The GEP Manufacturing Support is a finance product aimed at supporting Gauteng-based SMMEs in manufacturing and its subsectors. 

The product is a targeted financial support instrument aimed at bolstering the productive capacity of Gauteng-based SMMEs operating within the manufacturing sector. Manufacturing is a high-value, high-growth sector with great potential to drive industrialisation and promote sustainable economic growth that stimulates job creation .

As a precursor to the Gauteng Investment Conference (GIC) 2026, the GEP Manufacturing Support is positioned as a strategic pipeline mechanism to support SMMEs in scaling up and enhancing their competitiveness.

It is central to the core principles of the GIC 2026, which promote large-scale investment commitments from private and multinational investors into manufacturing projects for Gauteng. This accelerates economic growth and recognises Gauteng as a critical manufacturing hub for South Africa and the African continent.

The Manufacturing Support is a term loan facility of up to R5-million, specifically designed to support enterprises that are at least fifty-one percent (51%) black owned.

Gauteng Investment Conference 2026

Get ready for the Gauteng Investment Conference, where ideas meet opportunity, investment drives growth, and partnerships shape the future of Gauteng’s economy.

Gauteng is set to manufacture high-value products capable of penetrating global markets, by implementing a sophisticated, multi-tier Special Economic Zone (SEZ) strategy.

By leveraging the specific regional strengths of the five development corridors, the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA) is transforming the Gauteng City Region (GCR) into a production engine.

The OR Tambo SEZ serves as the forerunner for this export-oriented vision.

Stationed around Africa’s largest air cargo hub, it provides the infrastructure for advanced manufacturing and beneficiation. With a world-class Jewellery Manufacturing Precinct already operational and one of the world’s largest food factories driving fresh-product exports since 2019, it proves that Gauteng can dominate high-growth niches.

Further south, the Vaal SEZ is steering industrial regeneration. By attracting R2-billion in investment toward the hydrogen value chain and renewable energy components, it is building on the region’s historic steel and engineering skills base to meet the “Green Economy” demand.

The Automotive Supplier Park in Rosslyn remains the standard for OEM support, ensuring that the automotive sector retains its continental lead. In the West Rand, where mining output has slowed, new SEZ planning is diversifying the economy into bus manufacturing, agri-voltaics and pharmaceutical hemp.

These Special Economic Zones create an ecosystem where previously excluded citizens gain access to global value chains. By focusing on areas like avionics, battery energy storage, and New Energy Vehicles (NEVs), Gauteng is ensuring its re-industrialisation is tech-savvy and socially inclusive.

In addition, The Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP) has launched the Manufacturing Support product, a term loan facility providing up to R5-million to help black-owned SMMEs scale their production capacity. This initiative directly supports the province’s re-industrialization strategy by transforming high-growth manufacturing businesses into competitive industrial players.

As a strategic precursor to the Gauteng Investment Conference (2026), the fund acts as a pipeline to prepare local enterprises for large-scale private and multinational investment. By focusing on this high-value sector, the GEP aims to stimulate sustainable economic growth and significant job creation across the city region.

Ultimately, the program reinforces Gauteng’s position as a critical manufacturing hub for both South Africa and the broader African continent. The transition from a passive consumption hub to an agile production powerhouse is Gauteng’s current reality.

Gauteng Investment Conference 2026

Get ready for the Gauteng Investment Conference, where ideas meet opportunity, investment drives growth, and partnerships shape the future of Gauteng’s economy.

Recognised as Africa’s premier energy event, the Africa Energy Indaba once again served as a strategic platform for high-level dialogue, investment engagement and practical solutions aimed at advancing Africa’s energy future.

A highlight of the 2026 Indaba was the Presidential Keynote Address delivered by H.E. President Cyril Ramaphosa, underscoring the importance of energy security, infrastructure development and regional cooperation in unlocking Africa’s economic potential. 

Addressing delegates from across the global energy ecosystem, President Ramaphosa emphasised that Africa’s abundant natural resources — including solar, wind, hydropower, gas and critical minerals — position the continent to become a competitive energy producer while meeting its development needs. 

