Pictured: The minister of Economic Development and Planning, Ebrahim Patel

South Africa’s infrastructure programme is driving a wave of industrialisation across the country, says Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel.

Patel says the state-led programme currently “provides jobs to more than 150 000 people across the country, direct jobs, with 43 500 of these jobs in energy-related projects.”

Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba also recently gave an update on some of the major infrastructure projects under way in the country:

• Eskom’s Medupi power plant, part of the project aimed at unlocking South Africa’s northern mineral belt, with the Waterberg serving as the catalyst, was now 58% complete, despite recent labour unrest challenges. A total of R60.4-billion had been spent on the project to date, and 15 837 jobs created.
• Construction of a new multi-product fuel pipeline, part of the project focusing on the Durban-Free State-Gauteng logistics and industrial corridor, was on schedule. Spending on this project to date totalled R16.9-billion, with 2 490 jobs having been created.
• Procurement of new rolling stock, part of a massive upgrade of South Africa’s freight rail capacity, was now 73% complete, with spending to date totalling R2.7-billion and 159 jobs having been created. 54% local content in the manufacturing of locomotives had been secured, which would strengthen the country’s manufacturing capabilities while creating jobs and developing new skills.
• Work on a manganese ore rail line between the Northern Cape and the Port of Ngqura in the Eastern Cape was in the final planning phase. The project aims to increase South Africa’s export of manganese from five- to 16-million tons annually.
• As part of the project to upgrade South Africa’s urban public transport systems, Johannesburg’s Rea Vaya project has created 1 185 jobs with a spend to date of R1.218-million, while Cape Town’s MyCiti project has created 635 jobs with a spend of R2.923-million.

The minister of economic development and planning, Ebrahim Patel