ELIDZ expects investment to top R1-bn

Leigh-Anne Sa Joe INVESTMENT CONTINUES to flow into the E ast London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ), which expects to exceed its targeted uptake of available land by investors for the 2007/08 financial year. So far the facility has secured investment worth R750-million, says chief executive officer Simphiwe Kondlo. The existing 11 tenants, together with up to five additional investments that are likely to be signed by financial year end (end March 2008), will see this value reach R1-billion. This puts the E LIDZ in a strong position to realise its target of obtaining tenants for 30% of available land within the Zone by the end of the 2009/10 financial year. Five new investors in the automotive, construction and logistics sectors have chosen to invest in the IDZ. Some of these will be situated in the newly developed Automotive Supplier Park (ASP), which has already become the base for first and second tier suppliers for the new Mercedes Benz C-Class. An official announcement on pending investment deals will be made soon. The need for specialised skills is also being addressed at the IDZ, which has partnered with the O ffice of the Premier’s (OTP) learnership initiative. Through this, 72 learners are receiving practical training in factories around the IDZ. Skills in demand include welding, fitting, machine operating and similar activities found in automotive component manufacturing. There is also a focus on its own skills base. The organisation was recognised as one of the top 25 companies to work for at the annual Corporate Research Foundation awards, which evaluate best practices in their human resources department as well as the company’s approach to ensuring their employee's wellbeing. ELIDZ chief financial officer, Ntombizine Madyibi, says the company will strive to attain a listing within the top 10 at the next awards through the further development of its employee wellness programme and the finalisation of attraction and retention strategies.