2025
Gauteng Investment Conference Launch
10:04am
The Gauteng Department of Economic Development (GDED) MEC Lebogang Maile announced that the first annual Gauteng Investment Conference will take place on Thursday, 3 April 2025, during a breakfast session at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The event will promote Gauteng as a leading investment destination.
“Our aim is to attract R800 billion in investment over the next three years,” says Gauteng Province MEC for Economic Development and Finance, Lebogang Maile. “We are setting out to secure R300 billion in commitments at the conference itself, which will call on domestic and international investors to support growth, development and transformation in Gauteng.”
The Province intends to secure this investment by showcasing the key role Gauteng has to play in South Africa and on the continent as a whole. It will also highlight tangible outcomes achieved to date and demonstrate how the province has consistently attracted significant public and private investments.
Over the past few months, the province has been on a deliberate roadshow, including a business breakfast during the Africa Investment Forum in Morocco and a delegation to the World Economic Forum (WEF), to raise investor awareness and promote partnerships that will drive transformative growth.
“Davos 2025 offered a crucial opportunity for Gauteng to connect with global leaders, attract investment and strengthen its position as Africa’s economic powerhouse,” says GGDA’s Acting Group CEO, Saki Zamxaka.
What Gauteng has to offer
With a real GDP of US$128 billion, the province accounts for 34% of South Africa’s GDP and 7% of continental GDP, underscoring its significance as a key economic player in Africa. Home to the largest stock exchange in Africa, the CSIR, and the Innovation Hub, sub-Saharan Africa’s first internationally accredited science and technology park, it is well positioned as a centre of global commerce and innovation. It also has an advanced IT and communications infrastructure, which houses 30% of Africa’s data centres.
Gauteng is the gateway to South Africa, offering access to major trade routes and regional hubs within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“We are in a firm position to attract investment across all sectors,” MEC Maile, “including advanced manufacturing, the digital economy, and sustainable infrastructure development. “With a proven track record of attracting two out of three direct foreign investment projects in South Africa since 2014, we have demonstrated our ability to bring visionary development projects to life.”
The OR Tambo International Airport Special Economic Zone
The launch of Precinct 2 in the OR Tambo International Airport Special Development Zone (ORTIA SEZ) in February 2025 is one such project and has significantly enhanced Gauteng’s attractiveness to investors. It is a significant milestone in the province’s broader investment strategy and reinforces its commitment to fostering economic growth, industrial expansion and job creation.
“Precinct 2 is unlocking new opportunities for investors and businesses,” says Thandiwe Ngqobe, CEO of ORTIA SEZ, “and further strengthens Gauteng’s position as a hub for high-value manufacturing and beneficiation.”
Precinct 1, launched in April 2024, features 12 buildings. These house South Africa’s second-largest food processing factory and Africa’s first Jewellery Manufacturing Precinct (JMP), both of which support the country’s beneficiation objectives. The precinct created more than 2,000 construction jobs during development and, with private sector investment commitments of R1.1 billion, has already created more than 2,500 operational jobs.
The launch of Precinct 2, which is owned by the Gauteng Provincial Government and is four times as big as Precinct 1, is expected to deliver exponential benefits.
“By accelerating the development of world-class infrastructure and sector-focused economic zones, Gauteng aims to attract sustainable investment and position itself as a competitive global player in key industries,” says MEC Maile.
OR Tambo International Airport is sub-Saharan Africa’s busiest and 43rd busiest airport in the world. It is a key access point for national, regional and international cargo and can handle up to 21 million passengers annually. As such, it connects Gauteng to the world and supports the province’s role as an important trade and logistics centre.
Alignment with national and international development goals
The Gauteng Province is also aligned with global priorities for climate-smart and socially inclusive investment, offering opportunities in renewable energy, green infrastructure and sustainable urban development.
“Our objectives support South Africa’s National Development Goals (NDGs) and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” says Zamxaka, “making Gauteng a conducive environment for responsible growth.
MEC Maile concluded, “We are confident that we will reach our investment goals and that this will result in greater added value in beneficiation and even more inclusive and sustainable jobs.”