Deputy President Paul Mashatile is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the sixth Limpopo Investment Conference and officiate at the launch of the InvestSA One Stop Shop in the province on Thursday – marking one of his busiest official programmes since returning from two months of sick leave.
Last seen in Ivory Park and Thembisa during an ANC door-to-door campaign over the weekend, a recuperating Mashatile had to cancel participation in a party local government election drive in Johannesburg and in his Alexandra political home base.
The Limpopo Investment Conference is being hosted by the Limpopo provincial government and driven by the Limpopo Economic Development Agency, under the theme “From Pledges to Progress: Accelerating Implementation and Unlocking Investment in Limpopo”. It brings together government, investors, development finance institutions and other key stakeholders at the Ranch Hotel in Polokwane.
The aim is to strengthen project preparation, facilitate financing and approvals, improve coordination across government and accelerate the implementation of investment projects in the province, translating investment commitments into bankable operational projects.
Since its inception last year, the conference has provided a platform to promote Limpopo as an investment destination, having mobilised capital across strategic economic sectors.
Cumulative investment pledges recorded between 2021 and 2025 totalled R452.38 billion, of which R71.058bn has translated into real investments, contributing to the creation of 23 968 jobs.
The 2026 conference will emphasise converting investment pledges into tangible economic outcomes, strengthening investor confidence and addressing constraints that delay project implementation.
Priority sectors include mining beneficiation, agro-processing, manufacturing, localisation and industrial development, alongside emerging opportunities in renewable energy, automotive industries, legally compliant cannabis-related ventures and digital technology.
At national level, President Cyril Ramaphosa has continued to drive investment initiatives aimed at mobilising R3 trillion in investment by 2030, building on the record of close to R890bn in commitments secured at the sixth South Africa Investment Conference in March this year.
After delivering the keynote address, Mashatile will officiate at the launch of the InvestSA One Stop Shop Limpopo. The initiative is aimed at improving the ease of doing business and strengthening investment facilitation in the province.
The facility is designed to provide investors with a centralised platform to access government support services and navigate regulatory and administrative processes, facilitating coordination among relevant institutions to address investment-related bottlenecks.
It is believed that its establishment will reinforce the government's commitment to create an enabling environment for domestic and international investment, accelerating project implementation and supporting sustainable economic growth.
In a buildup programme towards the conference, Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba, said the provincial government had been engaging investors, preparing projects, strengthening economic sectors and identifying practical interventions to address implementation challenges.
Ramathuba said an investment commitment “must not remain a figure in a presentation or an announcement at a conference. It must translate into projects, construction, production, employment and sustainable economic activity”.
The 2026 Limpopo investment conference would place a sharper focus on implementation.
“We are moving beyond the celebration of commitments towards the acceleration of bankable projects, capital mobilisation, industrial development and inclusive economic participation,” she said.
“The success of this conference will therefore not be measured only by the value of investment announced. It will also be measured by the projects that advance, barriers that are removed, enterprises that are established and opportunities created for our people.”
Ramathuba said the Limpopo investment strategy was anchored in three interconnected priorities, which included mineral beneficiation and green energy.
“Limpopo’s mineral resources provide a foundation for industrial development but our ambition must extend beyond the extraction and export of raw materials. We must promote value addition, strengthen local supply chains and attract investment into industries that create greater economic value within the province.
“The second priority is agricultural modernisation and agro-processing. Limpopo is endowed with productive agricultural land and a diversity of agricultural activities. Our task is to modernise production, improve infrastructure, strengthen market access and expand agro-processing.
“The third priority is the development of special economic zones and economic infrastructure.”
The premier said industrialisation required reliable infrastructure, efficient logistics, appropriate investment facilitation and an environment in which businesses could operate and expand.
“Together, these priorities are intended to advance industrialisation, expand investment, create jobs and position Limpopo more firmly within regional, national and global value chains.”