CAPE TOWN, May 13 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday called for greater global investment to support the country's infrastructure expansion drive, saying stronger public-private partnerships would be critical to modernizing transport, energy and logistics systems and boosting economic growth.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the opening ceremony of Africa's Travel Indaba 2026 in Durban, South Africa, May 12, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

Speaking at the South Africa Infrastructure Investment Summit in Cape Town, Ramaphosa said infrastructure development represents "one of the largest untapped investment opportunities of our time" and described infrastructure as "the next great frontier of investment."

The summit, held at the Cape Town International Convention Center, brought together investors, policymakers and business leaders to discuss opportunities in energy, transport, rail, ports, digital infrastructure and water systems.

The president said South Africa would spend more than 60 billion U.S. dollars on infrastructure over the next three years across all levels of government and state-owned companies, including projects to modernize ports, expand freight rail capacity and strengthen electricity transmission networks.

He noted that the government is opening the rail network to greater private sector participation and utilizing public-private partnerships to enhance port efficiency and freight capacity. Furthermore, Ramaphosa urged investment in energy infrastructure to support reforms aimed at creating a competitive electricity market and expanding renewable energy generation.

"At the same time, we are expanding transmission infrastructure, accelerating renewable energy deployment, scaling battery storage systems and advancing gas-to-power solutions," he said.

Ramaphosa said the government is building "a credible pipeline of bankable projects designed to attract both domestic and international investment," adding that InvestSA, South Africa's investment promotion agency under the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, has compiled an investment book of 85 projects valued at around 73 billion U.S. dollars.

"Our objective is to translate reform momentum into greater investment, faster growth and more jobs," Ramaphosa said.