By Shumirai Chimombe
Invest. Partner. Prosper. Attracting A Record Number of Investment Pledges at The 2026 SAIC
“Our message today is clear: South Africa is open, South Africa is ready, and South Africa is an investment destination of choice.” – Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Honourable Parks Tau
The 6th South Africa Investment Conference (SAIC), held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg on 31 March, brought together over 1 000 delegates from around the country and more than 50 countries. The conference was convened under the 3 D’s framework – Decarbonisation, Digitisation and Diversification, with the Ease of Doing Business being a cross-cutting theme.
In his opening remarks, His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa explained that conferences such as the SAIC are an opportunity to showcase the attractiveness of investment opportunities in South Africa to domestic and international investors. They connect investors with local opportunities leading to foreign direct investment (FDI). They also facilitate strong partnerships by bringing together governments, business, banks and development finance institutions.
“Our investment strategy is anchored in sectors that will drive growth and create jobs at scale, including manufacturing, mining beneficiation, digital infrastructure, agriculture, and green industrialisation. As investors, you are looking for investment destinations that have strong fundamentals, that are resilient, credible, and reform-oriented – and the South African economy meets this criteria. This sixth South Africa Investment Conference stands at the crossroads of opportunity and ambition, ready to turn pledges into projects on the ground.”
Record Investment Pledges Highlight Strong Investor Confidence
The SAIC was launched in 2018 as part of President Ramaphosa’s initial ambitious drive that set a five-year target of R1.2-trillion in investments, but secured R1.5-trillion in capital. This was across economic sectors including mining, manufacturing, agriculture, energy and the digital economy.
At this year’s SAIC South Africa secured the highest-ever investment commitments. The 2026 SAIC confirmed that a total of 81 private sector investment pledges had been made, totalling R415-billion and directly creating 233 312 declared jobs. Overall the conference secured over R889.8-billion in total investment commitments across public and private sectors. The investments span all nine provinces and 22 source markets across five continents. Three quarters of committed capital – R314.6-billion – originates from South African investors, demonstrating deep domestic confidence in the country’s policies and business environment.
Chemicals and Sustainable Packaging
The energy and chemicals company, Sasol topped the list, announcing that it had committed R60-billion to upgrade their plants, to deploy the latest technologies and invest in infrastructure that is critical to sustain all its operations. Making the announcement, Mr Simon Baloyi, President and CEO of Sasol said that for over 75 years Sasol has been key to the energy security of this country, and there’s never been any time like this to be reminded that energy security is national security.
“This amount of money is not only going to allow us to sustain our operations, but to build a very strong foundation – a foundation where we can produce sustainable fuels and sustainable chemicals. This is a very fantastic opportunity for our organisation and this we cannot do without the support of our partners and government – working with government
to make sure that we’ve got regulatory support not only at home but abroad as well.”
“Our company will continue to be invested in South Africa. And you may ask why? Because we know that when South Africa does well, Africa will do well. And when Africa does well, the whole world will do well.”
Tourism and Property
In the tourism and property sector, Cornubia 957 committed R25-billion, with a strong focus in KwaZulu-Natal. CEO Frank Mni said that this investment was in the form of the Umhlanga Hills Tech Connect tech hub that had been launched in Durban. Developed in partnership with Huawei, this large-scale smart campus is built around three key pillars – BPO (large contact centre), an AI-ready data center, and AI automated warehouse – all of which are the first in Africa.
“Our BPO platform in a tech hub is designed for 35,000 seats creating around 100,000 jobs mainly for our young people. It’s a gateway between South Africa and the world. A platform where South African talents connect to global opportunities. Innovations become real economic outputs. My ambition is simple. That is to position Durban as the Silicon Valley of Africa.”
ICT and the Digital Economy
Kojo Boakye, Vice President of Public Policy for Africa, Middle East and Türkiye at Meta (formally Facebook) announced that Meta has decided to land its next subsea cable, Project Waterworth, in South Africa. At more than 50,000 kilometers long, Waterworth is Meta’s most ambitious subsea project connecting five continents. It will land in 2030 in three locations – one in Kwazulu-Natal and two in the Western Cape – putting South Africa on the map as a regional digital hub.
“Despite the compelling relationships and long-term value that we see in South Africa, some may ask why South Africa.? To all of us at Meta, it’s clear. Infrastructure investment at the scale with which we do it requires policy clarity, and while we are risk takers, some level of predictability. South Africa’s digital master plan, its forthcoming data and cloud policy, as well as the national AI policy framework demonstrate this government’s unceasing effort to give investors like Meta and many more the clarity and predictability that we need.
The conditions that compelled Meta to make this investment – policy leadership, strategic ambition, and genuine partnership are the same conditions that will compel others to invest here in South Africa.”
Agroprocessing, Food and Beverages
The Coca‑Cola system in South Africa, comprising Coca‑Cola and its authorized bottlers – Coca‑Cola Beverages South Africa and Coca‑Cola Peninsula Beverages announced a planned R17.6-billion investment in South Africa through 2030. The investment will support expanded production capacity, strengthen distribution and accelerate innovation across the Coca‑Cola system’s value chain – reinforcing Coca‑Cola’s confidence in the South African market and its long-term economic prospects.
Speaking at the conference Luis Felipe Avellar, president of the Coca‑Cola Company’s Africa operating unit said: “Our R17.6-billion investment reflects our strong belief in South Africa’s potential and our commitment to growing alongside the communities we serve. We hire locally, produce locally, distribute locally and, where possible, source locally, helping to build a stronger, more integrated economy in South Africa.”
Other significant Pledges
In KwaZulu-Natal, Toyota will invest R10.4-billion in preparing for the energy transition in the automotive sector.
In Limpopo, Valterra Platinum is investing in new mining shafts, a smelter and other operations, providing key inputs for the products of the future.
In the Northern Cape as well as the Hillside smelter in KwaZulu-Natal, South32 is investing R3.9-billion in rail infrastructure upgrades at their manganese mines.
In Gauteng and the Western Cape, Actom, a black-owned electrotechnical manufacturing company, is investing R250-million in equipment to support grid expansion, including transformers, high voltage equipment and batteries for energy storage.
In the Eastern and Western Cape, Teleperformance is investing R145-million in global business services, an investment that will create 2 600 jobs.
In North West, Mulilo is investing R14.8-billion in four renewable energy projects in the province as well as in the Free State and the Western Cape.
MTN Group pledged R21.8-billion towards expanding ICT infrastructure and advancing the digital economy, aligning with national priorities around digitalisation.
Members of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry South Africa collectively committed R20.4-billion across multiple industries and provinces, reflecting continued international investor interest.
Details of all 81 pledges can be found at the SAIC official website.
Looking To The Future
The next goal is to reach R2-trillion in new investments over the next five years.
Sources:
South Africa Investment Conference | The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa : South African Government News Agency | SABC News | Coca-Cola
