Coega IDZ attracts growing interest

Site earmarked for logistics park Pepi Silinga . . . 'Available land will soon be at a premium.' ED RICHARDSON A COMBINATION of integrated logistics, including a deep-water port, zoned and serviced land, low-cost power, geographic position, local skills and lifestyle is attracting a fast-growing number of global manufacturers and logistics operators to the Coega Industrial Development Zone. Construction of the first factories and warehouses in Coega commenced in a phased programme in the first quarter of 2005. The interest in the Coega IDZ is so great that available land in the giant 11 500 hectare industrial, manufacturing and logistics park will soon be at a premium, according to Coega Development Corporation (CDC) chief executive officer Pepi Silinga. Investors are attracted to the Coega IDZ by its position and the planning and preparation that has been invested in ensuring that tenants in the zone enjoy as many competitive advantages as possible, he said. Coega offers one of the world’s most advanced new investment destinations - the bulk infrastructure is in place, land has been secured and zoned, over 100 environmental studies have prepared the way for the fast-tracking of approvals, and a support structure for recruiting and training skilled labour has been established, he said. Another attraction is that Coega is situated in an area which is already competing successfully in world markets. Manufacturers in Nelson Mandela Bay (Port Elizabeth) supply a wide range of products to the rest of the world. Components and products made in the metro are supplied just in time to factories and retailers on every continent, thanks to the presence of the world’s major logistics companies and shipping lines. The Coega IDZ has set aside a site for a Coega logistics park, which is adjacent to the port of Ngqura and the main road and rail links to the rest of the sub-continent. All the IDZ infrastructure has been put in place by the Coega Development Corporation through a rapid roll-out process which has also honed the systems and skills needed to fast-track the building of factories, warehouses and offices for investors. The strength of this combination is evident in the huge amount of interest that Coega has generated from around the world, he said.