SA to Open First Overseas Office in Middle East to Attract Petro Investors

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Beyond establishing a physical presence in the Gulf, Macpherson said the office will serve as a platform to build relationships with global financiers.

South Africa plans to open its first overseas office for its infrastructure development agency in the Middle East, aiming to tap into the region’s deep-pocketed investors to fund energy, water, and logistics projects

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson said that the office is initially planned for two years. His department is currently finalising a budget for the office and assessing potential host countries. He further added that the office will serve as a platform to build relationships with global financiers.

Africa’s most industrialised economy needs about R1.6 trillion (USD 84 billion) in public sector investment and an additional R3.2 trillion from the private sector to meet its infrastructure targets by 2030. Officials are focused on boosting construction to revive an economy that has averaged less than 1% annual growth over the past decade and to restore public finances after years of corruption, mismanagement, and bailouts of struggling state-owned companies.

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South Africa’s push to court Gulf states, which are increasingly deploying their petrodollars to expand influence, comes amid a retreat by the continent’s traditional partners: China is slowing its lending, Europe is scaling back its engagement, and the US is turning increasingly inward-focused. Countries like Kenya and Zimbabwe have already seen a rise in Middle Eastern investment in recent years.