Large Infrastructure Challenges: South Africa and DR Congo

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies examines how corruption, political interference, and governance failures have hindered large-scale energy infrastructure projects in South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo, specifically focusing on coal power stations and hydropower schemes.

• In South Africa, the Medupi and Kusile coal power stations suffered from significant cost overruns and delays due to corruption and inflated coal contracts. Medupi's 2007 budget of R80 billion (US$11.19 billion) tripled, and it experienced a unit explosion shortly after its 2021 completion. Kusile's budget of R81 billion (US$11.33 billion) doubled by 2020, with completion delayed to 2025.
• South Africa experienced frequent rolling blackouts from the mid-2010s caused by underinvestment, poor maintenance, and delayed procurement. However, performance improved starting in 2024, with Eskom recording 231 consecutive days without load shedding in 2025.

APA

Yeboua, K. (2026). Large Infrastructure Challenges: South Africa and DR Congo. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=11-large-infrastructure&topic=06-challenges-sa-congo

Chicago

Yeboua, Kouassi. Large Infrastructure Challenges: South Africa and DR Congo. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=11-large-infrastructure&topic=06-challenges-sa-congo.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Yeboua |first1=Kouassi |title=Large Infrastructure Challenges: South Africa and DR Congo |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=25 May 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=11-large-infrastructure&topic=06-challenges-sa-congo |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yeboua2026large, author = {Yeboua, Kouassi}, title = {{Large Infrastructure Challenges: South Africa and DR Congo}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=11-large-infrastructure&topic=06-challenges-sa-congo}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }