South Africa’s informal economy is often described as invisible, but its impact is anything but. From spaza shops to street-side food vendors, the informal sector employs up to 42% of our workforce and contributes as much as 6% of GDP, according to recent estimates. Valued at between R750-billion and R1-trillion, the township and informal economy have become a quiet giant, keeping millions fed, employed, and connected.

And yet, it remains one of the most precarious sectors of our economy. Traders navigate red tape, displacement, lack of infrastructure, unsafe conditions, and limited access to finance. Nearly 60% of informal workers earn below R3 500 per month, often without access to credit, insurance, or even basic storage facilities. For too long, informal traders have been seen as survivalists rather than entrepreneurs, despite many building businesses that have sustained families and communities for decades.

If we want to redesign the future of South African cities, we must start by redesigning how we support our informal traders. In Cape Town’s Bellville CBD, the metro’s second-largest economic hub, more than 200 permitted informal food traders line the streets around the bustling transport interchange. Many of these traders have operated for over 20 years, with more than 150 serving nutritious, affordable meals to over 50 thousand daily commuters. There are also close to 1000 unpermitted traders, working to put food on the table, all part of the city’s economic heartbeat.

Yet their reality is fraught with challenges. Traders often work in makeshift, weather-beaten structures that are neither hygienic nor secure. They face displacement by law enforcement for non-compliance with strict bylaws, and the daily costs of assembling, dismantling, and transporting stock eat into already slim margins.

This is where Bellville is stepping forward as a living laboratory for innovation.

The Greater Tygerberg Partnership (GTP), together with the South African Urban Food and Farming Trust (SAUFFT), AfriFOODlinks and design collaborators, is piloting co-designed trading prototypes, new mobile and stationary structures built to be safe, hygienic, functional and compliant.

These prototypes go beyond physical design. They are about dignity, opportunity, and urban renewal. By designing weatherproof, lockable, and mobile units, we can reduce the daily burden of setup and transport. They integrate with municipal water and waste systems, addressing public health concerns while allowing traders to operate in clean, sustainable environments.

By reducing conflict with law enforcement and ensuring compliance with food safety standards, these structures allow traders to focus on what they do best: running businesses that feed the city.

Most importantly, we must recognise informal traders as entrepreneurs. Many traders have been in business for over a decade, responding to market demand and contributing to a symbiotic relationship with commuters and surrounding formal businesses. With the right infrastructure, they can thrive as legitimate business operators and not merely survive on the margins.

Many traders have been in business for over a decade, responding to market demand and contributing to a symbiotic relationship with commuters and surrounding formal businesses.

Informal trade as a driver of urban renewal

The truth is that supporting informal traders is not charity, and the informal economy is often not well understood. It is sound urban and economic policy. The informal sector is the fifth-largest employment provider in Cape Town and a critical contributor to the national economy. By investing in its infrastructure, cities strengthen their resilience, improve food security and promote inclusive growth.

There is a renewed effort to better understand the informal sector, with deeper work under way to identify the needs of informal traders and develop environments and infrastructure that support their growth. The CoCT Executive Mayor Geordin Hill‑Lewis, supports the informal economy and often stresses credibility, legality and opportunity, framing informal activity as something to be integrated into the city’s growth rather than suppressed.

The Bellville initiative shows that urban regeneration and informal trade are complementary as opposed to opposing forces. By providing fit-for-purpose structures, we enable informal markets to coexist with transport hubs, formal retail and public spaces in a way that is safe, efficient and mutually beneficial.

Whether in a small township market or a bustling inner-city CBD, the challenges traders face are strikingly similar, based on the GTP informal traders 2019 survey: weather proofing, storage, hygiene, ablution, security, parking and compliance. Models like this offer a replicable solution that could be adapted for Durban, Johannesburg, or even cities elsewhere on the continent.

At a national level, South Africa is already moving towards simplifying regulation, integrating digital payments and supporting SMMEs through innovative financing. By coupling these policy shifts with practical, community-driven design solutions, we can unlock the full potential of the informal economy.

