JOHANNESBURG â South Africa’s answer lies in economic growth and jobs, there’s just no other way. It’s the creation of both which lies at the heart of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s plans to inject $100bn of investment into the local economy. It’s a five year target, which is a long time in politics, but he’s off to a fairly strong start. After the private sector got involved, coupled with the international commitments from China, UK, UAE and Saudi Arabia, Cyril’s pot has breached $40bn. There’s still a long road ahead. Ernest Hemingway famously said the path to bankruptcy was gradually and then suddenly. Let’s hope Ramaphosa’s path to jobs and growth follows a similar trajectory. Hope springs. – Stuart Lowman
By Guy Johnson, Amogelang Mbatha and Ntando Thukwana
(Bloomberg) –Â South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said heâs been âoverwhelmedâ by the level of interest in an investment summit he opened on Friday and that his plans to lure $100 billion over the next five years are well ahead of target.
With elections due to take place next year, Ramaphosa needs to show heâs delivering on pledges to revive an economy mired in recession and create jobs for the 27 percent of the workforce thatâs unemployed. Since announcing the investment drive in April, China, the U.K., the U.A.E., Saudi Arabia and Daimler AGâs Mercedes-Benz unit have pledged $35.5 billion.
Companies pledged to invest almost $20 billion on Friday, including a $6 billion commitment from Anglo American Plc, although not all that money is new and some of it will come from state institutions.
âWe are making enormous progress,â Ramaphosa said in an interview with Bloomberg Television at the investment conference in Johannesburg, which attracted more than 1,000 delegates. âI think we are ahead of the track, we are way ahead, and I am overwhelmed by the level of interest in the South African economy.â
The summit comes two days after Finance Minister Tito Mboweni unveiled a mid-term budget that slashed economic-growth forecasts and showed government debt peaking later and at higher levels than previously anticipated. The gloomy outlook triggered a sell-off in the rand and the nationâs bonds, and raised fears the country could lose its sole investment-grade credit rating from Moodyâs Investors Service.
âWinning Pathâ
âAfter this, things get better because we know we are able to wrap our arms around what needs to be done,â said Ramaphosa, who expressed confidence that another ratings downgrade could be avoided. âWe are repositioning our economy and beyond this, I am confident that we will have done a pretty good job to put South Africa on a winning path once again.â
Ramaphosa, a 65-year-old lawyer and former labor-union leader, took office in February, after the ruling party forced Jacob Zuma to step down following an almost nine-year tenure that was marred by scandal, policy missteps and inappropriate appointments.
âWe now know how serious and how deep the problem was,â Ramaphosa said. âWe now know what needs to be corrected. We now know the type of skills that we need and the type of people that we have to put in place to repair the damage that has been done in the past nine years, and it is huge damage, but we are repairing it.â
These are among the investment commitments announced on Friday:
- Mining company Anglo American intends spending $6 billion by 2022 on maintaining and expanding its mines in South Africa
- Naspers Ltd., Africaâs largest company, intends investing about $314 million in new and existing technology companies
- Sappi Ltd., the worldâs biggest producer of dissolving wood pulp, is planning a $526-million upgrade and expansion of its Saiccor Mill
- Packaging company Mondi Ltd. will invest $544 million in expanding its capacity
- Vedanta Resources has completed a feasibility study for a $350 million investment in a zinc mine project and processing plant. It is also considering spending $700 million to $800 million on a smelter and refinery complex
- About $306 million is being invested in the Ivanplats platinum project, owned by Ivanhoe Mines Ltd., a Japanese consortium led by Japanâs Itochu Corp. and local community groups
- Bushveld Minerals Ltd. intends allocating as much as $170 million over the next three years expanding its capacity to produce and process vanadium
- Telecommunications company Rain Telecom plans to spend $68 million on a 5G high-speed network Mara Corp., a Rwanda-based company, has earmarked $100 million for establishing a plant that will produce smartphones in South Africa
- Sumitomo Rubber Ltd. plans to spend $66 million to expand a tire-manufacturing plant
- Nestle SA will allocate $45 million to expand in the food industry
- Procter & Gamble Co. will earmark R300 million for a new plant
- McDonaldâs Corp. will spend $206 million on expansion over the next five years
- Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd. will invest $232 million in a new pharmaceutical plant
- Vodacom Group Ltd. plans to invest $3.4 billion in telecommunications networks over the next five years
- ACWA Power International intends investing $775 million in solar power
- Multichoice Group Ltd. will spend $69 million on local content and technology
- South African vehicle manufacturers, including BMW AG, Nissan Motor Co., Ford Motor Co., Toyota Corp., Volkswagen AG and Daimler AGâs Mercedes-Benz unit pledged to collectively invest $2.7 billion in new capacity over the next five years
- The Brics Development Bank will earmark $2 billion for various projects.
âToday for us marks an important milestone in our journey of establishing South Africa as a destination of choice,â Ramaphosa told delegates. âIn the past there has been accusation that maybe business has gone on an investment strike. Today maybe I can say the strike is over.â
