WATCH | How using 'Infrastructure for Good' can improve society

The fifth edition of the Sanlam Investments Critical Conversations thought leadership series, titled “Infrastructure for Good: The Public-Private Edition”, took place on Monday, June 27.

At this virtual event — watch the recording above — a panel of the country's leading minds in infrastructure debated the importance of building and improving the wellbeing of society through sustainable infrastructure investments. 

According to the National Development Plan, “infrastructure investment as a percentage of GDP needs to grow from 14% in 2020 to 30% by 2030”. During the event, panellists explored what we need to do as a public-private collective to achieve this urgent goal.  

Moderated by business and news presenter Lerato Mbele, the panel included:

• Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, head of infrastructure and investments in the presidency and head of Infrastructure SA (an infrastructure centre of excellence established as a single-entry point for infrastructure planning, management, and delivery);
• Ndabe Mkhize, founding chairman of Asset Owners Forum SA;
• Catherine Koffman, group executive: project preparation at the Development Bank of Southern Africa; and
• Ockert Doyer, head of Credit at Sanlam Investments and portfolio manager of Sanlam Investments’ Sustainable Infrastructure Fund.

The panellists provided insights on infrastructure planning and investment from their unique perspectives and discussed how public-private partnerships can enable the process. The discussions revolved around the role of infrastructure, specifically green infrastructure, in driving SA's economic recovery.

Some of the challenging considerations the panellists addressed included:

• What are the sustained socioeconomic effects of infrastructure projects, and how can this be quantified in terms of the goals of the National Development Plan? 
• What does government need to do to enable infrastructure investment?

This article was paid for by Sanlam Investments.