Tshwane Investment Summit exceeds expectations, garners R16bn in pledges
By Mandla Mpangase The Tshwane Investment Summit 2025 exceeded expectations: against a target of attracting R5-billion in new investments, more than R16-billion has been pledged to the City’s various infrastructure sectors. However, investment is not merely about numbers, it is about people – every rand invested must translate into jobs, dignity and opportunity, says Gauteng MEC for Economic Development and Finance Lebogang Maile. The MEC was the key note speaker at the summit which was held in Menlyn Maine on 10 September 2025 under the tagline #TshwaneRising. The City of Tshwane highlighted its portfolio of catalytic opportunities for investors, focusing on: The automotive and manufacturing sector anchoring localisation, supply chain integration, and new energy vehicle production. Tourism, leveraging the City’s cultural and historical elements along with MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) assets. Property and construction, from revitalised government precincts to mixed-use developments at sites like Pretoria West and Rooiwal. Agro-processing, using peri-urban land to strengthen food systems, build resilience, and expand agri-value chains. This summit was not a ceremonial summit but a platform where investment must engage with opportunities to drive real outcomes, Maile noted. “Our policy ambitions, the strength of the private sector and the needs of our citizens must converge into concrete commitments.” Gauteng Investment Summit results The Tshwane Investment Summit followed in the footsteps of the inaugural Gauteng Investment Conference in April 2025, where R312-billion in pledges was secured, 117 bankable projects worth R239-billion were showcased, and demonstrated a potential to create 115 000 jobs across the province. “These pledges underscore Gauteng’s commitment to economic transformation, with an emphasis on advanced manufacturing, information, and communication technology (ICT), infrastructure development, and other key industries aligned with the province’s growth and development strategy.” Importantly, 57% of the investment commitments were secured from domestic investors, reflecting robust local confidence in the provincial economy, MEC Maile noted. The remaining pledges originated from international partners, notably the United States, France, and India – countries with established trade and investment relations with South Africa. “Gauteng remains the unrivalled case for investment in South Africa and on the African continent … Gauteng is not waiting for the world to change; it is shaping its own future,” Maile said. A comprehensive 25-year review of foreign direct investment (FDI) trends highlighted both Gauteng’s historical strengths in attracting investment and the areas requiring strategic enhancement to remain competitive in an increasingly technology-driven global economy. TASEZ impact As a key role player in attracting foreign and local direct investment, the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ), is keenly aware of the challenges identified by investors: red tape, issues related to bulk infrastructure, energy and water constraints, and community challenges. During Phase 1 of its development, TASEZ attracted R14.72-billion in investment from both government and the private sector, and it is well on track to double that during Phase 2. MEC Maile added: “The inaugural City of Tshwane Investment Summit gives impetus to the need to turn Gauteng into an active investment node that will propel South Africa’s economy. “This happens at a critical moment where the International Monetary Fund has projected global growth at 2.8% in 2025, citing geopolitical instability and rising trade restrictions as key risks. “South Africa’s outlook is weaker, real GDP is expected to grow by just 1.0%, with inflation at 3.8%.” Fixed investment is forecasted to contract by 0.8% as high interest rates and policy inertia dampen private capital formation, Maile told the participants at the summit. Export growth is limited to 1.3% amid external shocks and new tariffs. The current account deficit is expected to widen to 1.1% of GDP. “Despite this, macro fundamentals remain intact: inflation is within target and fiscal consolidation is on track. However, weak infrastructure delivery and regulatory uncertainty continue to drag on growth potential. Foreign direct investment remains critical to stabilising and rebuilding momentum.” The MEC noted several key facts regarding the City of Tshwane: It is a city of 4.1 million people, a quarter of Gauteng’s population It generates R452-billion in real GDP, accounting for 28% of Gauteng’s GDP, giving it a GDP per capita of R109 555, higher than the Gauteng average. In 2024, Tshwane exports reach R400-billion, almost a third of Gauteng’s total. Imports exceed R197-billion, making Tshwane a hub of both production and consumption. More than 1.27 million people are employed in the city, amounting to a quarter of Gauteng’s workforce. Tshwane accounts for a significant share of Gauteng’s manufacturing jobs, contributing 220 jobs for each 1 000 manufacturing jobs in Gauteng. This reach spans from food and beverages, chemical products, automotive and transport equipment, to electrical machinery and components. The importance of the automotive manufacturing sector to the City of Tshwane was obvious during the summit, with the chairperson of TASEZ, Maoto Molefane, acting as the programme director. Also present at the summit was TASEZ CEO, Dr Bheka Zulu. Notably, Tshwane hosts 30% of Gauteng’s transport equipment jobs, the backbone of the automotive sector, the MEC noted. With BMW and Nissan anchoring the Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC) in the west of the city, and Ford and TASEZ in the east, “this city is leading South Africa into the era of new energy vehicles”. City of Tshwane opportunities At the same time, services are rising. Finance and insurance sectors employ over 12% of Tshwane’s workers, while education, health, and research institutions give this city an intellectual and innovative edge. The city is also significant in construction, contributing more than 23% of Gauteng’s employment in that sector. Together, these industries define Tshwane as a hub of industrial production and infrastructure development; a city that builds, assembles, and powers not just Gauteng, but South Africa, Maile said. “Johannesburg may be the financial engine; Ekurhuleni the logistics platform but Tshwane is the balancing axis; a city where government, industry, research, and exports converge.” The summit is a catalyst for the Tshwane Economic Revitalisation Strategy which has set a bold target of attracting between R17- and R26-billion in new investments, growth of 4% a year,
