Johannesburg: With government pursuing a reindustrialisation agenda, Deputy President Paul Mashatile has underscored to investors the importance of strong partnerships between government and business to drive economic growth, job creation, and increased manufacturing and industrial activity. Delivering a keynote address at the Gauteng Investment Conference 2026 (GIC 2026) in Johannesburg on Thursday, Mashatile said government requires a solid partnership with businesses that invest in skills, support localisation, integrate small enterprises into value chains, and commit to long-term resilience.
According to South African Government News Agency, Mashatile highlighted that re-industrialisation is a practical, forward-looking strategy that recognises productive capacity as the foundation of sustained growth. It is aimed at resulting in technology-driven factories, expanded industrial output, revitalised industrial parks and Special Economic Zones, strengthened local supply chains, and the creation of dignified jobs on a large scale.
In this process, Mashatile noted that the government has a responsibility to de-risk investment through policy certainty, regulatory efficiency, and improved coordination across all spheres of government. This includes crowding in private capital alongside development finance institutions and commercial lenders while ensuring delivery, accountability, and effective project tracking.
He further emphasised that reliable energy, efficient logistics, water security, and modern digital infrastructure are essential for industrialisation. Hence, the government continues to invest in stabilising and expanding energy supply, improving rail and port systems, and strengthening water and logistics infrastructure, which form the foundations of industrial growth.
Mashatile also pointed out that the future of industrialisation is as digital as it is physical, with data centres, artificial intelligence, fintech, cloud infrastructure, and digital public platforms now serving as the backbone of modern economies. Gauteng is uniquely positioned to lead in this digital space and must leverage this advantage to build globally competitive digital industries.
He noted that while Africa remains resource-rich, it is value-chain poor, exporting raw materials and importing finished goods. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) provides a platform to change this dynamic by building regional value chains, expanding intra-African trade, and industrialising at scale. The AfCFTA is a comprehensive free trade agreement that seeks to integrate all 55 members of the African Union into a combined market of 1.4 billion, with a GDP of approximately US$3.4 trillion.
Mashatile stressed that industrialisation does not occur without investment and that investment must translate into production, which in turn must lead to job creation and improved livelihoods. Industrial growth should unlock opportunities for young people, township economies, and small and emerging enterprises, ensuring that growth translates into shared prosperity.
To mobilise investment, advance industrialisation, and accelerate inclusive economic growth, the Gauteng government gathered global investors, African governments, municipal leaders, development finance institutions, banks, and the private sector at GIC 2026. The platform aims to enhance Gauteng's position as Africa's leading investment hub.
This year's conference builds on the success of the inaugural event held in 2025, which secured R312 billion in investment pledges, and forms part of the province's strategy to attract R800 billion in new investments over three years. Mashatile concluded by stating that through the Gauteng Investment Conference, South Africa is signaling to investors that it is open for business and ready for execution, with Gauteng leading by example in shortening regulatory timelines, coordinating across government spheres, and supporting investors throughout the project lifecycle to achieve measurable economic impact and inclusive growth.