South African govt ranked 25th in top 500 global infrastructure owners list

3rd November 2016 By: Ilan Solomons - Creamer Media Staff Writer

The South African government has again moved up in the rankings of the top 500 global infrastructure owners, ranking twenty-fifth this year, with infrastructure assets valued at $92.2-billion, as measured by reported net tangible fixed assets.

This was compared with its ranking of 33 in 2015, when its infrastructure assets were valued at $81.03-billion.

Other South African entities that made this year’s list are Eskom, which was ranked 119th, with infrastructure assets worth $34.1-billion; Sasol, at 337 with infrastructure assets of $15.8-billion; and Transnet, at 346 with infrastructure assets worth $15.4-billion.

This is according to global software developer Bentley Systems’ 2016 Infrastructure 500 list, which ranks the top owners of infrastructure worldwide from both the public and private sectors. It is published yearly.

The combined value of the 500 entities listed in the 2016 list is over $15.5-trillion, which equated to 84% of the US’s estimated 2016 nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of $18.5-trillion and close to the combined 2016 GDPs of China and Japan.

US-based oil major Exxon Mobil Corporation topped the 2016 list with infrastructure assets worth $251.6-billion, the US Military placed second on the list with infrastructure assets of $199.3-billion and US-headquartered energy corporation Chevron Corporation rounded out the top three spots with infrastructure assets of $188.3-billion.

The only other African entity to make it onto the list was Algerian State-owned electricity and gas distribution company Sonelgaz, which was listed at 178 with infrastructure assets of $26.7-billion.