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The PV solar energy facility by Springbok Solar Power Plant and Harmony’s prospects of mining surface gold for the next 100 years are taking place along the Energy and Minerals Development Corridor.
Given its abundance in minerals and the boon of sunshine, and being at the centre of the country with three national roads going through it, the Free State Province has the potential of becoming one of South Africa’s economic hubs with lucrative investment opportunities.
According to the Free State Premier Ms MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae, the province has already committed capital investment through the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) of more than R100 billion since January 2026, in renewable energy. The investment has activated about 29 renewable energy projects, mobilised mostly through private sector participation.
The Free State boasts a variety of minerals that can help grow the economy of the province. Though mining was said to be on a decline in the province, Letsoha-Mathae said the sector still has opportunities of investment as the provincial government is revitalising the sector through small-scale mining support, opening new mining opportunities, re-using mining infrastructure, and curbing illegal mining.
“Our province is endowed with significant amounts of liquefied natural gas, which presents the Free State’s energy landscape with immense investment opportunities in natural gas, solar power, uranium, hydropower, wind and hydrogen to power the future of the country.
We are no longer just an energy consumer, but also a national leader in renewable energy investment. This is Just Energy Transition in practice. We are increasingly playing a strategic role in strengthening the national electricity grid through a well-structured renewable energy portfolio,” said the Premier during the State of the Province Address (SOPA).
MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae said on-going and planned projects like the Khauta Solar Project, Springbok Solar Plant, and Mulilo Battery Energy Storage Project continue to transform the Free State’s landscape for the better. She said the province is reigniting growth through, amongst others, strategic development corridors. She said these corridors are key in unlocking the province’s investment potential, creating jobs, improving connectivity, and facilitating trade.
“With the largest dam in South Africa, the Gariep Dam, three national roads, which are the N1, N6 and N8, and vast renewable energy potential, the Karoo Development Corridor in the southern part of the province connects the Free State with the Northern Cape and Eastern Cape.
Seeing this potential, the three provinces are jointly driving mutually beneficial tourism initiatives that includes mixed-use development, biodiversity-based tourism, heritage-based tourism, and water-based recreation anchored on the development prospects of the Gariep Dam,” said Letsoha-Mathae.
“The Airport Node and the N8 upgrading of road infrastructure initiatives form part of the Mangaung Development Corridor, connecting the Free State, Northern Cape and Lesotho. The PV solar energy facility by Springbok Solar Power Plant and Harmony’s prospects of mining surface gold for the next 100 years are taking place along the Energy and Minerals Development Corridor.
These multi-year initiatives are structured across several phases. We remain on track to engage with essential partners in this endeavour, such as the Infrastructure South Africa (ISA), the DTIC, and others,” she continued.