The informal sector is not a problem to be managed but an opportunity to be embraced. By reimagining trading spaces, we acknowledge the crucial role informal traders play in our economy and our daily lives. We give them dignity, security and opportunity.

The question is not whether we can afford to invest in informal traders. The question is whether we can afford not to.

Bellville may be the starting point, but the vision is bigger, for a South Africa where informal traders are seen as entrepreneurs, where cities are designed to include rather than exclude, and where the informal economy is recognised not as an afterthought, but as a cornerstone of sustainable urban development.

The question is not whether we can afford to invest in informal traders. The question is whether we can afford not to.

About GTP

The Greater Tygerberg Partnership (GTP) is the go-to, trusted, and connected urban specialist, leading lasting change. Established in 2012 as an independent not-for-profit company, GTP collaborates with community members to co-create and innovate—building a renewed sense of belonging, giving hope and creating better places people are proud of. Because it’s more than a place!

Through area promotion, placemaking, economic growth, and environmental sustainability, we improve failing infrastructure, creatively enhance public spaces, upskill youth, create job opportunities, support community businesses, and reduce environmental harm by changing systems and behaviour. Bellville is proof of our impact—a living laboratory where GTP’s methods are trialled, tested and proven.

Also read:

Bellville’s award-winning Buy-Back Centre is a new model for SA’s unemployment crisis

Key assets include Saldanha Bay Port—Africa’s deepest natural harbour—for bulk exports such as iron ore, supporting oil, gas, and maritime services. The district includes five municipalities: Matzikama, Cederberg, Bergrivier, Saldanha Bay, and Swartland. 

In 2024, the WCD generated R47.1-billion in GDPR (Gross Domestic Product per Region), contributing 5.1% to the Western Cape economy. It supported 182,346 jobs (7.1% of provincial employment). Sectoral composition in 2024 showed a balanced mix: 

• Primary activities: 25.0% of GDPR and 38.0% of jobs (agriculture dominant at 23.9% GDPR and 37.8% employment). 
• Secondary sector: 26.1% of GDPR (manufacturing 21.1%). 
• Tertiary sector: 48.9% of GDPR and nearly half of jobs (strong in trade, finance, personal services, and government). 

Growth opportunities abound in renewables (wind/solar farms), green hydrogen, aquaculture, agro-processing, and eco-tourism, driven by the revised Economic Development Strategy (May 2025), which emphasises inclusive growth for higher employment and incomes through private-sector innovation and stakeholder synergy. 

Projections & Featured Projects: Long-term GDPR growth 1.4%–2.0% annually through 2028. FDI since 2003: R631.7m (1,504 jobs).

Key projects:

• Matzikama Aquaculture Zone (R600m–R1bn),
• Clanwilliam Smart Town (R450m),
• Hopefield Museum (R6m),
• green hydrogen initiatives (multi-billion scale potential). 

Planning for Growth 

The Een Weskus / One West Coast Plan 2025-2050 (revised Nov 2025) and Spatial Development Framework (2020) guide sustainable development, focusing on nodes such as Saldanha-Vredenburg and the N7/Olifants corridors.

Under-supply of social facilities (e.g., 40 primary schools) creates opportunities for education/health investments. IDP Amendment (2022-2027) and 2024-2027 Budget/MTREF support these. 

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.  

Cape Town’s second CBD is already demonstrating these qualities. Bellville carries the infrastructure, connectivity, and institutional anchors of a functioning city centre. Its transport systems operate at scale. Its universities, hospitals, and employers generate daily movement, skills, and economic activity.

What strengthens cities like this further, around the world, is a concentrated and visible government presence. When government locates itself within an already active centre, it reinforces permanence, stability, and confidence. It deepens footfall, supports safety, and gives long-term purpose to existing investment.

Every successful city has gravity. A daily pull created by people who arrive, stay, work, spend, move, and make decisions. In most global cities, the most reliable generator of that gravity is government. Where government locates itself, stability follows.

Government departments sign long leases. They employ thousands of people. They operate every day. Their presence creates consistency, predictability, and demand. If Bellville is to shift from a place in transition to a place of permanence, it requires institutional gravity of this magnitude. That gravity comes from national, provincial, and municipal departments choosing Bellville as an operational home. This is why 2026 should be the year Bellville becomes Government City.

