The Eastern Cape rolled out the red carpet for investors this week as municipal leaders, government stakeholders and financiers gathered in East London to showcase the province’s most promising local projects, and to reimagine municipalities as engines of economic growth.
The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) convened its Eastern Cape Provincial Executive Committee Investment Lekgotla at KuGompo City in East London, as part of the two-day SALGA Provincial Members Assembly that opened on Tuesday, 18 August 2026.
A Living Economic Contract
Setting the tone, SALGA President Bheke Stofile urged municipalities to treat their Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) not as compliance paperwork but as living blueprints that connect community priorities to budgets and investment.
“The IDP must become a living economic contract with measurable projects, clear responsibilities and firm timelines, not a document remembered only when compliance is tested.”
It is a vision of local government that does more than deliver services, one that actively courts investment, builds partnerships and creates opportunity on residents’ doorsteps.
Showcasing the Best of the Province
The Investment Promotion Lekgotla that opened proceedings was designed to position Eastern Cape municipalities as attractive investment destinations. Municipalities from across the province presented investment-ready, bankable projects, while key economic development departments and institutions outlined the support available to help unlock local growth.
The session also promoted public-private partnerships and facilitated direct engagements between municipalities and investors, practical matchmaking aimed at turning plans into construction sites, businesses and jobs.
Three Decades of Building Local Government
The Assembly, the highest decision-making platform of SALGA’s member municipalities in the province, will adopt the Eastern Cape’s programme of action, business plan and budget, and reflect on the socio-economic progress achieved during the sixth term of local government.
On day two, Eastern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Zolile Williams is expected to celebrate the achievements of the outgoing administration and set out priorities for the next, with a focus on strengthening cooperative governance and accelerating service delivery for communities.
The gathering carries extra significance this year: it comes as the country marks 30 years of democratic local government and three decades of SALGA’s advocacy for developmental municipalities.
For communities across the Eastern Cape, the message from East London is an encouraging one. When municipalities plan boldly, partner smartly and put bankable projects on the table, investment follows, and with it, jobs and better services closer to home.
Source: SAnews.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
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