Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) is set to complete a massive infrastructure maintenance and capital expansion programme across its airports soon.
The project began late last year in December and aims to improve passenger comfort and airport hygiene.
To this end, the infrastructure maintenance and expansion include high-impact utilities such as sewerage systems, ablution facilities, and fire escapes.
Improvements to safety and hygiene protocols in high-traffic and sensitive areas will protect and improve the experience further.
ACSA owns nine of South Africa’s largest airports, including OR Tambo International, Cape Town International, and King Shaka International Airports.
The OR Tambo Airport in Gauteng is also undergoing a comprehensive refurbishment of ablution facilities, which includes male, female, baby-change and accessible amenities.
Along with this, the project’s infrastructure includes upgrades to key operational areas, ensuring that the airports can accommodate future growth.
These upgrades include:
- People Movers
- Terminal and Roofing Works
- Passenger Loading Bridges (PLBs)
- Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS)
- Fuel Systems and Fire Infrastructure
- Instrument Landing and Weather Systems
- Jet Fuel Infrastructure at OR Tambo International Airport
Across these upgrades, new equipment will be installed to expand and modernize airport services.
ACSA Chief Executive Officer, Mpumi Mpofu, has noted that the current projects support the aviation sector’s long-term growth and operational resilience.
“This programme is a strong signal of ACSA’s recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mpofu.
“It reflects our return to financial sustainability and our ability to reinvest in critical infrastructure that will serve the aviation industry and the broader economy for years to come.”
She also stated that the current in-progress projects are slated for completion between late 2025 and 2027.
The show must go on
ACSA is working closely with government, airlines, and commercial stakeholders to ensure the projects are delivered with as little disruption to airport goers as possible.
This is essential, as the ACSA is one of the few successful state-owned companies with the government holding a roughly 75% stake.
In 2024, ACSA declared a dividend of R816 million to its shareholders, up R768 million for preference shares and R48 million for ordinary shares.
These dividends highlight the company’s strong performance and position as a significant source of income for investors, especially the government, with its majority shares.
In comparison, most other state-owned companies have cost the government billions of rands in bailouts.
The biggest offender is Eskom, which received R234 billion with minimal dividends for this considerable investment.
Other notable bailouts include South African Airways at R33 billion, Denel at R9 billion, and Transnet at R5.8 billion.
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