President Cyril Ramaphosa at the investment conference in Johannesburg on Thursday. Photo: SA Investment Conference/Twitter
South Africa attracted R1.51 trillion of new investment pledges over the past five years, 26% more than a target set in 2018, president Cyril Ramaphosa said.
New commitments made at an investment conference in Johannesburg on Thursday include those from companies including mobile-phone company Vodacom, miner Anglo American and brewer Heineken, Ramaphosa said at a closing ceremony.
Key investment pledges on Thursday:
Ramaphosa set a target of attracting R2 trillion of new investment in the next five years, as executives pleaded with his government to urgently address the nation’s energy crisis, fix crumbling infrastructure and end rampant crime.
Ramaphosa issued his latest appeal on Thursday as companies struggle with hours of daily blackouts and the inability to transport everything from coal to citrus fruit, with criminals meeting little resistance to their stealing equipment and damaging infrastructure. The energy crisis alone is robbing the economy of as much as R899 million a day, according to the nation’s central bank.
“We are now confronted with the consequences of years of under-investment, mismanagement and corruption in our electricity, rail and logistics sectors,” Ramaphosa said. “Doubters have had reason to be skeptical. We are on a long journey to rebuild our country and recover the ground we have lost.”
Ramaphosa spoke after data this week showed the economy probably entered a technical recession in the first quarter. The BankservAfrica Economic Transactions Index, a measure that tracks interbank payments and an early indicator of economic activity, dropped 1.7% in the three months through March, after shrinking 1.3% in the prior quarter.
South African companies are spending billions of rands to keep businesses running as Eskom, plagued by breakdowns at its coal-fired power plants, implements rotational blackouts for as long as 12 hours a day. That’s begun to hurt earnings.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. this week cut its recommendation for Shoprite, the continent’s biggest retailer, citing higher costs to deal with the energy crisis.
`We’ve got material challenges in the short-to-medium term and you know, those are centered on infrastructure in general,` Mike Brown, chief executive officer at Nedbank said in an interview with Bloomberg

TV. `However, if we are able to successfully deal with those, and there are numerous plans underway and we are making progress, I certainly see South Africa as a country of enormous potential.`
That sentiment was echoed by Rand Merchant Bank CEO Emrie Brown, who urged the government to accelerate policy overhauls needed to improve the nation’s business climate.
`The reality is that we can see the capital outflow that is happening, which to my mind is concerning,` said Brown. `That is definitely a sign of our investor community looking beyond South Africa’s borders to deliver the required returns to their investors.`
Still, Ramaphosa said he expects to exceed the R1.2 trillion of investment he targeted five years ago, as new commitments are announced at Thursday’s event.
Among a range of new proposals, Ramaphosa set out plans to address investor concerns by reiterating that his government is implementing an Energy Action Plan that seeks to eliminate outages within two years. The state will also establish a National Logistics Crisis Committee to enact a plan to repair the nation’s railways, ports and other transport infrastructure, while visa reforms demanded by business to enable them to more easily hire skilled workers are also being introduced, he said.
To address the `grave challenge` of crime and corruption specialised multidisciplinary task teams have been set up by the police to tackle incidents of economic sabotage such as violence and extortion at construction sites, illegal mining, infrastructure vandalism and cable theft, the president said.
`Policy within South Africa is absolutely crystal clear and I think observable from many quarters and highly valued,` said Duncan Wanblad, CEO of Anglo American. `The frustration generally is the pace at which change happens to effect some of these policies.`
Investors have another reason to worry. South Africa’s political climate is the most uncertain since the end of the apartheid era, with investors acutely concerned about a potential coalition between the governing African National Congress and the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters party that advocates for the nationalization of banks, land and mines after next year’s elections.
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One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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