{"id":703135,"date":"2023-07-11T13:40:10","date_gmt":"2023-07-11T11:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=703135"},"modified":"2023-07-17T22:40:23","modified_gmt":"2023-07-17T20:40:23","slug":"governments-multi-billion-rand-development-plan-for-the-northern-cape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/government\/703135\/governments-multi-billion-rand-development-plan-for-the-northern-cape\/","title":{"rendered":"Government’s multi-billion rand development plan for the Northern Cape"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) has published its intention to designate the Namakwa Special Economic Zone for public comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DTIC minister Ebrahim Patel published the announcement in terms of section 24(1) of the Special Economic Zones Act, aiming to designate a certain portion of land for ‘strategic national interests’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the designation of a Special Economic Zone, the minister can preserve different categories of the area, including; a free trade zone, an industrial development zone or a free port, among other things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The area in question refers to 1,200 hectares adjacent to the mining town of Aggeneys in the Northern Cape, acting as a catalyst for large-scale investment and the formation of a new industrial hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shown below is the provided breakdown of land area and what it is planned to be used for:<\/p>\n\n\n

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Currently, the SEZ aims to take advantage of the mining operations opportunities as well as the agricultural exploits in the area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to GlobalAfricaNetwork<\/a>, there is Zinc Mine located in the area, and the proposed SEZ would further develop a smelter that can be built to treat zinc concentrate produced at Gamsberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The publication added that various domestic and international investment partners had shown interest in the Namakwa SEZ with industries including but not limited to construction, green energy, petrochemical, transport and engineering supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Development of the SEZ has been in the pipeline for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The concept was initiated from the 2018 Presidential investment drive to attract investment to the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Global mining company Vedanta Zinc International (VZI) said it is committed to investing in South Africa with the establishment of the Black Mountain Mine and the Gamsberg Mine – both based in Aggeneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vedanta, as reported by Mining Weekly, is a 1,000-plus-employee company expecting to bring in R16 billion in investment to its zinc mine and proposed smelter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of reference for the area’s master plan document, the Northern Cape Economic Development Trade and Investment Promotion Agency said that at the official launch of the Vedanta Gamsberg Zinc Mine, President Cyril Ramaphosa suggested that the mine complex could be the core and catalyst for economic development in the region through the establishment of an SEZ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What also makes the area stand out as a place of potential mass development is that it is located along a bulk commodity corridor which runs from a planned port on the Atlantic Coast to the urban centre of Upington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Namakwa Municipality District’s integrated development plan for 2022-2027, the economic development and tourism department has been budgeted R26 billion. Despite this figure, more can be expected to be allocated through other departments and private investments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below is a birdseye view of the site plan:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On 23 June,<\/a> Fikile Majola, the deputy minister of the DTIC, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to SEZs noting that they are important instruments for growing the economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are currently around 15 projects that are at different stages of development across the different SEZs. Significantly, these are mostly expected to be operationalised before the close of the 2023\/24 financial year, thus adding to the 190 that are already operational in the 10 designated SEZs,” said Majola.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe SEZs are important instruments to the economy. One cannot imagine the economy without these SEZs. Imagine Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality without the East London Industrial Development Zone or the Nelson Mandela Metro without the Coega SEZ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese SEZs are pillars of our economy, and those that are not optimally operating are a disservice to our people,\u201d Majola said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He described the newly-designated Namakwa SEZ in the Northern Cape as a game changer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The department has called on members of the public to submit their comments or objections to the notice within the next 30 days to the DTIC marked for the attention of Patrick Mlangeni or by email at: SEZEqueries@thedtic.gov.za.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See the full gazette below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n