Public procurement uncertainty undermining industrialisation potential of big grid roll-out – …

Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) CEO-designate Tafadzwa Chibanguza says the prevailing uncertainty surrounding South Africa’s public procurement rules in relation to local content has emerged as a major obstacle to reigniting industrialisation on the back of the country’s large grid roll-out. In addition, he argues that the recently released request for proposals (RFP) for South Africa’s inaugural procurement of independent transmission projects (ITPs) is so heavily geared towards foreign investors that it could leave domestic capacity stranded.