Africa’s infrastructure gap remains one of the continent’s most pressing economic constraints.
From decaying transportation networks to unreliable energy grids, the demand for large-scale development projects has created both an opportunity and a risk: either African nations will build for themselves, or continue outsourcing the future to foreign firms with foreign agendas.
In this context, a new generation of African entrepreneurs is stepping into the void, aiming to balance local insight with global scalability. Among them is Duduzane Zuma, who has re-entered the business world with a targeted focus on infrastructure, through an initiative known as AGCT (Africa Global Construction and Transport).
Zuma, previously known for having acquired a uranium mine as well as other media ventures, is now betting on roads, ports, and energy corridors. His new pivot is both economic and reputational. After years abroad and a series of high-profile legal and financial battles in South Africa, Zuma has chosen infrastructure not just as a business strategy, but as a long-term developmental stake. He has also maintained deep regional ties in the Middle East, having traveled to the UAE since 2003 and lived there full-time between 2015 and 2023. These years, he says, offered firsthand exposure to Gulf-led infrastructure planning and public-private deal structuring, which is now informing AGCT’s cross-border strategy.
The AGCT initiative targets underbuilt regions in Central and West Africa as well as the Middle East, with projects spanning transport logistics, renewable energy systems, and industrial construction. The goal, according to sources familiar with the effort, is to support regional self-sufficiency while capturing a share of the growing public-private partnership market.
For Zuma, the move is consistent with a broader rebranding effort. Rather than respond to critics directly, he has focused on contribution—letting new projects and investment commitments speak for themselves. “Access to opportunity starts with access to infrastructure,” he stated in a recent interview. “You can’t develop a society without mobility, power, and production.”
The approach reflects a more mature and less reactive phase in his business identity. Where past ventures were often overshadowed by political associations and media controversies, AGCT represents an attempt to ground his influence in tangible value. It is a deliberate shift from perception management to long-term impact.
Of course, building infrastructure in Africa is neither simple nor apolitical. It involves navigating bureaucratic delays, currency volatility, and community tensions. But Zuma, shaped by decades of navigating high-stakes environments, appears undeterred. His team has signaled that upcoming AGCT projects will prioritize local labor, sustainability metrics, and equity sharing—hallmarks of development done right, rather than fast.
As infrastructure continues to define Africa’s economic future, Zuma’s next chapter will be measured less by reputation and more by results. The question is no longer whether he can outpace public scrutiny—it’s whether he can outbuild it.
