European and South African investors gathered this week in Johannesburg as the European Union launched an investment roadshow aimed at turning clean energy, infrastructure and industrial plans into bankable projects.
The roadshow, organised under the EU’s Global Gateway programme, brings together around 350 investors, financial institutions, companies and project developers.
At the centre of the discussions is a familiar challenge: South Africa’s ambitions are larger than the capital currently available to fund them.
The investment focus spans five sectors:
- Energy transition projects
- Critical minerals and local beneficiation
- Pharmaceutical manufacturing
- Transport and logistics infrastructure
- Digital connectivity
For South Africa, the timing is significant.
The country is trying to attract private capital into energy generation, modernise transport infrastructure, strengthen industrial capacity and improve competitiveness at a time when public finances remain constrained.
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Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau described the initiative as an effort to turn commitments into investment.
Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy Samantha Graham-Maré said the country’s energy ambitions depend on attracting capital capable of moving projects from planning stages into construction and operation.
The roadshow continues in Cape Town before concluding in Durban, where transport and logistics projects will dominate discussions.
The bigger question now is whether investors move beyond conversations and into signed deals.
By Thuita Gatero, Managing Editor, Africa Digest News.
