The Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone has to date attracted over R21 billion worth of investments, says Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Fikile Majola.
\nThe Deputy Minister said these investments were at different stages of development and two of them, with private investment value of R380 million have already started constructing their manufacturing facilities.
\nThe Deputy Minister visited the Western Cape based Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone (SBIDZ) on Thursday.
\nThe SBIDZ is the first special economic zone (SEZ) to be located within a port and is the only sector-specific SEZ in South Africa catering specifically to the energy and maritime industries.
\nThe zone operates as a free port with streamlined investor procedures supported by its ease of doing business model.
\nIt is committed to creating a competitive and profitable zone for investors and local Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), while ensuring a better future for the community of the West Coast region.
\nMajola said he was happy with the progress made within the zone as well as the implementation of its strategy since 2017.
\n\u201cThe SBIDZ has also signed eight new investment agreements with operational companies in the maritime, oil and gas sectors. These investments will lead to permanent and sustainable jobs that the country needs to create for its citizens.
\n\u201cThe development of the zone will also have to align and integrate with the entire area of Saldanha and West Coast region to achieve real projects that benefit all,\u201d said Majola.
\nHe also emphasised the urgency of involving all spheres of government and state-owned agencies with the aim of driving the development of the zone through the District Development Model approach.
\nChief Executive Officer of the SBIDZ, Kaashifah Beukes, said the zone has already conducted oil and gas readiness assessment on 35 local companies. The SBIDZ has spent more than R200 million, which translates to 35% of the zone\u2019s total spend with local contractors.
\nShe said the SBIDZ provided support to the local SMME sector through its SME Co-Lab facility established in March 2020. The Co-Lab has attracted more than 1 500 SMME visits and engagements since it opened.
\n\u201cWe are proud to have emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic and are on track to usher in projects worth more than R300 million in capital investment towards investor infrastructure, bringing a much-needed boost to our construction sector and jobs in the West Coast, and ultimately, the country,\u201d she said.
\nOver 2 900 jobs have been created at the zone in the last five years, while more than 1 800 beneficiaries had received skills training in the last four years.
\n\u201cWe calculate the eventual economic contribution to be more than R12 billion and this will result in the creation of more than 21 000 jobs. We have a pipeline of 52 investors, 11 of which have signed lease agreements and already 18% of the gross area has been leased.
\n\u201cWe anticipate that investment will grow to R21 billion by 2030,\u201d said Beukes. <\/p>\n
Source: South African Government News Agency<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"