By Thebe Mabanga
The City of Tshwane has attracted R1.8 billion investments over the past fiscal year, significantly improving its financial health through enhanced revenue collection.
The City is also actively revitalising its infrastructure in preparation for co-hosting a segment of this year’s G20 summit alongside the City of Johannesburg.
Councilor Nasiphi Moya, Executive Mayor of Tshwane, outlined these achievements during the State of the City Address (SOCA) delivered on Thursday.
Moya described the capital as “a city with rich heritage and a place of learning, enterprise and resilience.”
“Each day, families across our city make tough choices. How to put food on the table, keep their loved ones safe and build a better future. These choices are made with limited resources, but with extraordinary determination,” she said.
Moya assumed office in October last year, heading a coalition government comprising the ANC, EFF, ActionSA, AIC, DOP, PA, ATM, and GOOD.
Moya gave residents of the city and other stakeholders a report back based on six priorities that include financial stability and revenue enhancement, economic revitalisation and investment attraction, infrastructure development and service delivery acceleration as well improved service delivery, cleanliness, and safety as well strong governance.
The Executive Mayor noted that household and business finances remain precarious, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic that broke out five years ago and heightened cost of living that was characterised by high inflation and elevated interest rates that are only easing recently.
Moya said the City is beginning to see improvement in its finances.
“We are proud to report that our cash reserves are projected to reach R2.86 billion in the 2025/26 financial year,” she reported, noting that this marks an important step toward financial stability, with liquidity coverage expected to improve from 23 days to 43 days over the next two years.
Tshwane’s debtors has also seen an improvement dropping from R29.6 billion to R25.58 billion, a 13.56% decrease, in a month.
Moya attributes this to stronger revenue collection and the implementation of targeted debt relief for residents who need it most through the Debt Relief Scheme introduced earlier this year.
When assuming office, the leadership team set out a target to address the more than R11 billion owed to service providers.
Moya said this has partly been achieved through the settlement of the VAT liability linked the controversial PEU Smart Meter contract, with the last tranche of R128 million paid in March 2025.
Moya stated that the City has fully settled its debt to Rand Water and has reduced its debt to Eskom by R1 billion—from R6.66 billion in November 2024 to R5.66 billion in March.
The debt is being repaid over a five-year period.
“The number of service providers we pay within the required 30 days is slowly increasing,” the mayor noted, adding that this was a key measure to support small businesses.
She also announced that Tshwane is working to restore its investment-grade rating with Moody’s.
The country’s capital aims to grow its economy by 3,9% by 2029 through its recently adopted Economic Revitalisation Strategy that “promotes investment, supports businesses and creates jobs,” according to Moya.
The revitalisation strategy focuses on the knowledge economy, as Tshwane has the highest concentration of universities and research institutions in the country, the automotive sector, agricultural sector, and informal and township economy.
A key part of the strategy is improving the ease of doing business.
This includes the New Applications Processing System (or NAPS), which speeds up land use and building approvals.
There is also the VIP Business Line which offers dedicated support to Tshwane’s Top 200 businesses while the Rosslyn Precinct Plan, which will support the automotive sector and is estimated to yield over 150 000 jobs over the next 50 years, has been approved.
Another key pillar of the strategy is to revitalise Tshwane’s State Owned Enterprises, starting with the Wonderboom National Airport, which will be positioned as a commercial hub for logistics and revenue enhancement.
The Tshwane Fresh Produce Market will be developed into a world-class facility serving the entire agricultural value chain.
The Pretoria West Power Station will also be refurbished, and the Rooiwal Power Station revitalised to enhance energy supply and reduce reliance on Eskom.
The Bon Accord Quarry is expected to be utilised to produce asphalt for the City’s roads and supply the broader South African market.
Tshwane’s resorts, nature reserves, and heritage sites will also be integrated into the City’s tourism offering.
Moya said Tshwane’s Business Centre received almost 5 000 applications for spaza shops and roughly 1 000 applications have been licensed.
If successfully implemented, Moya said the City will attract between R17 billion to R26 billion in new investment and create 80 000 new jobs in the formal and informal sectors by 2029.
In the Interim, the Expanded Public Works Programme will create 11 000 jobs in the current financial year.
Moya was brutally frank in her assessment of the Pretoria CBD, noting, “he current state of our central business district is not befitting of a national capital.”
The City has started a programme of reviving dilapidated and hijacked buildings and in 2 months, has identified 32 buildings and managed to unlock 15 000 to 22 000 units for students and affordable housing and attract significant private sector investment.
The mayor reiterated to the gathered audience that “we cannot grow our economy without reliable infrastructure. Businesses – both large and small – must have confidence in the City’s ability to deliver quality, consistent services.”
But she noted: “Yet, we have become the government that spends too much time apologising for electricity outages.”
Moya noted that stability of Kwagga Substation is critical as it supplies power to more than 58% of Tshwane with infrastructure that is half a century old.
The mayor announced plans to refurbish the substation.
The Monavoni Substation and Pyramid Substation are among many that are getting a facelift.
Moya described the City as facing a water crisis, with consumption above what its licence permits and losing a third of its water to leaks from ageing infrastructure.
This has compelled the City to implement water restrictions.
However, water supply has been successfully restored in Atteridgeville, Laudium, Mabopane, and Soshanguve.
Meanwhile, the upgrade of the Rooiwal Water Treatment Plant remains on track for completion by June 2026.
“A functional transport system is the backbone of any city, and ours is no exception,” Moya stated, as she announced plans to introduce more efficient and affordable public transport options aimed at easing congestion and reducing Tshwane’s carbon footprint.
She announced that the City has signed a groundbreaking 12-year bus operating company licence together with taxi operators in the City.
On the human settlements front, Tshwane is dealing with a backlog 300 000 units including 4300 student beds upgrading, almost 100 000 for first time home buyers and 110 000 units in affordable housing.
To address the Tshwane Housing Company has had its mandate reviewed and given more powers and resources to acquire land and develop housing.
The City is managing more than 500 informal settlements, and recently supplied electricity to settlement in Mamelodi.
The City issued more than 2 000 titles deeds over the past year. “Title deeds are more than paperwork.” said the mayor.
“They provide dignity, unlock economic opportunity, improve service access, and promote dignity and stability.”
Moya said the Tshwane aims to Improve safety though by law enforcement and increased police visibility that disrupts criminal network while to address cleanliness, the City has also cleared more than 1 000 illegal dumping sites.
Moya said they also aim to increase the threshold for indigent households from R150 000 to R250 000 on property values, thereby extending support to just over 180 000 residents.
The mayor announced that all 24 City-managed primary healthcare clinics have maintained their Ideal Clinic status, with many achieving Platinum status – the highest possible rating.
Lastly, Tshwane and Johannesburg are eagerly anticipating their first opportunity to co-host the U20 Urban engagement leg of the G20 Summit in November, marking a historic moment for African cities.
Moya said the opportunity “presents the city with a unique opportunity to shine a global spotlight on the challenges and opportunities facing African cities – from rapid urbanisation and infrastructure backlogs to youth unemployment and climate resilience – while advancing inclusive, people-centred solutions.”
Political parties are expected to have an opportunity to respond to the State of the City Address next week.
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