Infrastructure South Africa commits R131 million to local government

Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) has committed R131 million over the last 18 months to support local government infrastructure, according to Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson. Speaking at the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa (SIDSSA) 2026 in Cape Town, Macpherson noted that R9.39 million of this funding is dedicated to packaging strategic water projects in Gauteng and the Eastern Cape, which have an estimated combined investment value of approximately R7.3 billion.

Macpherson highlighted the impact of technical preparation, citing the Matjhabeng Local Municipality in the Free State. An investment of R1.8 million in a nonrevenue water programme helped unlock an R800 million debt-financing facility from the Development Bank of Southern Africa. Additionally, the Presidential Adopt-a-Municipality pilot programme is currently supporting four municipalities across four provinces to unlock roughly R7 billion in investments related to water, sanitation, energy, and waste management.

Regarding accountability, Macpherson reported that 52 contractors have been removed from the Construction Industry Development Board register for fraudulent conduct in the last 22 months, a significant increase from only two removals in the previous 22 years. The Minister also stated that formalizing ISA as a public entity is a key step in building a permanent institution for infrastructure delivery.