Could private investment fix South Africa’s airport challenges?

Stephen Grootes speaks to Guy Leitch, aviation analyst, about possible private-sector participation at South Africa’s major airports, unpacking what it could mean for Airport Company South Africa’s operations.

Listen to the interview in the audio player below.

South Africa is considering bringing the private sector into the running of its major airports, a move that could change how the country’s aviation hubs are funded and managed.

Currently, most of the country’s biggest airports, including those run by Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) are state-controlled. ACSA operates the majority of South Africa’s main airports and handles most passenger traffic.

But there are proposals to allow private companies to play a bigger role in building, upgrading and even operating parts of airports. This could include long-term leases or concession agreements, where private firms help fund and manage infrastructure.

The move comes as South Africa looks to stay competitive globally. With air travel recovering and expected to grow, airports need to expand and modernise quickly to handle more passengers and cargo.

But aviation analyst Guy Leitch says this is merely talk, with very little likely to change anytime soon.

"I suspect we're seeing a lot of lip service towards privatisation, with actually not much intent to go ahead. So the bottom line is no, there are no new airports planned."

- Gay Leitch, aviation expert

"The reality is, we're still not, at least in December 2025 back at pre-Covid levels...there's a lot of potential for growth, but I don't think we need more airports at this stage."

- Gay Leitch, aviation expert

Scroll to the top of the article to listen to the full interview.