Over 31 nations set to attend landmark gathering in Pretoria
South Africa is poised to roll out the red carpet for international and domestic investors as the country prepares to host its sixth Investment Conference on 31 March, with Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau confirming that preparations are firmly on track.
Speaking to media in Pretoria on Monday, Tau declared the country's readiness to receive delegates from more than 31 nations who have confirmed their attendance at the high-profile gathering.
"South Africa is open, South Africa is ready, and South Africa is an investment destination of choice. Their growing interest to participate in the 6th South Africa Investment Conference is an illustration that the world sees us as a gateway to Africa, and the ideal place to invest and partner with a developing country that is shaping the world we live in."
The conference traces its origins to 2018, when President Cyril Ramaphosa launched the initiative with the goal of mobilising significant domestic and foreign capital and channelling it into employment creation, economic expansion, and broader opportunity for South Africans. The inaugural five-year investment drive, spanning 2018 to 2023, exceeded expectations by attracting R1.56 trillion in pledges — overshooting the Presidency's original target by 26%.
Tau emphasised that this achievement was no fluke, attributing it to purposeful collaboration, consistent engagement, and a government committed to facilitating business. He noted that 2024 served as a pivotal reset period, while 2025 has become the year of execution under the diversification approach known as the Butterfly strategy, which has enabled the country to tap into new markets and promote itself as a prime investment hub globally.
From pledges to prosperity
The Minister outlined that while the first investment cycle established a bedrock of trust and cooperation, the current phase is squarely focused on converting commitments into concrete projects that deliver measurable economic growth and jobs. He framed this within a fiercely competitive global landscape where nations vie for investor attention.
"We are not asking investors to take a leap of faith. We are inviting them to follow the evidence. We live in a world of competing demands for capital. Every nation is making the case for why it deserves investor attention. We are making ours not with promises alone, but with proof."
The country's investment proposition rests on three core pillars: Invest, offering high-return sectors underpinned by policy certainty and strategic infrastructure; Partner, championing shared ownership of economic outcomes among government, business, and communities; and Prosper, ensuring that capital inflows translate into real benefits for all citizens. Tau highlighted a technology sector primed for rapid expansion, world-class renewable energy prospects, and substantial untapped potential in agro-processing and food security as key drawcards.
He further pointed to South Africa's stable constitutional democracy, independent judiciary, and investor-friendly regulatory framework as factors that set the country apart.
"South Africa is not just a destination — it is a gateway to a continent of 1.4 billion people. The opportunity is real, and it is now."
The upcoming conference builds on the momentum of the previous cycle, which concluded in March 2023 after raising R1.51 trillion and surpassing its initial R1.2 trillion target. To date, over R600 billion of those commitments have been deployed into tangible projects, funding new factories, mining operations, and other productive facilities across the country. Key milestones ahead of next week's event include the mobilisation of sponsors, the attraction of local and international investors, and the assembly of an investor committee to support the project pipeline captured in the National Investment Book. President Ramaphosa, who announced the conference during the 2026 State of the Nation Address, affirmed government's determination to sustain this investment trajectory.
South Africa's sixth Investment Conference arrives at a critical juncture for an economy battling unemployment and sluggish growth. With over R600 billion from previous pledges already deployed into factories and mining operations, the event's ability to attract fresh capital from 31 nations could accelerate job creation in renewable energy, technology, and agro-processing. Whether the government's Butterfly strategy successfully converts new commitments into sustained employment and broad-based economic participation remains the key measure of progress ahead.