The President also highlighted that more than 600 million Africans still lack access to electricity, reinforcing the urgency of accelerating investment in energy infrastructure and innovation across the continent. 

Major announcements and strategic developments

The 2026 Africa Energy Indaba delivered several important announcements and partnerships that underscore the event’s role as a catalyst for energy investment and collaboration.

Mission 300 commitment expanded

As part of Mission 300 Day during the Indaba, The Rockefeller Foundation announced an additional US$10 million in support of Mission 300, the ambitious initiative led by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank aimed at connecting 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.

The announcement reinforced the growing momentum behind Mission 300 and highlighted the importance of global partnerships in addressing Africa’s energy access gap.

Nuclear Energy Cooperation Agreement

During the Nuclear Forum, South Africa’s Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) and Russia’s Rosatom signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation in nuclear skills development, training and research.

The partnership supports South Africa’s nuclear expansion ambitions and focuses on developing the next generation of nuclear professionals, promoting women’s participation in the sector and advancing collaborative research programmes.

Global Nuclear Capacity Commitment

A further milestone of the Nuclear Forum was the signing of the Declaration to Triple Global Nuclear Capacity by 2050, in collaboration with the World Nuclear Association. The declaration reflects growing international recognition of nuclear power as a critical component of global energy security and decarbonisation strategies.

Advancing continental infrastructure and investment

A key highlight of the Indaba was the Ministerial Roundtable on the Africa Ten-Year Infrastructure Investment Plan for Cross-Border Interconnectivity (TYIIP).

The roundtable focused on accelerating priority transmission and power infrastructure projects across the continent, strengthening project preparation mechanisms, improving cross-border coordination and mobilising both public and private investment to enable regional energy integration.

Energy leaders emphasised that cross-border interconnectivity and regional power pools will be essential to delivering reliable and affordable electricity across Africa.

South African energy investment opportunities

The Indaba also hosted the South African Investment Forum, hosted by the Department of Electricity and Energy, which profiled a range of investment opportunities in South Africa’s evolving energy sector.

The forum provided investors with insights into new projects across renewable energy, transmission infrastructure, gas-to-power developments, nuclear energy expansion and emerging technologies.

A Platform for strategic energy dialogue

The Africa Energy Indaba 2026 brought together energy stakeholders to explore pathways for:

• Strengthening energy security and resilience across Africa
• Accelerating energy investment and project development
• Advancing regional power integration and cross-border infrastructure
• Supporting Africa’s just and inclusive energy transition
• Unlocking the potential of gas-to-power, renewables, storage and grid expansion

Government leaders, development finance institutions, utilities, private sector companies and technology innovators participated in a series of high-level discussions, ministerial roundtables and industry forums.

Key outcomes and strategic discussions

Among the key themes and outcomes emerging from the 2026 Indaba were:

Energy investment acceleration

Delegates emphasised the need to significantly increase investment in generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure to meet Africa’s rapidly growing energy demand.

Regional integration and infrastructure development

Ministers and industry leaders highlighted the importance of strengthening regional power pools and cross-border interconnectors to improve reliability and unlock continental energy markets.

Energy transition aligned with industrial growth

A central message from the conference was that Africa’s energy transition must support industrialisation, job creation and economic development while advancing sustainability goals. 

Strategic role of Natural Gas

The Africa Gas Forum reinforced the role of natural gas as a transition fuel capable of supporting electricity generation, industrial growth and energy stability across the continent.

Public–Private Partnerships

Strong emphasis was placed on collaboration between governments, investors and development partners to accelerate project implementation and mobilise large-scale energy financing.

Africa’s Energy Future

The Africa Energy Indaba continues to play a critical role in shaping the continent’s energy policy landscape and investment pipeline.

By convening key decision-makers and global stakeholders, the Indaba provides a platform where energy deals begin, partnerships are formed and practical solutions are developed to address Africa’s most pressing energy challenges.

