JANUARY 19 was the last day for written comments to the department of trade and industry (DTI) on the proposed extension of the Richards Bay industrial development zone (IDZ). Last month the department named the Alton North industrial area for designation and incorporation into the IDZ – identifying the area as suitable for the ferro-metals cluster for projects such as Tata Steel’s ferrochrome smelter and RHI refractories. These could not be located elsewhere in the Richards Bay IDZ. The IDZ forms part of the government’s macro-economic policy to develop South Africa’s manufacturing sector by encouraging investment in export-orientated industries, centred on beneficiation of the country’s mineral resources.