Cities do not succeed only because they function. They succeed because people want to be in them. Clean streets, cared-for public spaces, visible maintenance, and a sense of order are not cosmetic upgrades. They are foundational infrastructure.

None of this holds without safety. Safety is the floor beneath every urban ambition. Bellville has made meaningful progress in recent years, particularly through the work of the Voortrekker Road Corridor Improvement District. But safety is never a completed task. It must be reinforced continuously.

A concentrated government presence strengthens safety in ways policy alone cannot. Thousands of people arriving daily to do their jobs change the rhythm of a place. Footfall increases. Oversight becomes constant. Streets shift from being intermittently used to being continuously observed.

Cities do not succeed only because they function. They succeed because people want to be in them. Clean streets, cared-for public spaces, visible maintenance, and a sense of order are not cosmetic upgrades. They are foundational infrastructure.

Bellville is already one of the most connected nodes in the Western Cape. Rail is returning. Bus services are improving. Taxis operate at scale. Transport investment is real, and it matters.

The area also hosts a rare concentration of institutional anchors. Universities, business schools, hospitals, and major employers operate here every day. These are not theoretical assets. They generate footfall, skills, research, and long-term investment. What is missing is the deliberate decision to layer government on top of these existing anchors.

Government functions create destinations. They give transport purpose and predictability. This is not about symbolic offices or satellite desks. It is about relocating real work, real authority, and real people. Departments responsible for housing, public works, transport, education, health, and social development should not be scattered across the metropolitan area. They should be clustered visibly, intentionally, and at scale.

There has been a noticeable improvement in tone and coordination at national level, and that deserves recognition. But cities are not transformed by tone alone. They are transformed by occupation. Occupation means desks filled, elevators running, cafés serving lunch, and trains full in the morning and evening.

Occupation is what gives cities life. A Bellville Government City does not require every department in the Cape Town region to relocate. It requires enough of them to create density, interaction, and confidence. It requires permanence, not pilots.

Bellville offers affordability, access, space, and institutional density. It offers government the opportunity to lead spatial transformation through presence, not policy documents.

Partnerships can support this work, but they cannot replace decisions. Government City requires a clear signal from national, provincial, and municipal leadership that Bellville matters now. Cities rarely fail because they lack plans. They fail because they lack conviction.

Bellville does not need more studies describing its potential. It needs people, presence, and daily life at scale. 2026 is the moment to move from transition to permanence.

Bellville is ready. The remaining question is whether leadership will choose it.

Justin Coetzee is an engineer and entrepreneur with more than 15 years’ experience in urban infrastructure, transport systems, and city-scale innovation across South Africa and internationally.

He serves as Chairman of the Greater Tygerberg Partnership (GTP), where he helps guide the long-term regeneration and repositioning of Bellville as a resilient, multi-anchor metropolitan hub.

Coetzee is also the founder and CEO of GoMetro, a transport technology company working with cities, governments and fleet operators to improve mobility, safety and economic performance.

According to a report by the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA), wind energy is increasingly turning into a leading driver of South Africa’s transition to a future built on renewable energy. The country has world-class wind resources, especially along its extensive 3 000km coastline, particularly in the Eastern and Western Cape.

As of March 2025, SAWEA estimates that over 3.5GW (gigawatts) out of 63.4GW of installed capacity is generated from the 37 wind power plants currently operating in the country. These wind farms are estimated to contribute over 46 480GWh (gigawatt hours) annually.

South Africa has world-class wind resources, especially along its extensive 3 000km coastline, particularly in the Eastern and Western Cape.

“Although solar power is more widely adopted – especially at the residential level – wind farms are purely mechanical and don’t rely on complex chemical processes,” says Reid. “But the logistics and planning behind getting a wind farm operational are highly complex.”

The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2024) allocates a total of 76.4GW of new capacity to be provided by wind energy by 2050. “This presents significant opportunities for investment, industrialisation and job creation,” Reid adds.

Infrastructure to deliver

While wind power generation uses a simpler mechanical process, the components are large and heavy, requiring precise logistics management to enable efficient rollout of wind farms.

