Midrand, 17 March 2026 - The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) hosted its 4th Annual Infrastructure Research Colloquium on Tuesday, 17 March 2026, at its Midrand campus. Under the theme “Building Resilient Infrastructure for Socioeconomic Transformation in Emerging Economies”, the colloquium spotlighted cutting edge research and bold ideas to accelerate South Africa’s infrastructure delivery.
A Platform for Innovation and Collaboration
The colloquium brought together leading academics, policymakers, and practitioners to debate solutions for the continent’s most pressing infrastructure challenges—from financing renewable energy through green bonds, to strengthening governance, and unlocking digital infrastructure for inclusive growth.
“South Africa’s economic future depends on resilient, inclusive infrastructure,” said Zeph Nhleko, Chief Economist and Group Executive at DBSA.
“Events like this are not just academic exercises—they are catalysts for action. By convening diverse voices, we create the conditions for public private partnerships that can close financing gaps, accelerate delivery, and ensure infrastructure investments translate into real socioeconomic transformation.”
Why It Matters
South Africa faces significant infrastructure investment requirements to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and to drive equitable growth. Research presented at the colloquium highlights both the scale of the challenge and the opportunities for innovation.
“Neither government nor the private sector can achieve sustainable infrastructure delivery alone,” Nhleko added.
“Partnerships forged through platforms like this colloquium are key to unlocking blended finance, strengthening governance, and ensuring that infrastructure becomes the backbone of economic growth and social equity.”
Driving South Africa’s Growth Agenda
The DBSA Research Colloquium underscores the Bank’s role as a thought leader in development finance and infrastructure development. By providing a platform for evidence-based dialogue, DBSA is advancing its research agenda while equipping stakeholders with actionable insights to shape policy, investment, and delivery.
This year’s programme features papers on:
- Green bond financing for renewable energy and climate resilience
- ESG aligned green infrastructure in resource constrained cities
- Energy investment requirements for South Africa’s net zero transition
- Digital infrastructure as a catalyst for inclusive growth
- Governance and institutional capacity for sustainable delivery
The DBSA calls on developers, investors, and partners across the public and private sectors to engage with the research insights presented at the colloquium and translate them into action. By leveraging evidence-based strategies and forging collaborative partnerships, South Africa can accelerate infrastructure delivery, close financing gaps, and unlock inclusive economic growth. “This is an invitation to co-create solutions,” said Zeph Nhleko. “We have the research, the vision, and the platform—now we need travel partners who are ready to invest in resilient infrastructure that transforms communities and drives Africa’s future prosperity.”
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About DBSA
The Development Bank of Southern Africa is one of the leading development financial institutions on the continent. Our primary purpose is delivering impactful development finance solutions that ignite transformative change in South Africa and on the rest of the African continent. Improving the quality of life of people in Africa is the fundamental focus of our development impact. We aim to bend the arc of history towards shared prosperity through multifaceted investments in sustainable infrastructure and human capacity.
Our product solutions span all phases of the infrastructure development value chain from infrastructure planning and project preparation, across a range of financing and non-financing investments to infrastructure implementation and delivery. Our primary areas of focus include Energy, ICT, Transport, Water and Sanitation. Our secondary area of focus includes Education, Housing and Health.
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