As Africa’s energy demand grows and the global energy transition accelerates, the Africa Energy Indaba remains committed to driving dialogue, collaboration and investment that will power the continent’s future.

Under the focus of “AfCFTA in Action: Building Pan-African Manufacturing Value Chains,” government leaders, industry executives, investors and trade experts will examine how Africa can move beyond trade agreements to establish integrated cross-border manufacturing ecosystems that drive industrialisation, job creation and economic growth across the continent.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is the world’s largest free trade area, creating a single market of over 1.3-billion people with a combined GDP of more than US$3.4-trillion. By reducing trade barriers and strengthening regional value chains, AfCFTA has the potential to accelerate industrialisation, boost intra-African trade and unlock sustainable economic growth across the continent.

While AfCFTA represents the world’s largest free trade area by number of participating countries, unlocking its full potential will depend on practical implementation across key sectors, including manufacturing, logistics, standards harmonisation and industrial infrastructure.

According to industry leaders, Africa’s industrial future will depend on the continent’s ability to transition from fragmented national markets toward integrated regional manufacturing systems.

Discussions at the Manufacturing Indaba will focus on how African economies can leverage the AfCFTA framework to develop regional production networks, strengthen supply chains and improve intra-African trade in manufactured goods.

Experts and policymakers will explore strategies to:

• Build regional manufacturing value chains across multiple African markets
• Improve cross-border logistics and trade corridors
• Align standards and regulatory frameworks to facilitate trade
• Strengthen industrial infrastructure and energy access
• Encourage investment into manufacturing clusters and industrial parks

According to industry leaders, Africa’s industrial future will depend on the continent’s ability to transition from fragmented national markets toward integrated regional manufacturing systems.

The Manufacturing Indaba, taking place from the 14 – 15 July 2026 in Johannesburg, South Africa, is recognised as Africa’s leading platform for manufacturing sector development, brings together policymakers, manufacturers, financiers and technology providers to address the challenges and opportunities shaping the continent’s industrial future.

As African economies seek to accelerate industrialisation, the Indaba will provide a critical forum for translating AfCFTA commitments into actionable strategies that support competitive manufacturing and sustainable economic growth.

This reputation for hosting world-class gatherings was further solidified last week at the Sandton Convention Centre during Meetings Africa 2026. As the 20th anniversary of the event, it demonstrated Gauteng’s unmatched ability to facilitate thousands of confirmed business meetings, directly linking African products to global buyers and generating significant economic impact.

To that effect, Gauteng recently attracted R27-billion in Foreign Direct Investment from key global markets like the UK and the United States. Gauteng is clearly gaining momentum, with the inaugural Gauteng Investment Conference (2025) securing R312-billion in commitments, while the province claimed the lion’s share of last year’s Presidential Investment Conference, with over R180-billion in pledges.

Global industry leaders are moving beyond talk and are physically expanding their operations in Gauteng. Microsoft is currently investing R5.4-billion into local data centre infrastructure, while Heineken Global has committed R1.9-billion to its operations in Midvaal. The automotive sector is also seeing a boost with Chery International establishing local manufacturing, and the creative economy is set for a massive leap with the R4-billion Cradle Film Studios project which is destined to be the largest production facility in Africa.

What keeps Gauteng ahead of the curve is its connectivity. International arrivals hit 3.8-million this year, supported by new strategic air routes linking the province directly to North America and Australasia. With major infrastructure projects like the Gautrain expansion and a R50-billion dry port on the horizon, the province is effectively streamlining the region’s logistics.

Gauteng it the premier meetings destination in Africa while serving as a powerful catalyst for global opportunity. The 2026 Gauteng Investment Conference (GIC 2026) will provide another opportunity to turn conversations into investment.

Investing in Gauteng

Find out more about the economic and investment environment of Gauteng Province and explore projects in progress, insights and investment opportunities in the region.

