Gauteng continues to attract significant local and international interest, but persistent infrastructure challenges are eroding business confidence.
To tackle these issues, the public and private sectors are joining forces in a collaborative effort that has garnered broad support across the province.
“It is vital that we work together – business, government and communities - to address these challenges and turn the situation around. Only through collective action can we restore confidence and unlock Gauteng’s full potential,” said Bernadette Zeiler, CEO of the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI).
Johannesburg has been buckling under the strain of an infrastructure crisis, with deteriorating water, electricity and road systems. The situation reached a tipping point earlier this year, prompting President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene. Describing the city’s infrastructure as archaic, Ramaphosa established the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group to lead efforts to rebuild and rejuvenate the city.
The working group brings together all levels of government, alongside the expertise of various stakeholders and the private sector, to accelerate service delivery, stabilise the city’s finances and operations, and drive economic growth and job creation.
Zeiler emphasised the active role business played in Gauteng’s rejuvenation and within the working group.
“The JCCI has been deeply involved in several workstreams since the group’s inception in March. We are collaborating closely with government to tackle some of the city’s most pressing challenges.”
She added that resolving Johannesburg’s infrastructure issues was critical, not only for the province but for the country’s economy, given that the metro contributes approximately 16% of South Africa’s gross domestic product.
- Read the full story in Freight Features’ edition of “Gauteng”, available on 18 July.
