Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba has challenged government and the private sector to move beyond investment promises and ensure that billions of rands pledged to the province translate into actual projects, jobs and economic opportunities for its people.
Ramathuba was speaking on Friday, September 18, at Euphoria Golf Estate outside the Safari town of Mookgophong,, where she launched the 2026 Limpopo Investment Conference.
The conference, which will be held on 15 October 2026 at The Ranch Resort in Polokwane, is expected to bring together government, investors, business leaders and other stakeholders to explore opportunities for economic development in the province.
The Premier said Limpopo had secured more than R450 billion in cumulative investment commitments over the past five years, including about R170 billion pledged during the 2025 Limpopo Investment Conference.
According to Ramathuba, these commitments have been associated with the creation of more than 23,000 jobs.
But she cautioned that investment announcements could not remain figures in presentations or conference speeches.
“An investment commitment must not remain a figure in a presentation or an announcement at a conference. It must translate into projects, construction, production, employment and sustainable economic activity,” she said.
This year’s conference will be held under the theme “From Pledges to Prosperity: Accelerating Limpopo’s Industrial Future.”
Ramathuba said the theme reflected the province’s determination to shift its focus from securing commitments to ensuring that those commitments are implemented.
She said the success of the conference would therefore not only be measured by the value of investments announced, but also by projects that move forward, barriers that are removed, enterprises established and opportunities created for Limpopo residents.
Ramathuba identified three interconnected priorities at the centre of Limpopo’s investment strategy.
The first is mineral beneficiation and green energy.
She said the province’s mineral wealth provided an important foundation for industrialisation, but Limpopo needed to move beyond extracting and exporting raw materials.
The province wants to attract investment into value-added industries, strengthen local supply chains and ensure that more economic value is created within Limpopo.
The second priority is agricultural modernisation and agro-processing.
Ramathuba said Limpopo’s productive agricultural land and diverse agricultural sector presented significant opportunities for investment.
She said government would focus on modernising agricultural production, improving infrastructure, strengthening market access and expanding agro-processing.
The third priority is the development of special economic zones and economic infrastructure.
According to the Premier, industrialisation requires reliable infrastructure, efficient logistics and an investment environment that enables businesses to establish and expand.
Ramathuba also placed emphasis on Limpopo’s young population, describing it as one of the province’s major economic assets.
She said the province needed an economy capable of absorbing young people, developing their skills and creating meaningful opportunities for them.
Limpopo is therefore also positioning itself to benefit from opportunities in information and communication technologies, artificial intelligence and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The Premier said discussions at the Limpopo 4IR, ICT and AI Summit had highlighted the importance of digital infrastructure, digital skills, cybersecurity and partnerships between government and the private sector.
She said the province expects new investment commitments secured in 2026 to exceed the R120 billion target contained in the Limpopo Economic Development Agency’s business plan.
However, Ramathuba stressed that the value of commitments alone was not the main objective.
“We want to see investment that creates productive capacity, supports local enterprises, develops skills and generates employment,” she said.
Ramathuba also challenged members of the media to play an active role in documenting Limpopo’s economic transformation.
She said journalists should not only report on investment conferences and announcements, but should also track whether commitments eventually become operational projects.
She called on the media to report on the province’s opportunities while interrogating government performance and asking difficult questions where necessary.
“Where progress is made, let it be recognised. Where challenges remain, let them be brought to our attention,” she said.
The Premier said a strong relationship between government and the media was important for transparency, informed public debate and accountability.
The 2026 Limpopo Investment Conference will take place on 15 October at The Ranch Resort in Polokwane.
The event will form part of a broader investment mobilisation programme that has already included engagements around renewable energy, tourism, ICT, artificial intelligence and other economic sectors.
Ramathuba said the province had already begun preparing projects, engaging potential investors and identifying practical measures to remove obstacles to investment.
She invited the business and investment community to work with government to unlock Limpopo’s economic potential.
“Limpopo is open for business, partnership and innovation,” she said.
The Premier concluded by drawing inspiration from poet laureate Keorapetse Kgositsile, calling for the rehabilitation of “our wounded dreams” and the nourishment of the song of a vibrant society.
For the Limpopo government, the message from Friday’s launch was clear: the province wants its investment commitments to move from announcements to construction sites, factories, farms, businesses and jobs.
The 15 October conference will provide another platform for government and investors to demonstrate how those ambitions can be converted into tangible economic activity.
