President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address outlined seven priorities and “five fundamental goals” his government would focus on, in its efforts to fix the economy over the next five to 10 years.

The economy took centre stage on Thursday night as the president delivered his SONA in Cape Town.

From saving Eskom to cutting red tape and ensuring that data must fall, here’s everything you need to know about his seven priorities:

Economic transformation and job creation

Ramaphosa announced that the private sector had already committed to invest R840 billion in 43 projects over 19 sectors. This would create at least 155,000 jobs in the next five years.

He also announced that on jobs for young people, the government would implement a comprehensive plan – driven and coordinated from the Presidency – to create no fewer than two million new jobs for young people within the next decade.

Ramaphosa also said government would provide employment through the Expanded Public Works Programme, especially in labour-intensive areas like maintenance, clearing vegetation, plugging water leaks and constructing roads.

Education, skills and health

Through initiatives like the National Reading Coalition, government aimed to improve reading among children. Every 10-year-old will be able to read for meaning, as the president promised better educational outcomes.

Government also promised to implement the Early Grade Reading Programme, which consists of an integrated package of lesson plans, additional reading materials and professional support to foundation phase teachers. Foundation and intermediate phase teachers will be trained to teach reading in English and the African languages.

The president vowed to also lower data costs to allow for skills development among young people.

In terms of healthcare, the president said government would roll-out the National Health Insurance with advances in e-health, robotics and remote medicine and said that government would finalise a Presidential Health Summit Compact, to address the crisis in South African clinics and hospitals.

Consolidating the social wage through reliable and quality basic services

The president has vowed that stolen public money would be returned and used to deliver services and much-needed basic infrastructure to the poorest communities. Ramaphosa said that government would take a district-based approach – focusing on the 44 districts and 8 metros – to speed up service delivery, ensuring that municipalities are properly supported and adequately resourced.

He also said that government would decrease the cost of living by strengthening the social wage through reliable and quality basic services.

Spatial integration, human settlements and local government

In the next five years, government will increase the provision of well-located housing and land to poor South Africans.

Government promised to release public land that was suitable for smart, urban settlements and for farming.

Social cohesion and safe communities

The president promised that the number of policewomen and men would be increased and a more active role would be created for citizens through effective community policing forums.

He also promised to improve success rates in investigating and prosecuting crimes, and to ensure better training and professionalisation throughout the criminal justice system.

On gang violence, he said they would fight against drug syndicates through the implementation of the National Anti-Gang Strategy and the revised National Drug Master Plan.

A capable, ethical and developmental state

Ramaphosa said government would work towards an ethical state, and would not tolerate corruption, patronage, rent-seeking and plundering of public money. To do this, the president vowed to strengthen the NPA, SIU, Sars and State Security Agency.

A better Africa and world

Government committed to promoting all South African products and services to the rest of the African continent and the world. This is to integrate South Africa’s economy with other countries around the world.

Within the next year, government also said it would conclude agreements with retailers to stock more South African goods on their shelves.

Within SADC, government said it would prioritise development of key sectors such as energy, mining and mineral beneficiation, manufacturing, infrastructure and agri-processing.