South Africa’s strategic infrastructure pipeline has expanded to more than R1.67 trillion, with 55 projects valued at over R407 billion currently under construction, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Speaking at the 2026 Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium of South Africa in Cape Town on 25 August, Ramaphosa said the country’s Strategic Integrated Projects portfolio now contains 195 public- and private-led projects across priority sectors.
The scale of the portfolio has risen sharply from about R340 billion in 2020. Over the same period, 32 projects with an estimated value of approximately R48 billion have been completed.
A stronger procurement pipeline
The government also released the third edition of its Construction Book, intended to give contractors, investors and suppliers greater visibility into funded and investment-ready projects expected to enter procurement over the next 12 to 18 months.
Ramaphosa said the latest edition contains more than 170 projects with an estimated value of R264 billion, spanning water and sanitation, transport and logistics, energy and electricity, and municipal infrastructure. He also said the broader showcase covers projects worth more than R350 billion, underlining the importance of keeping the different project totals distinct.
The government’s immediate focus is now on moving projects through preparation, financing, procurement and construction rather than simply adding more proposals to the pipeline.
Investment remains below target
South Africa’s gross fixed capital formation stood at around 14% of GDP in 2025, less than half of the 30% level envisaged in the country’s National Development Plan for 2030.
The government is therefore positioning infrastructure as a central lever for growth, job creation and regional integration, with emphasis on reliable energy, water, transport, digital connectivity and municipal services.
Infrastructure South Africa is also being used to improve project preparation. A R600 million project preparation facility is supporting 26 projects, while an Adopt-a-Municipality pilot is preparing projects intended to unlock R7 billion in investment.
For investors and contractors, the significance of the latest numbers lies less in the headline size of the portfolio than in the growing number of projects reaching construction and procurement stages. That conversion rate will be central to whether South Africa can raise infrastructure investment materially from current levels.
Source
The Presidency of South Africa, keynote address at SIDSSA 2026, 25 August 2026.
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