Johannesburg: South Africa's president announced ambitious infrastructure projects, laying out his plans for creating jobs and hope in a nation harder hit than most in Africa by global recession.

"The massive investment in infrastructure must leave more than just power stations, rail lines, dams and roads," Zuma said Thursday in his nationally televised state of the nation address to parliament in Cape Town. "It must industrialise the country, generate skills and boost much needed job creation."

His plan spanned the country, from a dam in the southwestern homeland of former President Nelson Mandela to a rail and road network and new water systems to boost prospects for mining in Limpopo, a province in the far northeast that is among the nation's poorest and often pointed to as among the most corrupt.

Zuma's finance minister may offer details in a budget speech later this month. Zuma did not say Thursday how much the entire programme would cost or when all its components would be completed. He did say 300 million rand (Dh146 million) would be spent to build new universities in the provinces of Mpumalanga in the east and Northern Cape in the west.

Capital projects

He also said Transnet, the state-owned transportation company, would invest 300 billion rand in capital projects over the next seven years.

Zuma's focus on infrastructure development was applauded by opposition politicians, but they questioned whether he could or would follow through on his pledges.

"Where the finance minister is going to find all the money to finance all these promises is a mystery," said Lindiwe Mazibuko, parliamentary leader of the main opposition Democratic Alliance party.

Zuma was elected in 2009 to a five-year term, taking office just as the global recession hit South Africa, which is sub-Saharan Africa's biggest economy but has been burdened by high rates of poverty, unemployment and inequality despite years of buoyant growth. Across Africa, the recession had been delayed, leading many to initially think Africa would be spared.

Zuma was applauded during his speech when he mentioned unemployment figures of 23.9 per cent.