South Africa courts UK investors to fund infrastructure plans

South Africa’s infrastructure development agency has restructured its pipeline of planned projects to make them more attractive to the private sector as state officials court investors in the UK. Deputy President Paul Mashatile is leading a ministerial delegation on a weeklong roadshow to London, where the officials are looking to capitalize on market optimism about the nation’s newly formed coalition government. It’s pitching for investment in energy, water and freight-rail projects, said acting head of Infrastructure South Africa Mameetse Masemola. South Africa in February amended regulations governing public-private partnerships to make it easier for businesses to invest in them, and as the National Treasury faces constraints on spending as it tries to reduce its debt burden. Total infrastructure investment envisaged by the South African government over the next three years amounts to R943-billion, according to the presidency. “With the new guidelines we have had to pivot and look at projects that are candidates for public private partnerships, projects that will qualify for blended finance,” Masemola said in an interview in London on Monday. “This will include social infrastructure that must illustrate enough innovation that they can garner private financing.”