SONA in a nutshell

(Image: GCIS)

The key facets of the government's current plan are:

• R300bn in capital projects for Transnet. Transnet says its balance sheet is sufficiently strong to finance this investment;
  
• Expanding the rail network in Mpumalanga and Limpopo to carry coal to power stations or for exports;
  
• A R83 000 subsidy for home-buyers who do not qualify for bank finance;
  
• Spending R300m on two new universities in Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape;
  
• The implementation from April this year of a R1bn housing fund to guarantee home loans;
  
• Phased development of a new manganese line to export the mineral from Port Ngqura (Coega) in Nelson Mandela Bay.
  
• Negotiations with Eskom to reduce the electricity prices while investing in renewable energy projects
  
• Five geographically-focused programmes in different provinces to increase mining and agriculture and improve transportation
  
• No details were released on the planned National Health Insurance but hospitals and nurses homes are being refurbished.
  
• Land reform targets had not been met with just 8% of land targeted for redistribution changing hands out of a target of 30%.

The projects are aimed at creating millions of jobs in South Africa.

For more:

• Times Live: Zuma unveils massive industrialisation plan
  
• IOL: Massive drive by the state to revive economy
  
• Mail & Guardian: Analysis: The State of the Nation speech decoded