The single most consequential infrastructure programme in Southern Africa. Without it, no new generation connects.
Value
$21bn
Target
2032
Bankability
37
Southern Africa · Capital Pretoria
South Africa
Transmission is now the constraint, not generation. Eskom unbundling and Transnet reform define the decade.
AIDI rank 4 of 5463.2m people$378bn GDP15 tracked projects
AIDI composite
0
Continental average 37.13
Explain figure
Continental average 37.13
Electricity access
0%
58 GW installed
Explain figure
58 GW installed
Tracked pipeline
$0bn
35 registry projects
Explain figure
35 registry projects
Annual gap
$0bn
Estimated investment requirement
Explain figure
Estimated investment requirement
AIDI trajectory 2015—2025
Commitments vs disbursement, $bn
— committed--- disbursed
Infrastructure sub-indices
Project register · 15 tracked (loading)
| Project | Sector | Value | Status | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Eskom Transmission Development Plan The single most consequential infrastructure programme in Southern Africa. Without it, no new generation connects. | Transmission | $21bn | Structuring | 2032 |
Transnet Freight Rail Reform Programme Third-party access on the coal and iron-ore lines is the largest open-access experiment on the continent. | Rail | $8bn | Structuring | 2030 |
Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase II Africa's largest transboundary water asset and one of its few reliably bankable ones. | Bulk transfer | $2.4bn | Construction | 2028 |
Karpowership South Africa Emergency procurement litigated to a standstill; a case study in speed versus process. | Powership | $1.2bn | Stalled | 2027 |
Teraco JB4 Data Centre The anchor of Africa's densest interconnection ecosystem at NAPAfrica. | Data centres | $1.1bn | Construction | 2027 |
2Africa Subsea Cable The longest subsea cable ever built; encircles the continent with 46 landings. | Subsea | $1bn | Operational | 2024 |
Koeberg Life Extension Africa's only operating nuclear station, extended to 2044-45. Cheaper than any replacement. | Nuclear | $1bn | Construction | 2026 |
Maputo Corridor Concession Renewal Africa's longest-running successful toll-road concession. | Roads | $0.9bn | Operational | 2033 |
Redstone CSP Dispatchable solar with a sovereign-guaranteed PPA — the REIPPPP structure at its most durable. | CSP | $0.8bn | Operational | 2024 |
Cassava / Nvidia AI Factory The first serious attempt at sovereign African AI compute capacity. | Compute | $0.7bn | Construction | 2026 |
Umoja Fibre Route (Google) The first intercontinental route to run overland through the African interior rather than around it. | Terrestrial + subsea | $0.6bn | Construction | 2027 |
Africa Data Centres Lagos & Nairobi The DFC's largest digital commitment in Africa; power reliability is priced into every megawatt. | Data centres | $0.5bn | Construction | 2027 |
Equiano Cable Drove double-digit price declines in West African transit within eighteen months. | Subsea | $0.4bn | Operational | 2022 |
Africa-1 Cable Gulf-anchored capacity into East Africa; diversifies away from the Suez chokepoint only partially. | Subsea | $0.3bn | Construction | 2026 |
Microsoft Azure South Africa Expansion Hyperscale capex is now larger than most sovereign digital budgets on the continent. | Cloud region | $0.3bn | Construction | 2027 |
Third-party access on the coal and iron-ore lines is the largest open-access experiment on the continent.
Value
$8bn
Target
2030
Bankability
44
Africa's largest transboundary water asset and one of its few reliably bankable ones.
Value
$2.4bn
Target
2028
Bankability
90
Emergency procurement litigated to a standstill; a case study in speed versus process.
Value
$1.2bn
Target
2027
Bankability
15
The anchor of Africa's densest interconnection ecosystem at NAPAfrica.
Value
$1.1bn
Target
2027
Bankability
85
The longest subsea cable ever built; encircles the continent with 46 landings.
Value
$1bn
Target
2024
Bankability
85
Africa's only operating nuclear station, extended to 2044-45. Cheaper than any replacement.
Value
$1bn
Target
2026
Bankability
74
Africa's longest-running successful toll-road concession.
Value
$0.9bn
Target
2033
Bankability
75
Dispatchable solar with a sovereign-guaranteed PPA — the REIPPPP structure at its most durable.
Value
$0.8bn
Target
2024
Bankability
82
The first serious attempt at sovereign African AI compute capacity.
Value
$0.7bn
Target
2026
Bankability
76
The first intercontinental route to run overland through the African interior rather than around it.
Value
$0.6bn
Target
2027
Bankability
76
The DFC's largest digital commitment in Africa; power reliability is priced into every megawatt.
Value
$0.5bn
Target
2027
Bankability
86
Drove double-digit price declines in West African transit within eighteen months.
Value
$0.4bn
Target
2022
Bankability
80
Gulf-anchored capacity into East Africa; diversifies away from the Suez chokepoint only partially.
Value
$0.3bn
Target
2026
Bankability
78
Hyperscale capex is now larger than most sovereign digital budgets on the continent.
Value
$0.3bn
Target
2027
Bankability
74
Tracked value by sector, $bn
AI briefing note
Generate an investment-committee note on South Africa: position, what is actually being built, financing structure, key risks and what to watch — grounded in the data on this page.
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