Government and business have committed to placing inclusive growth, job creation and confidence at the centre of Phase Three of the Government-Business Partnership.
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday met with Ministers and senior business leaders to formally commence the next phase of the Partnership’s 2026 programme of work, with economic growth identified as the central focus.
The meeting reviewed progress achieved during Phase Two of the Partnership, during which key gains were made in stabilising the energy and logistics systems. These advances, alongside other reforms, contributed to improved economic sentiment towards the end of 2025, with investors increasingly responding positively to South Africa’s policy credibility and economic direction.
Significant developments include South Africa’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, a steady decline in inflation towards the 3 per cent target, a successful and oversubscribed sovereign Eurobond issuance, a firmer Rand, and an upgrade of the country’s sovereign credit rating by S&P, the first in more than two decades.
The Government-Business Partnership was formed in 2023 by government, led by President Ramaphosa, and business leadership represented by Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), to collaborate on improving outcomes in three priority areas: energy, transport and logistics, and crime and corruption.
Over 130 companies and CEOs through BUSA, Business for South Africa (B4SA) and Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) have committed to supporting this partnership.
The objectives and envisioned impact of the partnership are to increase societal and investor confidence in South Africa’s economic trajectory through the joint implementation of a focused set of interventions aimed at ending load shedding, advancing the President’s Energy Action Plan, increasing freight volumes, improving the performance of the logistics system, and addressing crime and corruption.
The partnership further seeks to create an enabling environment that supports inclusive economic growth, job creation, greater public confidence, and enhanced state capacity for effective implementation.
Phase 1 of the partnership demonstrated the power of collaboration between government and business. It tackled some of the country’s most pressing challenges in the areas of energy, transport and logistics, and crime and corruption, resulting in some key achievements.
The contribution of the partnership, working alongside other stakeholders, led to the dramatic reduction in loadshedding, which stands out as an important achievement.
Phase Two, launched on 1 October 2024, further strengthened operational performance, especially at Eskom, while additional momentum was achieved through the commencement of the Durban Pier 2 terminal concession and the opening of the rail network to private operators.
The Partnership agreed that the focus in these areas must now shift decisively from crisis management to the implementation of government’s structural reform agenda, including the establishment of competitive and commercially viable markets to unlock further investment.
Against this backdrop, government and business agreed that the central framework for Phase Three will be anchored in “Inclusive Growth, Jobs and Confidence”, with all actions assessed against their ability to grow the economy, support employment and strengthen confidence amid a rapidly changing global environment.
Crime and corruption were also identified as major deterrents to confidence, investment and growth. While progress has been made in strengthening institutional capability, the Partnership agreed that a more ambitious focus on tackling organised crime, corruption and weaknesses in the criminal justice system is required, given the direct link between the rule of law and economic growth.
Priority areas for Phase Three include support for Government’s energy market reform, including the launch of a competitive South African wholesale electricity market, grid expansion and the publication of a clear roadmap for Eskom’s unbundling which clarifies the approach to establishing an independent Transmission System Operator in line with the Electricity Regulation Act.
Accelerating reforms in the transport and logistics sector, with increased private sector participation, was also identified as a key priority to improve efficiency and competitiveness.
Youth employment interventions in other sectors will continue to build on the model of close coordination between Government and business, which resulted in the successful introduction of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which removes a key bottleneck to increasing international tourist arrivals and supports job creation.
Across all priority areas, the emphasis will be on execution and delivery in support of growth. Government and business agreed that this year should represent a decisive turning point for South Africa’s economic trajectory, and an opportunity to achieve lasting progress and shared prosperity.
“After two years of hard work, we can definitively say this partnership has been a success. While we have achieved much, there is much that we need to do. As this partnership evolves and as the focus of our work shifts, we remain firmly committed to acting together and with purpose to serve the needs of our country,” President Ramaphosa said.
Group CEO of Discovery and co-convener of the business delegation, Adrian Gore, said that South Africa is turning the corner.
“We must act decisively to convert this momentum into investment and jobs. “Growth, Jobs, Confidence” sits at the heart of our approach and needs to be the filter for every decision in 2026. If an action does not advance these objectives, it should not proceed. If it does, we should move quickly and back it fully. Business is fully committed to supporting this,” Gore said. – SAnews.gov.za
