Call to put shovel to the ground

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17-11-2025
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South African Government News Agency
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President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a rallying call to the construction sector to “go and construct South Africa” by seizing the opportunity presented by government’s R1 trillion infrastructure drive.

The President was addressing the National Construction Summit held at Kempton Park in Gauteng on Thursday. 

“Our country is poised…for great growth. 

“We have the money [for infrastructure], we have the leadership, we have the opportunity. Just go and construct South Africa,” President Ramaphosa told industry leaders at the summit.

Government has committed some R1 trillion over the medium term solely to infrastructure development and is also introducing reforms to create a conducive environment for public-private partnerships (PPP).

Amendments to Treasury Regulation 16 – which are aimed at driving higher PPP investment, managing fiscal commitments, improving governance and easing private sector entry – took effect in June.

“The purpose of this Summit is to ensure that these investments and reforms do indeed turn the country into a building site.

“We want to see cranes and construction vehicles in cities, townships, villages and rural areas. When visitors travel by road or rail or air, they must see a country at work.”

The President warned that as announced investments turn to soil turning, government will “not let anyone derail these efforts”.

“We will not negotiate with construction mafias. We will not yield to cable thieves or those who vandalise infrastructure. The law enforcement agencies will deal with those who break the law.

“We have declared war on the construction mafias and they will not stop us,” he said.

Those construction companies that underperform and delay government projects are also up for accountability through the South African Construction Action Plan.

“It is a framework for collective and individual accountability; a plan that sets measurable targets, real timelines and enforceable consequences.

“The plan outlines actions to prevent underperforming contractors from securing new contracts from the state. It aims to fix cash-flow constraints and use technology to track construction projects in real time,” the President explained.

Provinces are also poised to establish Procurement War Rooms aimed at “identifying “blockages, speed up evaluations and ensure that projects move from bid to site without unnecessary delay”.

“The plan includes actions to strengthen audit and governance outcomes and professionalise the built environment in the public sector.

“In essence, this plan will ensure that projects are started and completed on time, within budget, and with no wastage.”

The President assured the gathering that government is determined that “infrastructure should be the main area of activity in taking our country forward”.

“From a social development perspective, infrastructure provides people with what they need to live and to thrive. It improves the quality of life and plays a key role in reducing inequality. Through reliable infrastructure we can boost productivity of our people and…to reduce the costs of living.

“Through infrastructure, we provide a country that will grow and develop. Infrastructure facilitates trade and commerce. When we boost infrastructure through the construction industry, we also attract investment.

“The roads we build, the bridges we construct, the schools and hospitals we erect are the foundations of opportunity and hope. Infrastructure is the engine that drives economic growth and social transformation,” President Ramaphosa said.

In the maiden budget speech of the Government of National Unity (GNU) earlier this year, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced a R1 trillion allocation for infrastructure investment over the medium term. 

The Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) tabled in Parliament yesterday, said reforms are under way to mobilise private-sector finance and technical expertise at scale.

“In parallel, there are initiatives to strengthen government’s ability to deliver infrastructure more efficiently and improve spending outcomes,” it said.