Turning complexity into clarity so you can accelerate what’s possible.
Capital projects and infrastructure
Infrastructure is evolving quickly to meet the demands of modern society. Rising costs, changing regulations and supply chain challenges create hurdles. But they also offer opportunities for innovation and improvement.
The challenge isn’t just delivering––it’s delivering at speed, and with impact that’s built to last. Those who adapt fast and make bold decisions will lead the way.
Key trends impacting capital projects and infrastructure
Infrastructure needs US$6.9 trillion of investment by 2030 to meet climate and development objectives according to the OECD1. This brings huge opportunities for the sector, along with big challenges.
1OECD, The World Bank, UN Environment (2018), Financing Climate Futures: Rethinking Infrastructure, OECD Publishing, Paris.
The challenge of affordability
Population growth demands infrastructure investment. But affordability is a challenge with rising government debt and reduced personal incomes globally.
Private capital for infrastructure investment remains plentiful. But finding investable (investment grade) projects is a challenge for investors. Blended finance and public-private partnership (PPP) models are evolving—public and private partners can co-invest to de-risk investments. And innovative income sources provide repayment certainty.
Climate goals
Infrastructure and its services account for 79% of CO2 emissions. This disproportionately affects those in infrastructure poverty. The energy transition and electrification of infrastructure are critical for decarbonisation. Along with the growth of AI and data centres, this will require significant investment in power generation plants and grid infrastructure.
Threats to infrastructure
With extreme weather events and risks around cyber and physical security threats, resilient infrastructure is critical. From running economies and societies, to maintaining essential services, to limiting financial losses and threats to public safety, risk mitigation is critical.
Business model reinvention
More than 80% of projects exceed their original budget. Half of projects fall short of expected benefits and 60% finish behind schedule. Workforce availability is a challenge. Rising inflation, ‘giga’ project demands, energy price hikes and scope 3 requirements are impacting supply chains and availability of critical materials. Geopolitical uncertainties, including tariffs, are shifting supply chains towards localisation, with industrial policy and nearshoring driving new manufacturing investments.
Tech and digital opportunities
Mobile connectivity, smart grids, renewable energy and mobile payment systems are transforming how infrastructure is used. Capital projects generate high volumes of dynamic data but often fail to optimise outcomes. AI has the potential to transform capital project delivery outcomes.
Uniting expertise with tech, so you can outthink, outpace and outperform
At the intersection of industry expertise and AI-powered innovation, we focus on solving for what matters now so you can be ready for what’s next.
The foundations across industries must be both protected and reconfigured as forces that propel progress into the next decade. Our solutions embrace this philosophy. Across centuries, whether in the 18th, 21st, or 22nd, fit and ready institutions have and will remain a cornerstone of progress. Resilient and productive Assets together with Optimum Financial Performance, are ingredients for converting vision to value. The dynamic shifts of the last decade and those anticipated during the next, require bold moves to truly seize the opportunities ahead. We are taking our clients across industries to the leading edge by working side by side to discover and forge innovative pathways to value creation, unstoppable growth and maintaining stakeholder trust.
Industries
Urban development
Social infrastructure
Transport
Telcos
Energy, water and utilities
Industrials and manufacturing
Solutions
Both public and private sector must achieve…
Fit and ready institutions
Fit and ready institutions excel at value creation in the face of uncertainty and adversity. They truly set the full potential of the future in motion.
- Business model reinvention
- Mega project and complex programme delivery
- Portfolio optimisation
Business model reinvention
Now is the time to challenge the status quo and seize new opportunities. Whether you are a public or private sector organisation, today’s trends demand bold transformation, and forward-thinking organisations are investing in reinventing their business models to stay relevant in creating value for their stakeholders. By embracing innovation, you ensure that your organisation remains relevant, delivers lasting value and thrives in an ever-changing world.
Mega project and complex programme delivery
Turning vision into value demands flawless execution. Stakeholders expect results, and every misstep risks eroding trust and value. We unite deep domain expertise, technology and AI driven solutions to partner with you from planning and initial business case through to project close-out, ensuring your boldest ambitions are delivered efficiently and reliably.
Portfolio optimisation
Maximise impact by channelling resources toward what matters most. In a world of competing priorities, top-performing organisations focus on the projects that deliver the greatest value. Make bold, strategic choices about which initiatives to launch, when to accelerate them and when to pivot, ensuring every effort drives measurable results and sustained success.