In the wind-rich landscapes of the Eastern and Western Cape, Concord Cranes is helping power the country’s renewable energy future, one turbine at a time.

“Since June 2025, we started supporting African Clean Energy Developments in the construction of a 144MW wind farm. Our 260-ton crawler crane, operated by a team of 12 to 20 experts over an 11-month project, offloads equipment from vessels in the laydown area at Port of Coega in Gqeberha, and then reloads it on demand for delivery to the site in Murraysburg,” says Reid.

While this may sound straightforward, he emphasises the sheer scale of the work. “The planning and detail required to get these projects completed is enormous and the financial commitment is equally significant.” In broad terms there are three tasks that need to be undertaken, and the requirements for each vary quite considerably.

Phase 1: discharging the vessel

The first step focuses on logistics in the port: offloading all the turbine components such as blades, tower sections and nacelles, into the port laydown area for storage. “This 24-hour round-the-clock operation requires cranes, specialised vehicles and rigging crews and can take up to seven days,” Reid explains.

Once this is completed, reloading the components – some weighing up to 130 tons, 90 metres long and six metres wide – are reloaded onto specialised vehicles for transport to site. Detailed route surveys identify obstacles along the way, and all the necessary permits and police escorts must be arranged well in advance.

“A delivery of a set of three blades will require a convoy of up to 10 vehicles, excluding the delivery trucks themselves. By car, the drive from Port of Coega to Murraysburg takes about
four hours, but with these oversized loads and the complexity of the operation, a layover is often required,” he says.

Phase 2: building the turbines

Once components arrive on site, assembly cranes offload them in a detailed logistics operation. “The turbines themselves can reach heights of 120m,” says Reid. “Positioning the nacelle, containing the drive train and weighing between 80 to 120 tons, and then attaching the rotor and blades at heights up to 130 metres must be done in near wind-free conditions, often in the freezing early hours.”

Here, the contractor must adhere to strict safety standards using cranes with between 800 and 1 000 tons, as well as a variety of support and tailing cranes.

Phase 3: maintenance

The third operation is repairs and maintenance of existing turbines. “This involves getting spare components to site, providing cranes, riggers and the removal of damaged parts,” he says.

As with the previous phases, safety and compliance remain central. “Every employee or subcontractor must have valid medical certificates, working at height certificates and certificates of competence,” Reid adds. “Then there’s letters of appointment, labour market information, letters of good standing, professional driving permits and confirmation of public liability cover. Plus, every contract must include a detailed risk assessment, method statement, safe operating procedure and lifting plan.”

While wind farming itself is a relatively simple and scalable way of producing electricity, setting it up is an intricate logistical ballet, with countless moving parts.

“Each of these must be managed carefully, with continuous improvements in processes to ensure that South Africa can take full advantage of its abundant wind resources and power the country’s economic growth and a sustainable future for the
next generation,” says Reid.

About Concord Cranes

Concord Cranes is the gold standard across Southern Africa when it comes to crane hire. Operating in South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique, Concord Cranes is equipped with a versatile fleet of more than 180 cranes, ranging from eight tons to 800 tons sourced from high-quality global manufacturers. Concord Cranes delivers reliable lifting solutions to a wide range of industries, which include mining, construction, warehousing, logistics, renewable energy, petrochemical, civil infrastructure, oil and gas and maritime.

Built on a legacy of family values, passion and determination, these principles guide Concord Cranes and its commitment to unmatched reliability and safety remaining your complete lifting partner.

For more information visit concordcranes.com

Now in its 18th year, the Africa Energy Indaba has evolved into a strategic platform where government, utilities, regulators, investors, project developers and industry leaders engage in outcome-driven dialogue to accelerate Africa’s energy security and transition agenda.

Africa’s energy sector represents one of the most significant growth opportunities globally. With rapidly expanding populations, increasing urbanisation, industrialisation ambitions and abundant natural resources — including gas, renewables, critical minerals and emerging green hydrogen potential — the continent is positioned for substantial energy infrastructure expansion. Power demand is projected to rise significantly over the coming decades, requiring large-scale investment across generation, transmission, storage and regional interconnectivity. The opportunity lies not only in closing the energy access gap, but in building modern, resilient energy systems that underpin economic growth and industrial competitiveness.

