said infrastructure investment was central to the country’s efforts to achieve inclusive economic growth and create jobs.

He said infrastructure was also critical to the integration of Southern Africa and the wider African continent, with regional economies requiring better-connected roads, railways, ports, energy systems, data networks and other infrastructure.

“We must link mines to factories and farms to markets,” Ramaphosa said, highlighting the need to connect gas fields with industrial plants, renewable-energy projects with consumers, and businesses with their customers.

Ramaphosa said South Africa’s economic growth depended on reliable energy, sufficient water, efficient ports and railways, functioning roads, digital connectivity and cities and towns capable of delivering essential services.

He acknowledged that the country’s infrastructure system had historically been too fragmented, contributing to delays, escalating costs and projects failing to proceed.

Government has subsequently strengthened coordination through the Infrastructure Development Act and the work of Infrastructure South Africa, which is responsible for preparing and advancing strategic infrastructure projects.

Ramaphosa said Infrastructure South Africa must ensure projects are properly prepared, funding is secured and procurement takes place as scheduled.

The need for faster investment is underscored by South Africa’s relatively low level of capital formation. Gross fixed capital formation stood at around 14% of GDP in 2025, according to Ramaphosa, compared with the 30% investment level envisaged in the National Development Plan for 2030.

“We need to convert plans into prepared projects, convert prepared projects into investment, and convert investment into construction,” he said.

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

The value of South Africa’s Strategic Integrated Projects portfolio has expanded sharply, from approximately R340 billion in 2020 to more than R1.67 trillion.

The current portfolio comprises 195 public and private-led infrastructure projects across priority sectors. Of these, 32 projects valued at approximately R48 billion have been completed, while 55 projects worth more than R407 billion are currently under construction.

Ramaphosa said the figures demonstrated that the project pipeline was becoming more mature, but stressed that the focus must now shift towards converting projects into actual investment and construction.

A key area of focus is project preparation, particularly for municipalities, where inadequate institutional capacity can undermine infrastructure investment.

Infrastructure South Africa’s R600 million project preparation facility has supported or is supporting 26 projects.

Ramaphosa highlighted the example of Matjhabeng Local Municipality, where Infrastructure South Africa spent R1.8 million preparing and packaging a project to replace more than 1,700 kilometres of water pipes. That preparation helped unlock an R800 million debt financing facility from the Development Bank of Southern Africa.

Under the Adopt-a-Municipality pilot programme, Infrastructure South Africa is preparing and packaging projects intended to unlock R7 billion in investment, focusing on municipal trading services including water and sanitation, electricity and energy, and waste management.

Ramaphosa said simply providing additional grants would not resolve municipal infrastructure challenges unless underlying institutional capability was addressed.

“Building a new asset without making provision for its operation and maintenance is not sustainable,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of providing investors with greater certainty about South Africa’s infrastructure pipeline.

Government has released the third edition of the Construction Book, showcasing infrastructure projects worth more than R350 billion across water and sanitation, transport and logistics, energy and electricity, and municipal infrastructure.

The latest edition contains more than 170 projects with an estimated value of R264 billion. These are funded and investment-ready projects expected to enter procurement over the next 12 to 18 months.

Government will now publish quarterly performance reports on the Construction Book in an effort to ensure projects move from planning to implementation.

Ramaphosa also positioned South Africa’s infrastructure programme within the broader push for regional and continental economic integration.

Following the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit in eThekwini, he said infrastructure remained fundamental to connecting the economies of Southern Africa.

But he cautioned that physical infrastructure alone would not be enough.

African countries must also work towards harmonising policies, regulations, standards and institutional arrangements that allow infrastructure systems to operate across borders.

The President said infrastructure development would require cooperation between government, the private sector, development finance institutions, commercial lenders, state-owned companies, implementing agencies and infrastructure professionals.

Universities and training institutions would also play an important role in developing the skills required to support the infrastructure pipeline.

“The task before us is substantial, but so too is the opportunity,” Ramaphosa said.

“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.”

For South Africa, the challenge now is no longer simply identifying infrastructure needs. It is turning a growing pipeline of projects into bankable investments, construction activity, functioning assets and, ultimately, stronger economic growth.