Ramaphosa convenes fifth infrastructure symposium as government targets municipal resilience

Infrastructure South Africa is hosting the fifth Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa (SIDSSA) from today, bringing together investors, financial institutions, policymakers and other stakeholders to advance the country's infrastructure investment agenda.

This year's symposium, themed “Shaping the future of municipal infrastructure”, will focus on strengthening government's capacity to build resilient, future-ready municipal infrastructure. President Cyril Ramaphosa is convening the event, which brings together ministers, large asset owners, private investors, fund managers, developers, technology innovators and advisers. SIDSSA is the flagship annual event of the Investment and Infrastructure Office within the Presidency.

The symposium opened this morning with a site visit to the Cape Flats Aquifer Recharge Project, an award-winning municipal water initiative, led by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson alongside ministers and mayors from across the continent. Macpherson and Infrastructure South Africa head Mameetse Masemola were then due to brief the media on progress across the country's Strategic Integrated Projects, the status of the project preparation pipeline, and milestones reached under the Adopt-A-Municipality pilot programme.

Since its launch in 2020, the symposium has played a central role in strengthening South Africa's national infrastructure pipeline, mobilising funding and tackling systemic delivery challenges. This year's edition will showcase progress on Strategic Integrated Projects, project preparation funding initiatives and the Infrastructure Fund pipeline, while advancing international partnerships and expanding investment opportunities in energy, water and sanitation, transport and logistics, digital infrastructure, agriculture and human settlements.

The 2026 symposium will also place renewed emphasis on Infrastructure South Africa's support to provinces and municipalities, reinforcing infrastructure delivery as a driver of sustainable economic growth.