Lazarus Mokgosi, Premier of the North West Province, believes South Africa’s long-term success rests on socio-economic unity and purposeful collaboration. For him, meaningful development requires alignment between government, private sector leaders and communities – particularly in strategic sectors such as mining, infrastructure and industrial development.
As Premier, Mokgosi oversees the delivery of provincial government programmes and ensures alignment with national priorities. “I oversee the overall delivery and other areas of national government to our people,” he explained to African Mining News at Mining Indaba 2026. Central to this mandate is an integrated governance approach that strengthens intergovernmental relations and promotes co-ordinated planning across all spheres of government.
One Budget, One Plan
Mokgosi highlighted the adoption of the District Development Model (DDM), a governance framework designed to streamline planning and implementation. Known as the “One Budget, One Plan” approach, the model seeks to accelerate service delivery and drive inclusive economic development through co-ordinated action between national, provincial and local government.
District and local municipalities operate within an interconnected system, he noted, requiring a holistic, policy-driven strategy. “The local government sphere is interdependent and interlinked through what we call intergovernmental relations,” he said. The DDM ensures development plans are not fragmented but aligned around shared priorities.
Mining plays a pivotal role in this strategy. The North West Province remains one of South Africa’s leading mining jurisdictions, and the sector is a major contributor to provincial gross domestic product. “Mining is our largest economic driver,” Mokgosi stated. “It’s an important industry, and we take a keen interest in conventions such as the Mining Indaba and in mining as a major sector.”
While mining is a national competency, he argued that provinces must play a far more active role. “The community belongs to us,” he said. “We have a vital role to play in ensuring mining contributes meaningfully to local development.”
Mining Indaba and Africa’s structural challenges
Reflecting on the 2026 Mining Indaba, Mokgosi described the event as a platform for renewed collaboration. The gathering addressed themes such as energy transition, digitalisation, innovative financing, geopolitical shifts in critical minerals and regional policy alignment. It also reignited conversations around local beneficiation and industrial development.
Pictured is Mokgisi (left) meeting with chairperson of the Development Bank of Southern Africa, David Makhura, at Indaba.
For Mokgosi, such discussions are essential if Africa is to overcome structural, political and logistical barriers. Mining projects today must operate within complex environmental, social & governance frameworks, while also securing strategic control over critical minerals that underpin global energy transitions.
“We are pushing very strongly from a policy point of view,” he said. “This must become a shared service. It cannot be that only national government is responsible. The province must play a particular role if we are to ignite the provincial economy.”
His emphasis is on co-operative governance, ensuring provincial authorities are not passive observers but active partners in shaping regulatory environments and development outcomes.
The Development Fund: Catalytic investment
A cornerstone of Mokgosi’s economic strategy is the establishment of a Provincial Development Fund. He acknowledged that provincial governments face fiscal constraints, limiting their ability to address infrastructure backlogs and socio-economic challenges independently.
“Provincial government does not have enough financial resources to address all the challenges of our people, especially from an infrastructure point of view,” he said. “Through collaboration with the private sector, we will be able to make an impact.”
The Development Fund is designed as a blended finance mechanism that pools resources into an independently governed structure. Mokgosi described it as a “kitty”: a dedicated funding vehicle managed outside direct government control to enhance transparency, efficiency and investor confidence.
“This money will be controlled by an independent governing structure that focuses on implementation,” he explained. “Everybody must bring money there.”
The response from the private sector has been positive. Many investors prefer an independent structure to reduce bureaucracy and streamline project execution. The fund will focus on catalytic, large-scale projects capable of unlocking broader economic activity: from bulk infrastructure to logistics corridors and industrial facilities.
“These must be projects that ignite the economy,” Mokgosi said. “If both the private and public sector invest, the economy grows and expands, and people are employed. That is how we make an impact.”
Special economic zones: Anchoring growth
Special economic zones (SEZs) form another critical pillar of the province’s growth strategy. In particular, the Bojanala SEZ has drawn strong interest from mining companies operating in the platinum-rich belt of the province.
“The majority of our mines are in the Bojanala area,” Mokgosi noted. “For the SEZ to succeed, we must have land – and traditional leadership has availed land. That shows co-operation.”
Land availability, coupled with licensing processes nearing completion, has positioned the SEZ as a potential anchor for beneficiation, mineral processing and manufacturing investment.
Mokgosi emphasised that private sector participation will be essential, particularly in providing bulk infrastructure such as power, water and transport links. “The private sector says they can provide bulk infrastructure,” he says. “That’s where mines are coming into the discussion.”
SEZs provide the certainty and infrastructure investors require. Mokgosi referred to them as “anchoring projects”: foundational platforms that allow pipeline projects to move swiftly once regulatory approvals are secured. “It is a crucial element in igniting the economy of the province,” he added. “Once licensing is attained, projects must be ready to kick-start.”
The broader objective is not simply export growth, but job creation, revenue-sharing agreements with communities and innovative financing models that include blended finance partnerships, community bonds and equity participation.
Provincial Growth and Development Strategy
Beyond mining, the North West Province’s Provincial Growth and Development Strategy (PGDS) recognises four primary economic drivers. “In the North West, just like any other province, our four key drivers are mining, agriculture, tourism and to some extent manufacturing,” Mokgosi explained.
Each of the province’s four district municipalities has distinct economic strengths. Some are agriculture-focused, others mining-intensive, while certain regions hold strong tourism potential. The PGDS is therefore tailored to district-specific opportunities. “The strategy shows what works in each district and what economic spin-offs exist there,” he said. “Our plans must align with what each district offers.”
This differentiated approach ensures mining growth does not occur in isolation, but forms part of a broader, diversified provincial economy. By aligning district plans with provincial and national strategies, Mokgosi believes the province can maximise local value addition while strengthening supply chains and infrastructure networks.
Governance and shared responsibility
Throughout the interview, Mokgosi returned to the theme of shared responsibility. Mining, while regulated nationally, has profound local impacts: from employment and infrastructure demands to environmental stewardship and community relations.
He argued that provincial governments must have a stronger voice in regulatory co-ordination, development planning and economic activation. Governance frameworks are evolving, he said, alongside each new project and policy initiative.
For Mokgosi, progress is measured not only in mineral output but in infrastructure delivery, supply chain development and improved livelihoods.
His vision is clear: a mining sector that operates within strong governance frameworks, supported by catalytic investment vehicles and anchored by SEZs, while integrated into district-level development strategies.
Collaboration – between government spheres, between public and private sectors, and between industry and communities – is the foundation of that vision.
If successfully implemented, these initiatives could position the North West not merely as a mining province but as a diversified, infrastructure-ready investment destination aligned with South Africa’s broader economic ambitions.
Matthew van Schalkwyk