National Planning Commission on reasserting centrality of National Development Plan

Ahead of the State of the Nation Address, the National Planning Commission (NPC) calls upon the President to reassert the centrality of the National Development Plan: Vision 2030 (NDP) as the lodestar and planning blueprint of the country, as we move towards the 2030 developmental horizon. The 2026 SONA presents the perfect opportunity for the President to affirm the importance of long-term planning to improve the lives of all South Africans, even in these times of coalition governance.

Over the past four years, the NPC has published a combined total of 25 research reports and advisories in which, amongst others, the following are addressed:

• The Transformation of South Africa’s Monetary Architecture, 1983 – 2024 Research Report,
• Trends in the Cost of Living in South Africa between 2011 and 2023,
• The implementation of the Integrated Crime and Violence Prevention Strategy,
• SMME Red Tape Reduction
• Accelerating the Implementation of the Agriculture and Agro-Processing MasterPlan,
• Effective Cross-departmental and Inter-Governmental Coordination in Early Childhood Development,
• And Advisory on NDP Implementation Priorities for the 2024-2029 MTDP, among many others.

In addition, the Commission released a Ten-Year Review of the NDP and a Call to Action in 2023, providing a frank assessment of progress to date. The full list of research outputs, advisory notes and statements can be found on the NPC’s website.

In our capacity as the custodian of the NDP, we offer the above-mentioned, evidence-based outputs of the NPC, as some of the resources available for the President, as he prepares the 2026 SONA. More importantly, we offer these to the government and to the people of South Africa to anchor and to steer the developmental trajectory of the country.

The NPC takes its role of overseeing the implementation of the NDP and mobilising society around the NDP most earnestly. South Africa is at a crossroads. South Africans are buckling under the weight of unemployment, inequality, poverty and corruption. The national morale is low, and hope is in short supply. We urge the President to use the 2026 SONA to give South Africans some tangible reasons to be hopeful again.

The Commission will host a virtual post-SONA engagement on Monday, 16 February 2026 at 10:00. This engagement will provide an opportunity for deeper analysis and dialogue on the priorities articulated in the Address as well as the implications for long-term development. Further information and the invitation will be shared in due course.

Enquiries:
Director
Dr Sandisiwe Mapine
Cell: 071 370 1048
E-mail: Sandisiwe.Mapine@dpme.gov.za

Director
Ms Dakalo Netswera
Cell: 072 713 3047
E-mail: Dakalo@dpme.gov.za

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