​Thembisa Shologu
The Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) has allocated a total budget of R37.2 billion to accelerate the infrastructure programme across the province. 
Addressing the Africa Investment Summit in Tshwane, MEC for Finance and Economic Development Lebogang Maile highlighted the GPG's infrastructure capabilities, which demonstrate its role as an investment destination in Africa.
The summit aimed to empower partnerships for sustainable prosperity across Africa's growing economies.
"Recognising the need to plan for the future of the growing population and needs, R22 billion of the allocated amount is availed to expand the capacity of existing infrastructure and provide new infrastructure assets in response to the increasing demand for services," said Maile.
Gauteng is a leading infrastructure provider and facilitator positioned as a globally competitive city region with a sustainable and growing economy.
Infrastructure maintenance and development remain a key priority for the provincial government.
"Various infrastructure projects are underway in all areas, including human settlements, renewable energy, solid waste, water and sanitation, health, transport, ICT, municipal social services, and sports, arts, and culture. 
"These include the establishment of one of Africa's first aerotropolis cities, which includes the expansion of the OR Tambo Airport precinct and the City of Johannesburg's Alternative Waste Treatment Technology project which is a solution to the challenges and aims to reduce waste to landfill of about 500,000 TPA and generate about 25 megawatts of energy from municipal solid waste material generated from the municipal areas," he said.
Maile said there are significant investments in the green energy sector, including the Merafong bio-energy park, which entailed establishing an Energy Conversion Industrial Park in Merafong in West Rand. 
Other infrastructure projects currently underway in Gauteng, at various stages of development, include the AIDC inland port, which aims to help the automotive industry overcome current logistics inefficiencies caused by a multitude of private terminals that constantly run into PRASA lines in the region. 
"The inland port will become the main automotive consolidation terminal linking directly into the Transnet Freight Rail line.
"Linked to this is the AIDC Solar that was set up specifically to manage the automotive supplier logistic node, providing a value proposition to suppliers of the major original equipment manufacturers in Gauteng by grouping different technologies, services and service providers in the same location to achieve economies of scale and logistical coherence," added MEC Maile.