At a time when infrastructure gaps remain a key constraint to economic expansion, the 2026 programme will focus on:

• Strengthening regional power markets and cross-border trade
• Unlocking gas-to-power and domestic gas market development
• Accelerating transmission and grid expansion
• Mobilising blended finance and private sector capital
• Advancing regulatory certainty and investment readiness

Unlike broad sector exhibitions, the Africa Energy Indaba is structured around curated high-level forums, ministerial engagements and targeted investment discussions designed to facilitate collaboration and tangible progress.

The programme will feature ministerial participation, regulatory authorities, power pool representatives, development finance institutions and private sector executives from across the energy value chain — spanning power, gas, infrastructure and emerging technologies.

With energy security, affordability and economic growth at the forefront of Africa’s priorities, the 2026 Africa Energy Indaba will provide a focused environment for dialogue that moves beyond rhetoric toward practical implementation.

Africa Energy Indaba 2026

3–5 March 2026
Cape Town International Convention Centre

For more information and registration details, visit: https://africaenergyindaba.com

The event convenes C-level executives and senior decision-makers responsible for land, air, and maritime borders. It aims to promote collaboration, digitalisation and innovation to tackle emerging threats and improve border efficiency across Africa.

Focused on advancing safe and secure borders as well as migration management technologies, Border Security Week tackles the latest challenges and issues affecting border security in Africa. The event features a diverse lineup of speakers, facilitators, and panelists who provide valuable insights, along with practical models, methods, and mechanisms proven effective in other countries.
 

The town of Moorreesburg is the seat of the district. The largest towns in the district are Vredenburg and Saldanha on the Cape Columbine peninsula, Malmesbury in the Swartland, and Vredendal in the Olifants River Valley.

The district is divided into five local municipalities which are:

• Matzikama Local Municipality
• Cederberg Local Municipality
• Bergrivier Local Municipality
• Saldanha Bay Local Municipality
• Swartland Local Municipality

Strategic location 

The West Coast District is strategically positioned on South Africa’s western coastline, offering direct access to the Atlantic Ocean and proximity to major markets.

It borders the City of Cape Town to the south, providing seamless connectivity to Africa’s largest urban economy, while the N7 highway links it to Namibia and the Northern Cape.  

The West Coast District Municipality (WCDM), stands as a testament to what can be achieved through strong leadership, good governance, and collective vision. In a time when confidence in government is often tested, our district continues to provide a model of political stability, fiscal discipline, and developmental focus. 

Our council is united behind a single goal – to make the West Coast a destination of choice for investment, innovation, and inclusive growth.

— Councillor Roelof Strydom,
Executive Mayor, West Coast District Municipality

Invest in the West Coast District Municipality

This Investment Profile serves as a comprehensive guide to the WCDM, highlighting its strategic advantages for investors:

Contact West Coast District Municipality

The West Coast District Municipality 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.  

The Greater Tygerberg Partnership’s (GTP) Buy-Back Centre, recently recognised both nationally by PETCO and internationally by the International Downtown Association (IDA), is emerging as a blueprint for tackling waste and joblessness, two of South Africa’s biggest challenges.

Launched in 2019 as part of the Trolley and Recycling Project, the initiative was designed to offer homeless and unemployed individuals a safer, more structured path to earning a living through recycling. What began as a small-scale effort has grown into an internationally recognised model of urban regeneration, green innovation, and social empowerment that is now ready to be replicated in other regions across the country.

In South Africa, approximately 80% of post-consumer waste is processed through the informal economy, with thousands of waste pickers collecting recyclables daily for minimal returns. The GTP model formalises this activity, connecting waste pickers to legal, accessible buy-back centres, providing them with training, stipends, upgraded equipment, and safety-focused trolleys.

The results have been transformative. In the past year alone, the initiative processed over 113,000 kilograms of recyclables, and created 23 jobs for previously homeless or unemployed individuals. Each receives daily stipends and access to ongoing training, life skills development, and addiction recovery support through partners like MES Cape Town and Green Cape.

