Will South Africa Investment Conference 2026 actually bring money?

Minister Parks Tau. Picture: Gallo Images/Frennie Shivambu All eyes are set on the South Africa Investment Conference taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre on Tuesday, 31 March 2026. Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, said the country is ready to host the sixth edition of the investment conference.

“South Africa is open, South Africa is ready, and South Africa is an investment destination of choice,” Tau said. For most of these conferences, the government speaks of ‘commitments’ and ‘pledges’, hardly how much was actually invested. During the media briefing outlining the country’s readiness to host the annual conference, Tau said SA has secured R1.56 trillion in investment pledges.

“The first five-year investment drive, which ran from 2018 to 2023, was an unqualified success by any measure. South Africa secured R1.56 trillion in investment pledges, surpassing the Presidency’s original target by 26%. “That achievement was not by accident, it was the product of deliberate partnerships, disciplined engagement, and a government that chose to be open for business,” Tau said.

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However, are pledges promises? Promises from people that they will invest that money? And are there consequences if these pledges are not fulfilled? Professor Waldo Krugell, an economist at the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the North-West University (NWU), toldThe Citizenthat in the case of the conference, pledges are promises.

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