South Africa is getting a new airport – and government won’t be paying for it

The Gauteng province is in the process of developing a new airport in the Sedibeng District as part of a R200-billion infrastructure injection.

The majority of these funds will be sourced from the private sector due to the province’s finances coming under strain as a result of the R20 billion in e-toll debt for which it agreed to take responsibility.

Gauteng MEC for finance, Lebogang Maile, said that the Gauteng Provincial Government will make a “minimum contribution” to the new airport with the remainder to be funded by private entities.

“Firstly, it’s not government money, this is private people who are working with us, and we will make a minimum contribution towards the bulk infrastructure so that they are able to invest,” Maile told Newzroom Afrika.

He noted that Citibank will be one of the main financiers of the initiative.

“Citibank is a leading partner in this programme. As you know, Citibank is an international bank, and the point we’re merely making is that investors are interested in investing in our province, it’s up to us to create a conducive environment,” said Maile.

The MEC is confident that the airport will stimulate job creation and revive the economy of the Sedibeng District.

He, however, provided no timeframes nor a preliminary budget for the project.

Infrastructure overload

Apart from the new airport, the R200-billion infrastructure upgrade will encompass an expansion to the Gautrain, a new “bullet train” between Gauteng and Limpopo, and an automotive railway from Pretoria to Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi in September announced that the province will be investing R120 billion into upgrading the Gautrain from its original 80km to a massive 230km over the coming years.

The project is expected to commence in 2026 when the Gauteng Provincial Government is set to assume ownership of the commuter rail system, and it will boost mobility for previously underserved communities.

The expanded Gautrain will also play a key role in the new high-speed railway being developed between Gauteng and Limpopo which is intended to foster economic growth through greater ease of travel between the capitals of the two regions.

Preliminary plans indicate that the high-speed train will cover approximately 420km and pass through seven towns and cities namely Pretoria, Hammanskraal, Bela-Bela, Mokopane, Polokwane, Louis Trichardt, and Musina.

Unfortunately, it will still be a number of years before this locomotive moves any passengers as the so-called “master plan” for the new high-speed rail service is only expected to be finalized by the end of 2025.

Lastly, the Gauteng Provincial Government is in talks to build a new “inland port” that will allow the country’s vehicle manufacturers such as Ford and VW to ferry parts and cars from Tshwane to Gqeberha via rail.

State-owned rail authority Transnet said it aims to expand the Southern Corridor rail network and add three 50-wagon trains for use by automotive companies daily between the Eastern Cape and Gauteng.