Potential for SEZs along Maputo corridor

Special Economic Zones (SEZs) should be developed on both sides of the border to promote economic growth in Mpumalanga and southern Mozambique, says Barbara Mommen, chief executive officer at the Maputo Corridor Logistics Initiative (MCLI). “We should have an SEZ running for at least 40 km from the border at Ressano towards Matola in Mozambique, and there is a reciprocal SEZ currently being implemented on the South African side,” she noted. The Mpumalanga provincial government has, through the Maputo Development Corridor Flagship Programme (MDCP), identified Komatipoort and specifically the Lebombo Border Dry Port as it is known, as a key economic development node. The Department of Trade and Industry has registered this project under its SEZ programme. In a related development, work has started on a 60 hectare Marloth light industrial park in Komatipoort, which will be suitable for warehousing and other logistics operations.