Africa > Southern Africa > South Africa > South Africa remains open for business and is an attractive destination for investments

South Africa: South Africa remains open for business and is an attractive destination for investments

2015/01/24

South Africa remains open for business and is an attractive destination for investments despite the current energy challenges, President Jacob Zuma told a business delegation at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos Switzerland on Wednesday.

Additional than 2 500 politicians and business leaders are taking part in the 45th World Economic Forum Annual Conference under way in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, which runs until 24 January.

Zuma told the conference that some areas of the South African economy required additional effort – particularly the energy sector.

"Our electricity infrastructure, for example, was at no time designed to serve an expanded citizenry. Last year, we celebrated the expansion of electricity to 11-million households. In the last six months of the year, we reached additional than 100 000 homes.

"This extension of electricity to additional households that had been excluded in the completed, coupled with a growing economy, has sharply put pressure on the infrastructure, which needs improved maintenance and expansion," Zuma said.

South Africa is considering options to increase its available electricity generation capacity and manage request over the next six months to reduce the risk of load shedding.

\\\"We will build on the success of the renewable energy procurement programme to ensure that we have a reliable, flexible, clean and cost-competitive electricity generation mix,\\\" he said, referring to the Department of Energy\\\'s procurement programme to expand the country\\\'s generation capacity.

Apart from the Eskom \\\"new build programme\\\" at Medupi, Kusile and Ingula, the government has procured 4 000 megawatts from Independent Power Producers. To date, 923.18 megawatts have been connected to the national grid.

Investment

Zuma said South Africa had targeted investment of R50-billion in the year 2013-2014. He said South Africa had committed itself to achieve 5% increase by 2019 if the country was to create jobs.

"Our target to attract investments for the year 2013-2014 was R50-billion. We have completed an investment pipeline of R60.5-billion of potential investment projects, reflecting both domestic and foreign projects.

"This indicates that our country remains an attractive destination for investments. South Africa remains fully open for business. We are inviting both domestic and foreign business partners to invest in the South African economy,\\\" he told the business delegation.

Ocean economy

Manufacturing, tourism, mining and beneficiation were some of the key job drivers identified for investment .

"We have added the blue economy in the completed year, through our new Operation Phakisa National Development Plan delivery programme, which is aimed at unlocking the potential of our country\\\'s oceans.

"The blue economy offers opportunities in marine transport and manufacturing activities, such as coastal shipping, boat building, repair and refurbishment, offshore oil and gas exploration, aquaculture and marine protection services and ocean governance.\\\"

To further boost industrialisation and manufacturing, the country has introduced 10 Appropriate Economic Zones (SEZ), which will help create new industrial hubs and clustering price chains.

Mining

Zuma said that mining continued to be the backbone of South Africa\\\'s economy.

"South Africa is the wealthiest mining jurisdiction in the world, with our non-energy mineral wealth being estimated at $2.5-trillion. We have been working hard together as business, government and labour to stabilise and revitalise the mining sector, and we are making evolution.\\\"

'Increase Frontier

He told the conference that evolution has been made on the establishment of the Tripartite Free Trade Area, which includes the Southern African Development Community Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and the East African Community.

The programme is expected to create a market of $2.6-trillion, with a combined people of 600-million people, which is approximately two-thirds of Africa s total people.

Africa is therefore a increase frontier. We urge you as South African business to continue exploring opportunities within South Africa and as well the continent.

"There are a lot of opportunities in South Africa. We believe the goals that are outlined in the National Development Plan (NDP) are achievable,\\\" he said.

Related Articles
  • Top 10 Most Attractive Investment Destinations In Africa

    2017/08/20 Africa’s feverish increase has decelerated in recent years and a lot of nations have buckled under the pressure of falling resource prices, security disruptions, fiscal imprudence and adverse weather conditions.
  • Africa's Relationship With China Is Ancient History

    2017/07/02 In 2002 South Africa's Parliament unveiled a digital reproduction of a map - of China, the Middle East and Africa - that some speculated could be the initial map of the African continent. The Da Ming Hun Yi Tu - the Comprehensive Map of the Great Ming Empire - was drawn up around 1389 during the Ming Dynasty, according to historian Hyunhee Park.
  • Africa: Making Things Happen at the Bank - 'Not a Talk Shop' - Akin Adesina

    2017/07/02 Dr. Akinwumi Adesina is focusing on five areas to achieve the African and world goals for a prosperous continent since becoming president of the African Development Bank - Africa's major public financial institution in September 2015. He was a keynote speaker at this month's Corporate Council on Africa's U.S.- Africa Business Summit in Washington D.C. and moderated a lively panel with five African government ministers. He as well received the Gene White Lifetime Succcess Award from the World Child Nutrition Foundation. This week, he was named the 2017 recipient of the World Food Prize, a prestigious honor that includes a $250,000 award. In an interview in Washington, DC, Adesina discussed the Development Bank's ambitious schedule and his vision for attracting the increase capital Africa needs. Posting questions for AllAfrica was Noluthando Crockett-Ntonga.
  • Climate change laws around the world

    2017/05/14 There has been a 20-fold increase in the number of global climate change laws since 1997, according to the most comprehensive database of relevant policy and legislation. The database, produced by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the Sabin Center on Climate Change Law, includes more than 1,200 relevant policies across 164 countries, which account for 95% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Moody’s and Fitch issued statements saying that while there were leaving South Africa’s bond rating at “Baa2” and “BBB-”

    2017/04/17 South Africa’s economy faced an extra challenging year in 2016, as soft commodity prices, slow domestic request and an uncertain political outlook combined to limit increase, with prospects for the coming year expected to be only somewhat additional positive. Possible downgrade Allegations of mismanagement by President Jacob Zuma and uncertainty over economic policy continued to impact increase through 2016, causing two leading ratings agencies to put the government on notice of a possible downgrade in the new year.