With more than its fair share of diseases, the World Economic Forum estimates that the total demand for packaged medicines in Africa is around $18-billion per year. Interestingly, 61% of that is serviced through imported products, with only 36% being locally produced. Of the 36%, 40% of the production capabilities are confined to packaging and labelling with the remaining 40% limited to filling and finishing (Who Owns Whom, 2023).

For Africa to effectively service the medical requirements of its 1.4 billion people, countries on the continent acknowledge the need to enhance their pharmaceutical and medical production capabilities.

In recognition of this, the OR Tambo International Airport SEZ has designed and is in the process of developing, a globally competitive medical manufacturing cluster that will enhance the production and export of medical products from South Africa.

OR Tambo SEZ’s bold ambitions

Comprising 265 000m² of developable space, the OR Tambo SEZ Precinct 2 development is well positioned to support the production and export of time-sensitive products such as medicines.

Located on the doorstep of OR Tambo International Airport, the SEZ is an ideal location for the production and export of high-value, light-weight products that utilise air freight as a mode of transport.

In support of its competitive value proposition, the OR Tambo SEZ completed industry-specific research that identified different elements essential for the establishment of a globally competitive medical manufacturing cluster. The result of this research is a bold plan, that aims to secure international as well as continental buy-in, thereby ensuring that the cluster is well positioned to support the manufacturing of different elements that form part of the broader pharmaceutical and medical product value chain in Africa.

Competitization of the OR Tambo SEZ pharma and medical cluster

The cluster-based approach is globally acknowledged as an effective approach to enhance economic growth and development.

For it to be competitive, any cluster must pursue and ensure the existence of linkages between different elements that form part of the production process; these include basic inputs, manufacturers, role players that approve the products for consumption, and those that move the goods to market. Equally important are the research, development and innovation institutions.

The OR Tambo SEZ’s planned pharma and medical manufacturing precinct will have all the above inclusive of a variety of medical production processes such as pharmaceutical mixing, medical device component manufacturing, sub-assembling, labelling and packaging, warehousing and storage, training, standard testing, patent compliance and regulatory approval institutions.

Through this approach, the SEZ, which already boasts a competitive location, is destined to become a world class pharma and medical products manufacturing destination.

The OR Tambo SEZ’s planned pharma and medical manufacturing precinct will have all the above inclusive of a variety of medical production processes…

Available Incentives

As a designated Special Economic Zone, the OR Tambo SEZ will also provide manufacturers looking to set up operations with the opportunity to access incentives that reduce the cost of production. This is particularly key, given that manufacturing costs remain a major impediment in the enhancement of manufacturing in Africa.

Available incentives include duty-free importation of production-related materials and assets, as well as VAT exemption on export.

OR Tambo SEZ: The competitive choice

Underpinned by factors such as a skilled labour force, South Africa has long been a location of choice for multi-nationals looking to locate in Africa. The country also has an established supply chain to foster medical manufacturing expansion.

All the above, coupled with the Gauteng City Region’s competitive positioning serving as a gateway to sub-Saharan Africa, make the OR Tambo SEZ an ideal location for the production, export and trade of pharmaceutical and medical products within Africa.

Contact

Interested parties are encouraged to contact the OR Tambo SEZ investment facilitation team with your details:

[contact-form-7]

For more information on the pharmaceutical and medical cluster being developed at OR Tambo International Airport SEZ, visit: www.ortambosez.co.za

Investing in African Mining Indaba, Wednesday 11 February 2026 

The event was facilitated and the discussion led by Zinathi Gquma, the Business News Anchor at CNBC Africa. The introductory remarks were made by Lebogang Maile, MEC, Gauteng Department of Finance and Economic Development and the summing up was provided by Maidei Matika, the Chief Investment Facilitator of the OR Tambo Special Economic Zone.  

The panellists were Dr Tebogo Makube, Acting Deputy Director General: Sectors Branch, Department of Trade, Industry and Competition; Evan Bird, Group Technical and New Business Director, MECHPROTECH; Matimba Mahange, Chairman of Mining Equipment Manufacturers of South Africa (MEMSA) and CEO of JA Engineering Works; Gary Lane, President of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM).

