The ANC and its leftwing alliance partners start a summit on Friday which will ultimately determine economic policy for the new government.

African National Congress leader Jacob Zuma was scheduled to address delegates at the event which was closed to the media.

His secretary general, Gwede Mantashe, said on Thursday the decisions made at the tripartite alliance summit would be fed into the ANC's election manifesto.

Last month, ANC treasurer general Mathews Phosa said the ruling party would have the biggest say in policy direction.

The SA Communist Party and the Congress of SA Trade Unions have repeatedly criticised government's current economic policy.

Speeches by Mantashe and SACP secretary general Blade Nzimande at the Black Management Forum on Thursday indicated what could be expected of the summit.

Nzimande spoke of "shortcomings and illusions" in current policies.

"What do we expect to emerge from the summit? We expect the growing economic policy convergence across the alliance and in government to be affirmed and consolidated," said Nzimande.

"But we do not expect a detailed policy package to emerge. Rather, the joint alliance task teams that have been working for several months on a range of economic sectoral issues will report on progress made and have their general policy directions affirmed or amended.

"This is work in progress. It will impact on the ANC-led election manifesto and on the cabinet lekgotla in January next year," added Nzimande.

Key developmental priorities had already been identified, said both Nzimande and Mantashe.

They are job creation, transformation of the health, education and criminal justice systems, rural development and land reform.

Mantashe said it had been decided to identify a few key priority areas instead of a long list of unreachable goals.

Government investment spending will be stepped up.

"We must break from the illusion that the state is basically powerless and that things must be left to the markets," said Nzimande.

That meant the role of the National Treasury and the Reserve Bank needed to be reconsidered, Nzimande added.