South African companies are leading the way in investment following the successful hosting of the sixth South Africa Investment Conference (SAIC), where a record R890 billion investment pledge was secured.

In his weekly address to the nation on Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the success of the summit reflected new confidence in the country's economy.

“The success of 6th South Africa Investment Conference “Two weeks ago, where we secured a record investment pledge of Rs 890 billion reflects new confidence in our economy,” the President said.

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He said this milestone comes after a difficult phase of slow growth, holding situation and prolonged load shedding.

“It was a milestone in the difficult journey of rebuilding our economy in the wake of years of slow growth, a decade of state capture and prolonged load shedding,” he said.

Domestic investment signals confidence

President Ramaphosa said a key feature of the 2026 SAIC is the strong participation of local companies, who are increasingly choosing to invest in South Africa.

“The decision by domestic companies to accelerate or reaffirm investment in their country is a measure of confidence,” the President said.

He said that these investors are sending strong signals to the global market.

“These investors, who know the country and its conditions best, are signaling to international capital that this is an economy that is stable, growing and ready for investment.”

Diversity

The President highlighted that the investment commitments span a wide range of industries in line with the government's development priorities.

“These include established industries such as mining and beneficiation, agro-processing and tourism. We have also seen substantial investment in renewable energy, the green economy and the digital economy,” the President said.

He said this diversity supports efforts to accelerate economic growth and job creation.

Government targets R3 trillion in investment

Encouraged by the conference's outcomes, the government has set a new target of mobilizing R3 trillion in investment over the next five years.

The President acknowledged that achieving this goal will require increased domestic investment and cooperation across all sectors of society.

“The outcomes of the 2026 Investment Summit have encouraged us to set our sights even higher, to mobilize R3 trillion in investment over the next five years. To do this, we will rely on high levels of domestic investment,” he said.

Reforms and Infrastructure Building Program

The President said the government is continuing structural reforms to create a more favorable environment for investment.

“Investment cannot be realized in a situation of policy uncertainty. Reform and transformation processes will continue to be undertaken to solve long-standing challenges not only in sectors such as power, water and logistics,” he said.

He said the government will continue to promote changes and reforms in various sectors that will improve people's lives and create a favorable environment for investment.

“We will continue to take decisive action to root out corruption, stop extortion on construction sites, and break the back of the illicit economy. We will continue to support existing and new industries,” he said.

The government is also playing a catalytic role through its infrastructure build programme, with R1 trillion earmarked for large-scale projects over the next three years.

“Our investment campaign does not begin and end with investment conferences. We continue our external investment missions to explore new markets and strengthen existing business relationships.

The President said, “We continue to convene structured business forums on the sidelines of state visits and bilateral events, including bi-national commissions. As we have done in the past, we continue to prioritize targeted, one-on-one engagement with investors during international visits.”