Bellville faces challenges like poverty, unemployment, and waste overload which mirror those of many cities across South Africa. This model proves that through collaboration between communities, government, and the private sector, we can turn these challenges into opportunities for growth, dignity, and sustainability. 

—Warren Hewitt, CEO at GTP

The addition of South Africa’s first electric waste collection vehicles (EVs) in 2024 further boosted efficiency and reduced carbon emissions, while linking waste pickers to formal recycling markets ensuring they earned more for their collections. Today, over 180 local businesses and schools in Bellville participate in the recycling network, helping build a cleaner city and a more inclusive economy.

A scalable solution with global recognition

The project’s success has earned it the PETCO “Kerbside Collection and Sorting Superhero” Award for its community-driven, long-running, and efficient approach to separation-at-source. Internationally, it received the IDA Downtown Achievement Award of Excellence, placing Bellville alongside leading global cities recognised for innovative urban management and sustainable place-making.

1 of 4

For Warren Hewitt, CEO of the Greater Tygerberg Partnership, the recognition represents an opportunity to scale impact.

“Bellville faces challenges like poverty, unemployment, and waste overload which mirror those of many cities across South Africa. This model proves that through collaboration between communities, government, and the private sector, we can turn these challenges into opportunities for growth, dignity, and sustainability,” he says.

The Buy-Back Centre’s success is rooted in multi-sector partnerships that bridge divides between informal workers, municipalities, NGOs, and private enterprises. By connecting these networks, the model demonstrates how social justice and environmental sustainability can reinforce each other.

Through collaboration with organisations such as the Voortrekker Road Corridor Improvement District, MES Cape Town, Green Cape, and eWASA, the GTP has built a model that is financially viable, socially inclusive, and environmentally restorative. It integrates informal waste collectors into a circular economy, while reducing municipal waste burdens and improving urban cleanliness.

“What makes this model remarkable is its adaptability. It works just as effectively in a dense urban centre like Bellville as it could in smaller towns or rural districts. Its low-cost electric collection vehicles, community partnerships, and skills development framework make it scalable without the need for large municipal budgets,” adds Hewitt.

It is also replicable across regions looking to tackle unemployment and waste, simultaneously creating a pathway to sustainable livelihoods, cleaner cities, and stronger communities.

In a nation grappling with unemployment and inequality, Bellville’s Buy-Back Centre offers a glimpse of what’s possible when innovation meets compassion. It’s a story of people once marginalised, now earning with dignity, and a revolution in urban renewal, rooted in community, and ready to scale nationwide.

Reference: Statistics South Africa on Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) – Q1: 2025 | South African Government

Africa faces one of the largest infrastructure funding gaps globally. The African Development Bank estimates the continent requires between US$130–170-billion per year in infrastructure investment, with a financing gap of up to US$100-billion annually. Energy, transport, water and digital infrastructure remain central to unlocking trade, industrialisation and inclusive growth.

In South Africa’s recent State of the Nation Address (SONA), government reaffirmed infrastructure as a cornerstone of economic recovery and long-term growth. The President highlighted over R1-trillion in planned public infrastructure investment over the next three years, alongside a strengthened focus on public–private partnerships, regulatory reform and project preparation to crowd in private capital.

Infrastructure is no longer optional — it is foundational to competitiveness, job creation and regional integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Infrastructure Africa convenes:

• Ministers and government agencies
• Infrastructure Project preparation entities
• Development finance institutions
• Institutional investors and private equity
• EPCs, developers and engineering leaders

The platform is designed to move beyond dialogue and focus on bankable projects, investment pipelines and structured partnerships.

At a time when capital is seeking credible projects and governments are seeking delivery partners, Infrastructure Africa provides the room where those connections are made.

If you are serious about infrastructure development and investment on the continent, Infrastructure Africa is not an event to observe — it is an event to attend.

Find out more at www.infrastructure-africa.com

The modern marketplace is louder than ever. Brands publish constantly, algorithms churn endlessly, and audiences are exposed to more messaging in a single day than previous generations encountered in a month. Yet despite this unprecedented volume, something essential is missing: emotional connection.