Gauteng: Africa’s mining innovation capital  

Unlocking high-value opportunities in green metals and mining technology.

The great opportunities presented by global demand for critical minerals represent an unparalleled opportunity for Gauteng, but real collaboration across the board will be needed for the province to realise all of the potential benefits. 

This was the key takeaway from a high-level panel discussion presented by the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA) at the Investing in African Mining Indaba on 11 February 2026. 

The good news is that Gauteng’s storied history in mining, strong infrastructure and excellent educational institutions, together with Gauteng’s role as the nation’s economic hub all position the province to take the lead as Africa’s “Mining Innovation Capital”.  

Beyond extraction

MEC Lebogang Maile referenced the past and the future in his opening address. Although Gauteng was built as a “Place of Gold”, he said that the story has moved beyond extraction. He said, “It is about where value is created, where capital is anchored, where technology is applied and where the future of mineral-based industrialisation is taking shape.” 

Dr Tebogo Makube, Acting Deputy Director General: Sectors Branch, Department of Trade, Industry and Competition made a similar point when he stressed that mining itself was less important than the fact of value addition.  

In response to an early question about whether or not South Africa was ready or aligned with the coming changes in the mining environment Gary Lane, President of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM), gave a short answer, “No”. He stressed the importance of training and education being aligned with the future of mining and urged collaboration among all role players, a subject on which all panellists contributed as the session progressed.  

Referencing the “massive opportunity” offered by critical minerals in Africa, he warned that multinationals would benefit instead of Africans “if we don’t start collaborating”.  

Matimba Mahange, Chairman of Mining Equipment Manufacturers of South Africa (MEMSA) and CEO of JA Engineering Works, referenced some of the incredible innovations which South Africans have been responsible for such as heart transplants and the technology which drives SASOL. He noted that among MEMSA’s 70 members there were “great companies that do wonderful stuff” and most are exporting equipment, the CSIR is promoting industrialisation and there is cutting-edge technology such as industrial uses for hydropower are being employed in some sectors.  

Lane acknowledged the great historical examples and that South Africa has “incredible engineers and incredible innovation” but expressed concern that the country’s skills were being poached.  

To emphasise the point about the Gauteng mining story moving beyond extraction, Maidei Matika, the Chief Investment Facilitator of the OR Tambo Special Economic Zone, mentioned in her closing remarks that for decades Belgium had set diamond prices and London had set gold prices despite neither location every having mined anything!  

She said that the OR Tambo SEZ was examining how to create the most efficient ecosystem that allowed the economy to grow. She commented, “While extraction might have moved away from Gauteng, the value is still there.” She further noted that the value could drive jobs and provide a platform for investment. 

Rich resources 

The global context was provided by MEC Maile (pictured below), who quoted a World Economic Forum White Paper: “Demand for critical raw materials is rising because they are needed for clean-energy technologies, and current projections suggest that demand may soon exceed supply.” 

Electric vehicles, batteries, renewable-energy systems and power grids all need critical minerals and, according to MEC Maile, Gauteng is well placed to play a “central role”. Said Maile, “South Africa has significant reserves of platinum group metals, manganese, chrome, vanadium and gold. Between 2020 and 2024, the country exported R3.9-trillion in mineral commodities, with Gauteng accounting for most of the value in PGMs, manganese, chrome and coal exports.” 

Dr Tebogo Makube, Acting Deputy Director General: Sectors Branch, Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, commented that for Gauteng and South Africa this period of demand for critical minerals was an “opportune time” but that it could be a blessing or a curse. Policy would be needed to ensure that investment is directed to areas which are critical for innovation and economic growth.  

The skills equation

“The mine of the future needs very diverse skills,” said Gary Lane. He continued, “We need to make sure that tertiary programmes align with what the industry of the future needs.”  
Although some of the panellists suggested that South Africa had proved in the past that it could come up with the skills required to complete complex tasks (hosting the soccer World Cup was referenced in addition to the medical and SASOL examples) all participants agreed on the importance of skills for the mining sector and on the need for there to be collaboration on this topic.  

