INFRASTRUCTURE infrastructure, built with substantial public investment, requires complete reconstruction.
2025 also brought unexpected optimism. The medium-term budget presented by Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana in November 2025 signalled a fundamental shift in approach. It focused on three interconnected pillars:
• professionalisation of public service
• debt stabilisation, and
• growth-enhancing infrastructure.
It is significant that these priorities emerged organically from government, rather than being driven by private sector lobbying. Following the presentation by Minister Godongwana, international agency S & P Global Ratings upgraded South Africa’ s credit rating – before any concrete action had even been demonstrated.
The significant construction expenditure promised by the government has yet to materialise at scale, but we’ re witnessing something potentially more valuable: there’ s been a philosophical shift from reactive firefighting to proactive lifecycle asset management.
Municipalities are beginning to establish reliable asset registers, develop infrastructure policies, and create comprehensive maintenance plans. Beyond improving compliance, this disciplined approach to preventative maintenance stretches every rand further and creates the foundation for sustainable service delivery.
Eskom’ s journey over the past year demonstrates what’ s possible. When infrastructure operates reliably, it becomes available to generate revenue rather than drain resources. Eskom’ s return to profitability illustrates this direct correlation and validates Pragma’ s belief that scheduled maintenance enables the best outcomes.
The challenge lies in execution. We continue to see RFPs drafted by people who understand the need but lack the professional skills to specify appropriate solutions. Too often, tenders are awarded to the cheapest rather than the most effective providers. Meanwhile, many privatesector respondents find that government entities are deferring commitments to the next budgeting cycle due to unstable debt positions.
This is where public need and private capability meet at a critical juncture. Pragma has developed advanced solutions for maintenance and asset management issues which are being implemented locally and exported to 46 countries worldwide. These homegrown solutions have the potential to not only improve maintenance for government-owned assets but also optimise them for the greater good of South Africans and our economy.
And Pragma has stepped up to the government’ s call for public-private partnerships. During COVID-19, we provided free training to Eskom through a public-private partnership. Participants reported that they realised the importance of key principles related to maintenance, cause analysis, and project readiness. We’ ve assisted municipalities with asset data collection and service-level definition, demonstrating our commitment across all three spheres of government.
Pragma’ s On Key enterprise asset management software enables end-to-end management of maintenance processes and resource allocation, ensuring work doesn’ t fall behind, jobs aren’ t completed poorly, and teams arrive prepared with appropriate skills. For contractors, work is allocated to the most suitable provider closest to the job, enabling quick response times and streamlined administrative processes.
Provided the government maintains its commitment to professionalisation, debt stabilisation and growth-generating infrastructure, 2026 could mark the beginning of genuine systems repair. The fundamentals are sound, greater private participation in municipal entities is being encouraged, and there’ s growing recognition that these three pillars must work in concert. When one falters, the entire structure weakens.
The private sector is ready. We have tested, battle-hardened systems and SETA-accredited training programmes. We understand compliance requirements from the National Treasury and the South African Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. Most importantly, we’ re prepared to roll up our sleeves and translate policy statements into operational reality.
The infrastructure exists. The knowledge exists. What 2026 will test is whether political will can be converted into sustained action. IB
JANUARY 2026 / INBOUND SA 21