Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, led the department’s top officials in tabling the Annual Performance Plan (APP) 2026/27 before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition in Parliament on Tuesday.
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The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) has set an ambitious target to facilitate more than 100,000 job opportunities in the new financial year, placing industrial expansion and investment at the centre of South Africa’s economic recovery strategy.
Presenting the department’s Annual Performance Plan (APP) before Parliament’s portfolio committee on trade, industry and competition on Tuesday, Minister Parks Tau said the roadmap builds on the priorities of the 7th administration and seeks to translate policy into tangible economic outcomes.
“This APP will outline our priorities for the coming financial year, including placing emphasis on our new industrial policy, our investment targets and our trade relations, emphasising implementation and moving from the foundation we built in the previous financial year,” Tau said.
As South Africa seeks to rebuild its industrial base, the dtic’s plan signals a shift toward execution, with a strong focus on measurable outcomes.
The department’s job creation drive will be supported through a range of catalytic instruments, including Special Economic Zones (SEZs), incentive schemes, export promotion and the expansion of Global Business Services. Central to the plan is a renewed focus on reindustrialisation, particularly in historically marginalised areas.
Last week, the dtic unveiled an ambitious plan to revive the once-thriving industrial economy of the Vaal region, with the proposed Special Economic Zone (SEZ) expected to reignite manufacturing, attract investment, and create thousands of jobs.
The proposed Vaal SEZ forms part of a broader strategy by the dtic to reverse decades of industrial decline in the region, south of Gauteng province. Once a manufacturing powerhouse, the Vaal has experienced significant economic contraction over the past 30 years, with factory closures and job losses eroding its economic base.
The Vaal SEZ will focus on future-facing sectors such as green industrialisation, agro-processing, logistics, energy, and the emerging blue economy linked to the Vaal River. These sectors are expected to not only revive traditional manufacturing but also align the region with global economic trends.
Meanwhile, director-General Simphiwe Hamilton said the Investment and Spatial Industrial Development programme will play a key role in scaling up industrial activity. This includes revitalising 15 industrial parks and advancing the operational readiness of 10 out of 12 SEZs.
These initiatives are expected to stimulate local economies, support sector diversification, and equip up to 300 learners with industry-relevant skills.
“We envisage that in this area we should enable us to facilitate up to 6 000 jobs,” Hamilton said.
In addition, the dtic plans to disburse up to R4 billion in incentives to qualifying enterprises, with a strong emphasis on compliance with the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) framework. The aim is to deepen transformation while enabling businesses to expand and hire.
Deputy Minister Zuko Godlimpi emphasised that the APP is designed to convert improving economic conditions into meaningful industrial growth and employment.
“South Africa is entering a period where the foundations for growth are being rebuilt through greater stability in energy, logistics and fiscal conditions, and the responsibility of the dtic is to ensure that this momentum translates into productive sectors of the economy,” Godlimpi said.
“Our focus in the year ahead is to deepen re-industrialisation, expand exports, strengthen investment mobilisation, and advance transformation through practical instruments that widen participation for Black-owned enterprises, SMMEs, women and young people.”
The department also highlighted the importance of policy reform in unlocking investment. A key legislative priority is the proposed Omnibus Industrial Development and Investment Acceleration Bill, which aims to streamline regulatory processes, reduce red tape and improve the ease of doing business.
Deputy Minister Alexandra Abrahams said the APP reflects a deliberate effort to create an enabling environment for businesses to grow and employ more South Africans.
She noted that sustainable job creation depends on a competitive economy supported by coordinated government action and consistent implementation.
“Sustained job creation will come from a stronger, more competitive economy, supported by practical policy interventions to advance the economy, improved coordination across government, and consistent implementation that translates commitments into measurable outcomes,” she said.
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