Lane argued that the traditional pipeline that provided relevant skills to the mining sector “is not working” and that there was a need to “reestablish the system that is broken”. Referencing a “skills mismatch”, he said that the right people needed to be attracted and that courses needed to be “aligned with the needs”.  

The positive side of the equation Lane expressed like this: “We know this. We can do something about it.” For SAIMM, “That is one of our key focus areas, the mine of the future must have the skills required.”  

Referring to his own experiences as a young engineer, Mahange said that a “missing link” today was the big mining companies giving people experience on the job. He had seen highly qualified engineers in Germany working on production lines, not occupying big corner offices. It was important to marry the classroom and the practical side, he said.  Coordination was needed to train people in different skills and this is something that MEMSA was trying to do. People within the industry are well placed to train people and it was a matter of “properly directed and distributed” funds to make sure that this happens.  

The headquarters of many companies in the mining sector and supporting sectors are located in Gauteng. These include finance houses, mining companies and equipment manufacturers along with law firms, engineering and ICT services.  

Evan Bird, Group Technical and New Business Director, MECHPROTECH, noted that from a skills perspective, mining faced a particular challenge in “that we are in a global space” where graduates could freely move around. He praised South Africa’s innovative culture and reinforced Mahange’s point about marrying education and experience. Noting that education was only one aspect of becoming an mature engineer, he said, “You have got to get these guys with all their energy and innovation knowledge, then through action, they will get wisdom in the future.” 

Infrastructure is key

The industrial infrastructure that Gauteng and South Africa enjoys today was built by mining, a point noted by Mahange, who went on to state that Gauteng was well positioned to drive further growth.   

The facilitator posed an insightful rhetorical question when she asked, “Was infrastructure originally built for regional integration?” The answer in colonial times was obviously not, but Lane noted that recent investments had also been about mining companies getting “their product out”.  

Lane warned that without collaboration between mining houses, OEMs, government and regulators, “We are not going to harness the value” and it would be multinationals who would benefit.  

MEC Maile pointed out that Gauteng had attracted about R12.8-billion in mining-related investment over the last five years, positioning Gauteng as a regional industrial hub and as a province “supporting cross-border mineral value chains under SADC and AfCFTA, rather than competing with extraction-focused provinces or neighbouring countries”. 

The headquarters of many companies in the mining sector and supporting sectors are located in Gauteng. These include finance houses, mining companies and equipment manufacturers along with law firms, engineering and ICT services.  

Policy progress 

“The Critical Minerals Strategy is the roadmap of where we want to go,” stated Dr Makube of the dtic. He noted that policy was not static and that government has moved in recent times. The Industrial Policy Plan of the dtic is anchored on three “Ds”:

• Decarbonsiation 
• Diversification 
• Digital economy. 

From the viewpoint of the Gauteng Provincial Government, MEC Maile noted that value is realised where processing, manufacturing, skills, technology, finance and logistics come together. “This is why,” he said, “Gauteng has focused on building both the upstream and downstream parts of the mining value chain as a key driver of economic growth.” 

He went on to link the province’s policy to South Africa’s Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy, published in 2025. It notes that local processing and beneficiation of critical minerals could create up to 2.3-million jobs and boost Africa’s GDP by 12%, provided that problems related to infrastructure, energy and logistics are addressed. 

Maile noted that this aligns with research that emphases the importance of regional integration, value-chain coordination and investment facilitation. This is how to translate mineral demand into sustainable development benefit. 

Collaboration for success  

Underpinning many of the inputs from the panel was the importance of collaboration for the mining sector in the future.  

Lane made the point that mining houses, academics, funders, regulators and OEMs might all have different incentives, so it was important that there was ownership and drive. It was important to bring that fragmented ecosystem together to work as a proper system. He said that his organisation, SAIMM, is going to focus on that. “We need to walk our talk with tangible actions,” said Lane. “We can fix the pipelines.” 

