By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Dean Macpherson, has reaffirmed government’s commitment to transforming the country into a hive of construction activity to drive economic recovery, job creation and scale up service delivery.
Macpherson was speaking at media briefing on Sunday, ahead of the SIDSSA, which will be held on Monday and Tuesday.
SIDSSA, held from 25 to 27 May in Century City, Cape Town, is aimed at bringing together key stakeholders, experts, and decision-makers in the field of infrastructure development.
This year the symposium will feature the following milestones:
- Announcement of new Top 12 Infrastructure Project Priorities stemming from the Bid Window 1 for Project Preparation.
- The second edition of the Construction Book, a repository of funded infrastructure projects going into procurement in the 2025/2026.
- A Leaders Forum, a gathering of South African Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Premiers and Infrastructure MEC’s with invited Ministers from the continent.
- Signing of memoranda of understanding with important partners and stakeholders committing resources to advancing infrastructure delivery.
The symposium will also provide an update on the gazetted Strategic Integrated Projects; an update on the projects already receiving project preparation support and infrastructure fund project pipeline.
The symposium follows closely on the heels of Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s Budget Speech, in which he announced that government will invest approximately R1 trillion in infrastructure over the medium term.
“This week, government, business, development financiers and technical experts will come together with a singular focus: how do we use infrastructure to drive South Africa’s economic recovery, attract investment and most importantly, create jobs? SIDSSA is not just a conversation. It is a platform for execution, “Macpherson said.
The Minister announced that during the symposium, the second edition of the Construction Book, compiled by Infrastructure South Africa, will be launched.
“This is a live inventory of construction ready projects that are already funded and scheduled to go to the market over the next 12 months. It showcases the real work being done to build roads, expand water supply systems, unlock energy capacity and rehabilitate public infrastructure.
“This year’s construction book includes over 200 funded projects part of the annual procurement plans of State-Owned Enterprises, municipalities and provinces across the country. The goal is clear, we must accelerate delivery, stimulate growth and turn South Africa into a construction site,” the Minister said.
He said the next wave of priority projects will also be announced.
“These include eight nationally significant infrastructure projects that were prioritised at SIDSSA last year. I will also be providing an update on these projects while [President Cyril Ramaphosa] will outline the broader significance of these projects in his keynote address,” he said.
Macpherson emphasised that it is evident that “we are making real progress in the infrastructure space across the length and breadth of South Africa”.
“These projects are no longer aspirational. They are funded, contracted and moving through feasibility and procurement stages with urgency and transparency.
“One of the biggest reforms we’ve made has been to prioritise project preparation funding. Through Infrastructure South Africa, we are ensuring that public sector projects no longer fail at the first hurdle due to weak planning, poor structuring or lack of compliance. Over R600 million has now been committed to prepare strategic infrastructure projects from basic services to catalytic energy and water investments,” he revealed.