The real challenge facing brands in 2026 is not visibility. It’s meaning.

Consumers are no longer moved by polished campaigns or clever slogans. They are looking for something deeper, a sense of alignment, recognition, and shared values. And that level of connection is impossible to achieve when strategy is built without purpose.

“Purpose is not a marketing device. It is the internal compass that shapes how a brand behaves, decides, and communicates,” says Nadia Hearn, PR and brand communications strategist, founder of Get Published and co-founder of Brand Growth Track. She shares why when purpose is absent, strategy becomes a performance. When purpose is present, strategy becomes a relationship.

Across Africa, this truth has long been understood. Communities here have always valued connection over consumption and contribution over competition. As global audiences shift toward values-driven decision-making, this perspective is becoming increasingly relevant and increasingly powerful.

Below Nadia Hearn shares three strategic shifts that will define the brands capable of building genuine emotional connection in 2026:

1. Move from “What We Do” to “Why It Matters”

Most brands still lead with offerings, features, and capabilities. But audiences don’t connect with what a brand does they connect with the meaning behind it. They want to understand the human problem being solved, not the list of services being provided.

This requires a shift from transactional communication to purpose-led storytelling.
It means articulating the deeper intention behind the work, the impact on people’s lives, and the values that guide decisions.

When purpose becomes the anchor, messaging gains clarity, consistency, and resonance. It stops trying to impress and starts trying to matter. Purpose gives strategy direction. Without it, brands drift. With it, they become intentional and intention builds trust.

2. Build Emotional Connection Through Behaviour, Not Words

Audiences today are highly attuned to authenticity. They no longer take brand statements at face value; they look for evidence.

Emotional connection is built through behaviour the lived expression of values not through messaging alone.

This shows up in:

• • How customers are treated
  • How decisions are made under pressure
  • How organisations show up in their communities
  • How transparently challenges are communicated
  • How consistently values are demonstrated

When behaviour aligns with purpose, credibility grows. When it doesn’t, trust erodes quickly. Emotional connection is created when what a brand says, does, and delivers are in harmony.

3. Integrate purpose into strategy, not as an accessory

Purpose cannot sit on a website page or in a brand book. It must inform the strategic engine of the organisation. The most effective brands in 2026 will integrate purpose into:

• • Product and service development
  • Customer experience design
  • Leadership and culture
  • Partnerships and collaborations
  • Communication and content
  • Social and environmental commitments

This integration creates coherence, quality audiences instinctively recognise. It also simplifies decision-making, because purpose becomes the filter through which opportunities, messages, and actions are evaluated.

African innovation offers a compelling example here. “We see that many local businesses are built on principles of community upliftment, shared value, and long-term contribution. These are not marketing narratives, they are strategic foundations. And they are increasingly aligned with what global audiences expect from the brands they support,” says Nadia Hearn.

Purpose-driven strategy builds credibility because it creates consistency. “Consistency builds trust,” she adds.

Aligning strategy with purpose, a practical approach

A useful starting point is to define purpose in one clear, human sentence. Then evaluate every strategic decision, message, and initiative against it.

The guiding questions are simple:

• • Does this reflect why the organisation exists?
  • Does this create meaningful value for the audience?
  • Does this strengthen the relationship the brand is trying to build?

If the answer is no, Nadia Hearn shares, “Then action is likely noise not strategy. Purpose-led alignment is not a campaign. It is more of a discipline. When it is applied consistently, it becomes a powerful differentiator in a crowded and increasingly discerning marketplace.”

The key takeaway

In 2026, the brands that succeed will not be the ones with the most content or the biggest budgets.

They will be the ones that create genuine emotional connection, the ones that behave with purpose, communicate with clarity, and show up with consistency.

Strategy with purpose becomes meaning and meaning is what audiences remember, trust, and choose. To receive a free brand purpose audit workbook email brands@get-published.co.za.

For more brand communications insights follow: Instagram: @getpublishedza, Facebook & LinkedIn: Get Published or Nadia Hearn.