Mahange said that if industry clusters were properly resourced, they could do the work (of collaboration). “The development finance is there,” he said. “We have got to unlock those stumbling blocks.” 

New models

Dr Makube of the dtic made a call to look at some aspects somewhat differently. Contextualisation is needed with regard to skills, for example. “We are dealing here with a changing world, and we have to respond to that,” he said. 

There was a need to look at new models to develop the new skills required in the new economy.  “Partnerships are key to building skills for the future,” he said. He referenced the need to create partnerships in the making of batteries and asked, “Are we training people so that they can migrate to working on electric vehicles (EVs)?” 

Dr Makube further noted that the dtic was not limiting itself to working on policy. It was assisting companies in the science and hydrogen space and is creating an EV White Paper. It was possible for government to support innovation, for example, he said, “We need to be creative as government where we can use offtake contracts to procure innovative products.” 

Bird suggested that the new mining environment, especially where critical minerals were found in relatively small quantities in many locations, lends itself to what he said was needed, namely “a new way of thinking”.  

Among the different concepts he put forward were the idea that “smaller, more modular systems” could lease equipment rather than buy it. These smaller units could then process the commodity and help to expand the mining community beyond the giant companies that traditionally mined with “big volumes and high turnover”. The financial sector would also have to be on board to make this method viable.  

Conclusion 

Gauteng’s strategy as regards mining is closely aligned to the South African Critical Minerals Strategy of 2025 where the focus is on “strengthening our industrial base and increasing value addition, we can create jobs, drive innovation, and advance economic growth”. 

As MEC Maile reiterated at the end of his opening remarks,

The future of mining in Africa will not be shaped by extraction alone but by how we use mining to build integrated, high-value and resilient industrial economies across the continent.

Gauteng’s offering to investors is based on institutional depth and policy certainty; financial sophistication and technical capability; industrial platforms enabled through SEZs; and market access at scale, both regionally and globally. 

Investing within Gauteng’s mining industry

The Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA) is committed to creating an inclusive and transformed Gauteng economy that attracts foreign and domestic direct investment, develops sustainable enterprises and strategic economic infrastructure, and enables the growth of exports to the continent and beyond.

Visit www.ggda.co.za or contact the team here:

The City of Johannesburg (CoJ’s) Alternative Waste Treatment Technology (AWTT) project aims to enhance waste management and sustainability by reducing landfill waste and generating approximately 88MW of green energy. The initiative includes buy-back centres, waste separation at the source, and integrating informal recyclers into the formal sector.

Additionally, the city plans a waste-to-energy project that extracts methane from seven landfill sites and installs biodigesters at wastewater treatment plants. The resulting biogas will be used for electricity generation, industrial heating and fueling city buses, promoting renewable energy and environmental conservation.

This project presents a strategic investment opportunity in clean energy, waste management and sustainable urban infrastructure, positioning Johannesburg as a leader in environmental conservation and green innovation.

Details

• Sponsoring department / project promoter: City of Johannesburg (CoJ)
• Project partners: Gauteng Infrastructure Financing Agency (GIFA), Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)
• Sector: Energy
• Project delivery model: PPP
• Project status: Feasibility studies completed. The project is in structuring phase.
• Project start date: 2026
• Project completion date: 2027
• Project requirements / investor opportunity: Private sector partners to implement the AWTT Project.

Contact / Enquire

Interested parties are encouraged to contact the investment facilitation team with a brief message of introduction, including a brief description of your organization’s business and investment objectives:

[contact-form-7]

The conference will emphasize the importance of collaboration, intelligence sharing and community engagement and applying a multi-sectoral approach by bringing together state, private and mine security forces and authorities to unite and apply stronger regulatory and prosecution measures to create stability and investment.

