The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the Government of South Africa have signed a significant Joint Project Preparation Facility (JPPF) Agreement aimed at accelerating infrastructure development across the country. The agreement, signed during the recent Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) 2025 in Algiers, is designed to create a robust pipeline of high-quality, bankable projects essential for closing South Africa’s infrastructure gap.
The partnership will co-finance the preparation and delivery of projects in crucial sectors, including energy, transport and logistics, and digital infrastructure. This collaboration is expected to unlock at least US$750 million in investments, significantly contributing to the nation’s economic growth. By combining Afreximbank’s financial expertise with the strategic oversight of Infrastructure South Africa (ISA), the initiative seeks to stimulate industrialization and attract both public and private sector investments.
Mr. Kenny Molong, South Africa’s Deputy Minister in the Presidency, emphasized the importance of this partnership in addressing the slow progression of project concepts. “The slow progression of project concepts into fully implemented projects often stems from insufficient vigour in the project preparation phase,” he stated. “This partnership with Afreximbank positions us to transform concepts into viable infrastructure projects that will attract private sector financing and deliver socio-economic benefits.”
Ms. Oluranti Doherty, Afreximbank’s Managing Director of Export Development, highlighted the collaboration’s potential to create a cohesive and interconnected infrastructure ecosystem. “Our goal is to establish a cohesive and interconnected infrastructure ecosystem that will elevate South Africa’s competitiveness and spur economic development, extending benefits beyond its borders into the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region,” she said.
Ms. Mameetse Masemola, Acting Head of Infrastructure South Africa, welcomed the agreement as a long-overdue milestone that will help develop a credible infrastructure pipeline as mandated by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The signing took place on the sidelines of the IATF2025, which saw over 112,000 participants and generated more than $48 billion in trade deals. The event, hosted by Algeria, was organized by Afreximbank in partnership with the African Union Commission and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.
