SA’s infrastructure delivery ambitions and transport leadership take centre stage in Joburg this June

The conversations driving South Africa’s infrastructure delivery agenda will take centre stage this June as public and private sector leaders convene at the CPD–certified South Africa Infrastructure Summit.

Taking place on 9 June 2026 alongside the three-day South Africa Infrastructure Expo, featuring Transport Evolution Africa, the summit programme reflects the full infrastructure lifecycle: from national policy direction and investment priorities to execution challenges across transport, power and urban development – spotlighting the decisions required to move projects from pipeline to delivery.

With South Africa’s infrastructure agenda anchored to the National Development Plan 2030 and National Infrastructure Plan 2050, the summit comes at a time when turning ambition into execution demands strategic planning and collaboration from across the sector.

Discussions turning policy into progress

Anchoring the event’s strategic agenda, the summit will commence with a ministerial keynote on Driving South Africa’s infrastructure delivery, delivered by His Excellency Dean Macpherson, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure. The session will provide attendees with direct insight into national infrastructure priorities under the National Infrastructure Plan 2050, the government’s approach to policy and regulatory reform and the role of public-private collaboration in closing South Africa’s infrastructure funding gap, with practical signals to investors and industry on where opportunities will emerge over the next five to 10 years.

Building on that policy foundation, Gavin Taylor, head of Construction PMO at Aveng Group, will address the systemic challenges holding back infrastructure delivery in South Africa.

Turning to one of infrastructure delivery’s most pressing risk factors, Helen Hulett, co-founder of Resolve Water and ANDWATR, will present on translating water risk intelligence into bankable infrastructure investment that align with water security priorities.

Supporting sessions span discussions on delivering transport, water and sanitation infrastructure at scale, de-risking investments and scaling blended finance, and building resilient industrial and urban systems, among other topics.

“South Africa’s infrastructure delivery agenda requires government, investors and industry to be working in the same direction, aligned on priorities, connected to capital and equipped with the solutions to execute. The result is a programme that addresses infrastructure delivery as the integrated challenge it is, connecting policy, capital, technical expertise and transport development,” says Josine Heijmans, senior vice-president at dmg events.

Complementing the summit, Infra360 Sessions translate that agenda into hands-on, sector-specific learning for engineers, planners, project managers, contractors and technology providers.

Ben Peters (director of Corporate Project, Programme and Portfolio Management at the City of Cape Town) will present on scaling infrastructure delivery through data, governance and smarter execution, drawing on the city’s experience of expanding infrastructure pipelines while maintaining delivery certainty. Gugulethu Mthembu (head of Design & Marketing at ArcelorMittal) will unpack how sheet pile applications are unlocking smarter infrastructure delivery through efficient retaining systems, water control solutions and ground stabilisation methods for modern construction projects.

Further sessions cover data-driven and AI-enabled infrastructure planning, green concrete and low-carbon building solutions and managing complex projects across Africa.

Executive engagement and investment access

Rounding out the event’s programme, South Africa Infrastructure Expo will host a series of focused features designed to deepen engagement at the executive and investment level.

The CEO Forum, held under the Chatham House Rule, is a closed-door gathering exclusively for senior leaders from government, development finance institutions, investment bodies and the private sector. Focused on the future of transport, logistics, mobility and infrastructure across southern Africa, the forum will address integrated logistics networks, digital infrastructure adoption, industrialisation, infrastructure financing and stronger public-private collaboration.

Positioned on the South Africa Infrastructure Expo floor, Project Spotlight, powered by Infrastructure South Africa, presents a curated pipeline of priority infrastructure projects, connecting investors, project developers and delivery partners to investment-ready opportunities.

Sourcing solutions across infrastructure and supply chain

South Africa Infrastructure Expo gathers more than 60 local and international exhibitors, showcasing products, services, systems and solutions supporting ongoing and upcoming transport and infrastructure projects pipeline.

Amatola Water Board, Cinque, Bosch and Overberg Water Board, among other leading names, will be present at South Africa Infrastructure Expo; whereas Transport Evolution Africa will feature Alpha, Cresco Project Finance, Booze Cap, Cape Concrete Projects, Fareye and Syntell, among others exhibiting brands.

Speaking about their participation, Tim White, Africa Regional managing director at Turner & Townsend (Gold Sponsor of the exhibition), says: “Infrastructure delivery in South Africa increasingly depends on effective collaboration between the public and private sectors, particularly as the focus shifts from planning to execution. Platforms like the South Africa Infrastructure Expo play a critical role in bringing the right stakeholders together to turn project pipelines into built outcomes.

“Turner & Townsend’s participation as a Gold Sponsor reflects our commitment to strengthening capability and delivering large construction projects and programmes across South Africa and the wider continent. Having supported some of the region’s most complex programmes, we understand the value of combining deep local insight with global expertise to deliver projects with certainty.”

South Africa Infrastructure Expo will be co-located with Big 5 Construct South Africa at Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg, from 9 to 11 June 2026. Together, the events reflect the deepening connection between infrastructure planning, transport development and built environment delivery, linking long-term investment and policy ambition to the construction activity required to bring it to life.

Registration is free for trade and industry professionals over the age of 21.

Image credit: Pixabay/Steward Masweneng