KwaZulu-Natal secures R124.5bn in investment pledges

KwaZulu-Natal has secured R124.5 billion in investment commitments, surpassing its R95 billion target by R29.5 billion. Announced by Provincial Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli at the 2026 KwaZulu-Natal Investment Conference in Durban, these projects are expected to create more than 330,000 jobs.

This achievement builds on a 2024 investment drive where 17 companies pledged R85.2 billion. To date, over 80% of those previous projects have broken ground, resulting in 68,000 permanent and 119,000 temporary jobs.

To support these developments, the Provincial Government has established an Investment Office within the Office of the Premier to minimize red tape and assist investors in moving from commitment to production. Premier Ntuli also emphasized the need to expand economic growth beyond Durban to rural communities and secondary cities through the Secondary Cities Programme, a 30-year development initiative running from 2026 to 2056.