THE FOCUS IN AFRICA ISSUE | 2021
INVESTMENT
the South African economy Driving inclusive and long-term growth for South Africa starts with participation and collaboration. All businesses – both listed and private companies as well as individuals who have the funds – should invest in our country, and work together with government to create employment opportunities. By Johan Meyer*
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e cannot only generate revenue and issue dividends to shareholders without reinvesting, so that future generations can also reap the benefits. Businesses solely focused on profit without purpose are not developing the country or their communities. I fundamentally believe that the only way to improve our economic situation is if all companies dig deep and reinvest to grow the country – that way, we all win. But how do businesses go about investing in initiatives that matter and collaborating with the right partners to generate real value? Let us look at Exxaro’s investment commitment, successful implementation of projects, and strategic public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a proof point.
Investing in South Africa’s future with impactful projects In 2019, we committed R20 billion to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s investment drive for the country at the South African Investment Conference (SAIC). This commitment is geared towards developing our coal mining operations and renewable energy investment in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape. These projects will generate the required cash flow not only to sustain and grow the business but also to unlock value for our stakeholders, including our host communities. Excluding the proposed Thabametsi independent power producer (IPP) project, which was cancelled due to a lack of IPP investment, our revised
Johan believes that participation and collaboration are critical in driving inclusive and long-term growth for South Africa
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