Resilient and productive assets
Resilient and productive assets shape the citizen experience and enable economies to soar even during disruption.
- Unlock dormant assets
- Master planning and investment
- Asset performance enhancement
Unlock dormant assets
Don’t let untapped assets sit idle, mobilise their hidden value and turn them into engines of sustainable income. By activating dormant assets, you not only diversify your revenue streams but also strengthen your organisation’s resilience, reducing dependence on any single source. Seize the opportunity to drive growth and maximise impact.
Master planning and investment
Strategic infrastructure investment demands perfect timing. Invest too soon and capital sits idle; lag behind and growth stalls. We help you strike the ideal balance, ensuring every rand delivers value when and where it's needed. By anticipating demand and deploying resources with precision, we empower you to unlock growth, enhance resilience and secure sustainable returns.
Asset performance enhancement
Your assets are built to deliver more. Rather than seeing infrastructure as static, unlock greater output by driving operational excellence before investing in major capital projects. Our AI enabled data analytics platform works with your data to discover hidden potential and proactively boost capacity, efficiency and returns, ensuring your assets work as hard as those they serve.
Optimum financial performance
Optimising financial performance is about balance: creating resilient and sustainable revenue at the least input cost while also generating wider economic benefits.
- Resilient revenue
- Cost optimisation
- Funding and finance
Resilient revenue
Build dependable revenue streams that fuel sustainable growth. Harness the power of existing income sources and unlock bold new opportunities to create a robust, multi-channel foundation. Future-proof your organisation by investing in diversified revenue strategies that protect against disruption, create a means to cross fund and secure lasting prosperity.
Cost optimisation
Drive more value from every rand you invest. Cost optimisation isn’t just about cutting expenses. It’s about making every rand work harder. Through our spend analytics platform, eliminate the non-essential, streamline what remains, harness cutting-edge technology, and adopt smart procurement and implementation strategies that deliver optimal value.
Funding and finance
Who pays, and how? We help you cut through complexity to design fair, effective funding structures that balance stakeholder accountability with concrete benefit. Whether public or private, our expertise ensures investments are aligned with impact. From raising debt to leveraging grants or blended finance structures, we empower project owners to unlock the capital needed to deliver the infrastructure assets that enable economic growth and social prosperity.
How we can help
We know capital projects are complex. Uncertainty is high. Risks are real. The pressure to deliver is relentless. We help you cut through uncertainty and move projects forward—faster. From planning and financing to execution and operations, our expertise keeps you ahead, turning obstacles into opportunities and ambition into action.
- Elevate planning
- Accelerate financing
- Deliver with agility
- Focus on insight-led transactions
- Enhance your operations
- Decommission and dispose
Elevate planning
Transform uncertainty into actionable success––with precision and insight. A sharp strategy, solid business case and clear regulatory navigation turn risk into results. We help you spot opportunities and get projects moving.
Accelerate financing
Turn ideas into action. Rethink business and contractual models. Unlock capital. Secure investment and fast-track financial decisions. From financial modelling and raising finance to procurement, we help you lay the trusted foundations for success.
Deliver with agility
An unpredictable world demands speed and flexibility. Understanding and managing performance against scope and schedule, and the impact on cost and risk is integral. Engineering, governance, contracts, supply chains—our industry-leading capabilities and project management help you stay ahead, adapt fast and maintain momentum.
Focus on insight-led transactions
Maximise your returns. Minimise your risk. Buying, selling, refinancing or restructuring—we know how to deliver value.
Enhance your operations
Change is accelerating with new markets, new tech and new expectations. We help you rethink operating models, streamline contract management and deploy technology for better, faster results. Our asset management expertise helps you maintain and grow value, even under pressure.
Decommission and dispose
Are you ready to make a change? From asset disposal to complex decommissioning, we handle valuation, compliance and transaction structuring. Together, we can maximise your efficiency while protecting your value.
Explore the domains of growth
Industries are reshaping around fundamental human needs, creating value through collaboration across interconnected domains that now replace traditional value chains. Explore the domains relevant to your sector.
Contact us
Jarendra Reddy
Director | Capital Projects and Infrastructure Lead, and Transport Sector Lead, PwC South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 31 271 2000
