South Africa will roll out a big infrastructure spending programme and large-scale employment stimulus to revive an economy that was ailing even before the coronavirus crisis, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday.

Unveiling a Covid-19 economic recovery plan in parliament, Ramaphosa said the government would unlock more than R1-trillion rand in infrastructure investment over the next four years and would create more than 800 000 jobs in the immediate term.

Government is also working on finalising a long-term solution to State power utility Eskom's debt burden, without giving a time frame.