CAPEX OUTLOOK: 2026
The 2026 capex market is not defined by a dramatic boom, but by increasingly targeted investment
Capex Outlook 2026: stability returns, but selectivity rules As 2026 approaches, the capital expenditure environment - both globally and within South Africa - is shifting into a phase defined less by volatility and more by measured opportunity. The dramatic swings of the early 2020s are giving way to steadier macroeconomic conditions, targeted investment, and a growing emphasis on digital transformation and decarbonisation. Wilhelm du Plessis reports. F or suppliers, contractors and financiers in the capital equipment ecosystem, the coming year is not a return to the broad- based boom many would like, but rather a landscape where well-positioned players can make meaningful gains.
becoming more strategic than reactionary. Instead of sweeping, economy-wide spending surges, companies are deploying capital in specific areas that offer productivity gains, resilience against supply-chain shocks, or alignment with national industrial policies. Two sectors clearly stand out. The first is digitalisation, including automation, robotics, predictive analytics and artificial intelligence. Manufacturers across Europe, Asia and North America are continuing to modernise plants to lower unit costs and improve uptime - a trend
Global context: a slow and structured expansion Internationally, the capex cycle is expected to stabilise. Global GDP growth is projected to hover in modest but steady territory, creating an environment where investment decisions are
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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS DEC '25 - JAN 2026
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