POLOKWANE – The acting mayor of Polokwane Municipality and member of mayoral committee on community safety, Joosuf Pemma has welcomed delegates to the six Limpopo Investment Conference at The Ranch Resort today on Thursday calling for a shift from pledges to concrete delivery as initially emphasised by Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba at the launch of the conference last month, highlighting that this was invoking China’s reformist approach to attract billions in action-focused investment.

Pemma delivered the opening welcome ahead of the keynote address by Deputy President Paul Mashatile. The programme is being led by the chairperson of the Limpopo Tourism Agency Board, Freddy Greaver.

The conference is being held under the theme: “From Pledges to Prosperity: Accelerating Limpopo’s Industrial Future”a theme that was visible across the main stage at Makhulu Hall, where Pemma addressed a packed hall of investors, development finance institutions, government officials and traditional leaders.

Pemma draws on China’s economic reforms

In a wide-ranging welcome, Pemma grounded his address in political theory and history, noting that the gathering was taking place while reflecting on one of China’s great leaders, Deng Xiaoping, the political theorist and revolutionary who championed the reform and opening-up policy from 1978 to 1989.

He said Polokwane and Limpopo should adopt what he called a “Dengist approach” to investment, mindful of the doctrine of Chairman Mao Zedong, who he said did not view investment through a modern financial market lens, but as a mechanism of state organization, resource allocation and mass mobilization.

“As Polokwane Municipality, we call upon the 6th Limpopo Investment Conference to adopt an approach such as this,” Pemma said.

Quoting Deng’s famous maxim, Pemma said: “It does not matter if the cat is black or white, as long as it catches the mice.”

He said the city was conscious that there have been mistakes in the past, but that the mission of economic construction must continue, based on the province’s historic background and generational mission.

Poverty and unemployment among key challenges

Pemma also invoked former Presidents Thabo Mbeki and Nelson Mandela to frame the purpose of the conference.

“As President Mbeki once said, our people expect us to resolve the challenges that they are facing daily. Conferences such as this are strategic gatherings that must emerge with tangible solutions to our poverty, unemployment, healthcare, energy and social challenges,” he said.

“It is therefore against this background that the leadership of the province, joined by captains of industry and administrative minds, should move towards concrete deliverables.”

He added: “As President Mandela once said, government alone cannot win the war against poverty.”

Pemma’s call for action sets the tone for a conference that organisers say is deliberately shorter and more implementation-focused than previous editions.

According to the Presidency, Mashatile will deliver the keynote address following his welcome address by Ramathuba, before conducting a walkabout of exhibitions and officially launching the InvestSA One Stop Shop in the province. The One Stop Shop, to be housed at the Limpopo Tourism Agency, is designed to streamline investment processes and improve ease of doing business.

Limpopo targets more than R120bn in new commitments

The six conference comes against the backdrop of R452.38 billion in cumulative investment pledges secured by Limpopo between 2021 and 2025, when the investment conference series began. According to the provincial government, R71.058 billion of that has been realised in actual projects, supporting 23 968 jobs. About R170 billion of the total was pledged at the 2025 conference alone.

Ramathuba has previously stressed that a pledge is not yet an investment, and an investment is not yet a project until it leads to construction, production, employment, exports and lasting economic activity.

“The success of this conference will not be measured only by the value of investment announced. It will be measured by the projects that advance, barriers that are removed and opportunities created for our people,” Ramathuba said at the launch of this year’s conference.

The province, through the Limpopo Economic Development Agency (LEDA), is targeting more than R120 billion in new commitments at this year’s conference, with a focus on mineral beneficiation and green energy, agro-processing, manufacturing, renewable energy, automotive, and digital technology.