South Africa’s government and private sector on Tuesday launched the third phase of their reform partnership, anchored on a shared agenda, amid signs of stabilisation in key economic sectors. President Cyril Ramaphosa met senior business leaders and ministers in Pretoria to mark the new phase after two years of co-ordinated interventions under the Government-Business Partnership. According to a joint statement, phase two saw significant progress in energy and logistics reform, which helped improve investor sentiment and contributed to milestones such as South Africa’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)greylistand the country’s first sovereign credit ratingupgradein more than two decades.
“Investors are increasingly responding positively to South Africa’s economic trajectory and recognising policy credibility,” the statement reads. Progress in port and rail infrastructure was also cited, including the recent concessioning ofDurban’s Pier 2terminal and the opening of rail lines to private operators. However, the parties acknowledged that execution gaps remain.
Phase three signals a pivot from crisis response to the government’s structural reform agenda, with a focus on unlocking growth through market efficiency and improved execution. Phase three will be anchored in “inclusive growth, jobs and confidence”. This includes supporting the creation of a competitive wholesale electricity market, accelerating grid expansion and publishing a roadmap for Eskom’s unbundling to clarify the role of a future Transmission System Operator.
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“Another priority for this year is to accelerate reforms in the transport and logistics sector, including greater private sector participation, to increase investment and improve competitiveness and efficiency,” the statement reads. Crime and corruption, long-standing impediments to growth and investment, will be a central focus in 2026. The partnership will intensify efforts to support criminal justice reform and tackle organised crime, recognising the direct link between the rule of law, societal and investor confidence and growth.
Youth employment initiatives will build on the existing model of close co-ordination between government and business, aiming to replicate recent successes in sectors such as tourism. A key job-creating sector, tourism will benefit from the rollout of the electronic travel authorisation system, designed to ease visa bottlenecks. Ramaphosa said: “While we have achieved much, there is much we need to do. As this partnership evolves and as the focus of our work shifts, we remain firmly committed to acting together and with purpose to serve the needs of our country.”
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