South Africa is stepping up the pace of infrastructure delivery, with 81 Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) comprising 263 individual projects, with an estimated combined value of R1.9888 trillion.
The scale of the pipeline, coupled with projects already completed, under construction and moving through procurement, demonstrates a country at work and creates significant opportunities for infrastructure investment, development and partnerships.
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson outlined the progress during a media briefing at Century City Urban Square in Cape Town on Sunday ahead of the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa (SIDSSA) 2026.
The fifth edition of SIDSSA, taking place at the Century City Conference Centre, is being held under the theme: “Shaping the Future of Municipal Infrastructure”.
Macpherson said developments include both public and private sector-led “high-value, high-impact infrastructure investments”.
Over the past 18 months, 37 projects, worth approximately R69 billion, have been completed, while a further 82 projects, valued at about R502.7 billion, are currently under construction.
Another 54 projects, worth approximately R206 billion, are in the documentation phase, where approved building designs are turned into precise technical instructions, while others are in the procurement phase.
“These figures show both the scale of the pipeline and the importance of sustained coordination across the infrastructure system,” Macpherson said.
Connecting projects to investment
SIDSSA 2026 provides an important platform for taking this infrastructure pipeline from planning to implementation by bringing government and the investment community together around projects that can unlock economic activity and improve service delivery.
The symposium brings together government leaders, municipalities, development finance institutions, investors, infrastructure specialists, developers and other stakeholders to explore opportunities to accelerate infrastructure development, particularly at municipal level.
Macpherson said the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) would use SIDSSA 2026 to announce projects selected through Bid Window II, while Bid Window III opened in July as government continues to build the infrastructure pipeline.
Through a R600 million commitment to project delivery support launched in 2024, Infrastructure South Africa is helping public institutions develop high-value projects into bankable and investment-ready opportunities.
“Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) is providing preparation support to more than 26 projects, with an estimated capital value of approximately R148 billion, while 15 supported projects have completed their preparatory work,” the Minister said.
Macpherson stressed that preparing projects is only one part of the process, with projects needing to be connected to appropriate sources of finance to move into implementation.
Building and using State assets
The infrastructure drive extends beyond new projects to the construction, maintenance and management of the buildings and properties from which government delivers services.
Macpherson pointed to several projects as evidence of work underway to improve and expand the State’s infrastructure portfolio.
In Johannesburg, the new R769 million Deeds Office is under construction in the inner city. The development is the first new high-rise development in the Johannesburg CBD in more than 20 years and is scheduled for completion in October this year.
Once completed, it will also reduce the State’s reliance on rented accommodation.
The department has also supported the handover of the Durban Forensic Science Laboratory to the South African Police Service within 12 months and helped restart progress at the Sarah Baartman Centre of Remembrance, where a contractor was appointed after more than a decade of delays.
The Minister said government is also changing how it manages its wider property portfolio.
“Government cannot continue spending approximately R6 billion each year on private leases, while State-owned buildings remain vacant, underused or in poor condition,” he said.
The planned South African National Property Company is intended to move the State towards more professional asset management by reducing unnecessary leases, refurbishing buildings, structuring partnerships and unlocking responsible investment.
Infrastructure that works for communities
The infrastructure programme is also being used to support vulnerable communities and expand opportunities.
During the past financial year, the department made more than 46 State-owned properties available for shelters for victims of gender-based violence and femicide and for skills development centres.
For Macpherson, the objective is ultimately to ensure that infrastructure translates into functioning public services and tangible benefits for communities.
“South Africans need government buildings that work, public assets that are properly used, and infrastructure that delivers reliable services in their communities,” he said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is the convener of SIDSSA, which is organised by the Investment and Infrastructure Office within The Presidency.
With projects worth nearly R2 trillion moving through different stages of development, SIDSSA 2026 provides an important platform for turning South Africa’s infrastructure ambitions into investment, construction and delivery on the ground. – SAnews.gov.za
