Gauteng: President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to open the South Africa Investment Conference (SAIC) today.
This will be the fourth instalment of the SAIC, which will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre, north of Johannesburg.
The conference is part of the government’s investment drive to attract R1.2 trillion over five years, and it attracts delegates from South Africa and worldwide to discuss investment opportunities.
Since the first investment conference in 2018, South Africa has attracted R774 billion in commitments across a wide range of economic sectors. Of the 152 investment announcements made previously, 45 projects have already been completed.
A further 57 projects are currently under construction.
As of February 2022, those firms who have completed their reporting have advised that R314 billion (40,6%) of the committed investment pledges have been expended.
“These new investments will help us to grow the economy, create much-needed jobs and improve the lives of people,” the government said in a press statement.
Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel is expected to do the introduction. Immediately after him, there will be an African Development Bank’s Investment Commitment by Dr Akinwumi Adesina.
Throughout the day, there will be several panel discussions, including the Investment Case, Improving the business environment on what needs to be done for growth, Infrastructure finance, Digital opportunities in South Africa, where stories from the tech ecosystem, including GBS growth, will be heard, Energy, Mining and Manufacturing, to name but a few.
Later in the evening, there will be a business dinner keynote appearance by South African-born billionaire businessman and scientist Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong.
Lastly, there will also be a formal closing address by Ramaphosa.
There will be road closures around the venue to prevent congestion around Alice Lane.
Political Bureau
