Deputy President Paul Mashatile will return to the public stage on Thursday to deliver the keynote address at the 6th Limpopo Investment Conference, just days after pulling out of an ANC campaign trail in Alexandra over health concerns.
Mashatile will headline the high-stakes investment gathering at The Ranch Hotel in Polokwane, where he is also expected to officiate the launch of the InvestSA One Stop Shop Limpopo, his office announced on Tuesday.
The appearance will be closely watched after Mashatile reportedly cancelled a scheduled ANC campaign event in Alexandra last week, with party insiders saying he had not fully recovered after taking sick leave.
On Thursday, Mashatile will attempt to shift the focus back to the economy.
According Mashatile’s spokesperson Keith Khoza, Mashatile will speak under the theme “From Pledges to Progress: Accelerating Implementation and Unlocking Investment in Limpopo,” with an emphasis on converting paper pledges into real projects.
“Hosted by the Limpopo Provincial Government, with the Limpopo Economic Development Agency as the lead agency, the conference will be held under the theme, ‘From Pledges to Progress: Accelerating Implementation and Unlocking Investment in Limpopo’,” Khoza said.
The conference brings together government, investors, development finance institutions and other critical stakeholders, to strengthen project preparation, facilitate financing and approvals, improve coordination across government and accelerate the implementation of investment projects.
Limpopo has become one of the ANC government’s key investment showcases since 2021.
“Cumulative investment pledges recorded between 2021 and 2025 has accordingly, amounted to R452.38 billion, of which R71.058 billion in investment has been realised, contributing to the creation of 23,968 jobs,” Khoza said.
This year’s conference, however, comes at a time when the national government is under pressure to show that those pledges are more than talk.
Organisers say the 2026 edition will place particular emphasis on converting investment pledges into tangible economic outcomes, strengthening investor confidence and addressing constraints that delay project implementation.
Priority sectors include mining beneficiation, agro-processing, manufacturing, localisation and industrial development, alongside emerging opportunities in renewable energy, automotive industries, legally compliant cannabis-related activities and digital technology.
At national level, Mashatile’s address will also be framed within President Cyril Ramaphosa’s ambitious drive to mobilise R3 trillion in investment by 2030, building on the record of close to R890 billion in commitments secured at the 6th South Africa Investment Conference held in March this year.
After his keynote, Mashatile will officiate the launch of the InvestSA One Stop Shop Limpopo.
“The facility is designed to provide investors with a centralised platform to access government support services, navigate regulatory and administrative processes, facilitate coordination among relevant institutions, to address investment-related bottlenecks,” Khozs further said.
“Its establishment reinforces government commitment, to creating an enabling environment for domestic and international investment, accelerating project implementation and supporting sustainable economic growth.”