Infrastructure Budget to “Shape Our Future Together”

Today provincial Minister of Infrastructure Tertuis Simmer tabled the Western Cape Government’s R9.83 billion infrastructure2025/26 budget to “Shape Our Future Together”.

Minister Simmers said, “Infrastructure is more than bricks and mortar. It is the enabler of economic growth, the driver of social development, and the key to unlocking new investment and job opportunities for our province.”

Guided by the Western Cape Infrastructure Framework 2050, this budget looks beyond the 2025/26 financial year, and paves the way towards a future with an infrastructure-led provincial economy that will create job opportunities and empower residents to seize these opportunities.

Budget allocations include:

• R365 million towards Administration, which includes the Department’s bursary and skills development programmes, enhancement tools, digital infrastructure and energy projects.
• R2.5 billion towards Public Works Programmes, which includes maintenance, rates, leases, municipal services and construction.
• R80 million towards Community Based Programmes, aimed at ensuring that communities benefit directly from infrastructure projects, through the temporary job opportunities and skills needed for long-term, sustainable employment.
• R6.4 billion towards human settlements, which includes human settlement developments, informal settlement upgrades, accelerating housing delivery, asset management, and title deed restoration.
• R4.63 billion towards Transport Infrastructure, including maintaining, upgrading and expanding our road networks, making the movement of people and goods faster and more efficient.

Key announcements include:

• R14.897 million towards the Western Cape Infrastructure Singular Project Pipeline. The pipeline identifies and gives an overview of existing infrastructure pipelines, which includes national, provincial, municipal and private sector projects, representing a cohesive set of projects, strategically designed to attract investment and meet the growing needs of the province’s residents.
• Three mixed-used, affordable inner-city housing projects in Cape Town are currently bankable and will go to market this calendar year. They include the Leeuloop Precinct Development, Founders Garden, and Prestwich Precinct. Together, they will deliver 3 500 affordable housing opportunities in the city centre.
• A new Provincial Roads Delivery Model that will allow the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure more control over projects, that will dramatically enhance delivery, ensure better value for our money and allow for significant savings.
• The improvement and upgrading of 50% of the provincial gravel road network, that will ease access, stimulate the agricultural economy to create more jobs, and build inclusive, climate-resilient communities.

Minister Simmers concluded, “We recognise that government alone cannot meet the demands of a growing and dynamic region. In my budget I place strong emphasis on forging strategic partnerships – with diplomatic and consular missions, municipalities, the private sector, as well as local and international investors. But the residents of the Western Cape are our most important partners, around which all we do revolves. This is their budget, and I look forward to shaping our future together.”ether.”