Some of the critical topics that will be addressed at this year’s conference include:

• Strengthening collaboration through PPP between state-, private- and security forces to combat the deteriorating security conditions in and around mines
• Identifying insider threats using intelligence gathering techniques to reveal vulnerabilities before they can be exploited
• Meeting force with force? Deployment and support of specialized security to mobilize stability and gain ground against global crime syndicates and armed attacks
• Overcoming regulatory gaps and ambiguities about what constitutes illegal mining versus artisanal mining – moving towards formalising artisanal mining through proper licensing and regulation
• Combining people and technology, with due consideration of site specific conditions and threats to unlocks the true potential of both
• Whole-of-government approach: State agencies and enforcement authorities will share insights on how they are working together to achieve joint prosecution through inter-agency collaboration and sharing of resources and expertise. Building on PPPs and what support is needed from mines in the fight against illegal mining
• Who is responsible at ownerless mines and closure of shafts – 6000 abandoned mines with illicit trade draining R70-billion from the economy where are we at in terms of statistics and solutions?
• An update on legislative revisions underway to align mining laws and close legal loopholes that organised groups exploit
• “Following the money” and the network of organised crime associated with related crimes in and around your mine
• Circular Economies (CE) and moving away from the take-make-dispose model and working together as corporates, government and communities to address crimes and criminality such as illegal mining, sabotage, malicious damage to property and infrastructure, amongst other challenges towards extending life of mine
• Investment and reputational management and drawing investment to mining by ensuring stability and reinstating SA’s competitiveness in global markets, etc.

To speak, sponsor or receive the agenda, please contact info@pinpointstewards.co.za or register online at www.pinpointstewards.co.za

Spread over 15.6% of Gauteng’s land, it houses 5.4% of the country’s population and 29% of Gauteng province’s population. Pronounced ‘e-koo-roo-le-ni’, Ekurhuleni is a Tsonga (one of the 11 official languages of South Africa) word meaning ‘place of peace’. The choice of a Tsonga word for the name of the metropolitan municipality is symbolic of the diversity of the new city, and of its vision of an equitable and progressive community.

In 2013, the City of Ekurhuleni adopted its Growth and Development Strategy 2055. This GDS 2055 gave the City structure and vision for the years ahead. For the City to navigate itself five long term goals will guide the 2055 journey, namely:

Sustainable urban integration, job creating economic growth, social empowerment, environmental wellbeing and effective cooperative governance.

The five leading strategies deployed to pursue these goals are:

• Re-urbanise to achieve sustainable urban integration;
• Re-industrialise to achieve to job creating economic growth;
• Re-generate to achieve environmental wellbeing;
• Re-mobilise to achieve social empowerment; and
• Re-govern to achieve effective cooperative governance.

Investing in Ekurhuleni

To provide potential investors with a comprehensive guide to the investment landscape of the City of Ekurhuleni, highlighting opportunities, challenges and resources available, we invite you to browse the City of Ekurhuleni investment guide.

In this book, you will find in-depth analyses of promising investment opportunities within the Aerotropolis and other key projects. 

Also see more information about the Ekurhuleni Aerotropolis in this brochure:

Contact the City of Ekurhuleni

The City of Ekurhuleni is open for business! Interested parties are encouraged to send a brief message of introduction to the team. Please tell us more about your business or investment objectives:

Municipal investment profiling: A digital approach

In 2023, the South African Local Government Association (SALGA introduced the “Investment Profile Template Guide for Municipalities in South Africa” to help municipalities present their investment potential. Research showed only 15% of South African municipalities had investment profiles at the time.

However, limited financial and human resources have hindered digital promotion and investment attraction. SALGA has launched a programme to assist municipalities with digital initiatives, and the following municipalities are included in the first phase:

• City of Ekurhuleni (Gauteng) 
• West Coast District Municipality (Western Cape) 
• Mnquma Local Municipality (Eastern Cape) 
• Matjhabeng Local Municipality (Free State)

The main objective of this project is to provide municipalities with a platform to market themselves as investment destinations to both domestic and foreign investors using an already existing platform and access to the Global Africa Network audience.