By Emily Setona
BLOEMFONTEIN – Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae has vowed to turn the Free State into a province-wide construction site, unveiling an aggressive plan to drive industrial growth, rebuild roads and create jobs.
Delivering her State of the Province Address in Bloemfontein on 20 February, Letsoha-Mathae announced targeted interventions to expand manufacturing, back women and youth-owned factories, and unlock strategic transport routes.
“Through the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, we will accelerate the identification and support of women and youth to open factories,” she said.
She pointed to fresh investment deals brokered by the Free State Development Corporation, including R2.5 million for JC Plastiques and R11 million for D-Line Designs, boosting plastic moulding and textile production.
Industrial revival is also under way at the Maluti-a-Phofung Special Economic Zone, where two refurbished factories now house NNTA Rabbit Abattoir and Rovno Sauce. Roads inside the zone have been upgraded as part of a push to reposition it as a prime investment hub.
The province aims to lift employment at the SEZ beyond the current 1,520 jobs, with the appointment of a permanent CEO at an advanced stage.
On infrastructure, Letsoha-Mathae confirmed completion of key reseal and fog spray projects, including the Kroonstad–Bothaville, Dealesville–Bloemfontein, Jagersfontein–Bloemfontein, Hoopstad–Bultfontein, Zastron–Wepener and Sasolburg–Deneysville routes.
A further R1.4 billion has been allocated for 2026/27 to finish existing roadworks, with priority on rural access, small-town connectivity and pothole eradication to unlock agriculture, trade and basic services.
Ten new road construction and maintenance projects will be procured before the end of that financial year.
Framing infrastructure as the engine of recovery, the Premier positioned the Free State as a province under active construction — betting on factories and roads to power growth and jobs.
