Mooi River is on the cusp of a significant economic transformation, with several new developments planned to position the town as a key logistics and industrial hub along the N3 corridor.
The uMgungundlovu Economic Development Agency (Umeda) recently announced plans to redevelop the former Tai Yuen Factory – a textile plant that ceased operations three years ago – into an industrial hub.
The site's strategic proximity to the N3 highway and its substantial land holdings, coupled with existing infrastructure such as electricity connections and large warehouses, make it attractive for investors.
George Liu of Tai Yuen Factory told The Witness that while the textile manufacturing business had become unsustainable, his colleagues in Mooi River and company leadership in Taipei had retained the land because they remained committed to operating in South Africa.
Umeda’s general manager for project development, James Martin, is collaborating with Liu to advance the initiative. An open call for investors was issued late last year, and five parties have expressed interest.
Complementing this initiative, NMD International, a civil engineering and construction company owning neighbouring land, is progressing with the development of an intermodal logistics hub. The net investment in the logistics hub is estimated to be around R4 billion.
The hub will enable trucks from the N3 to offload containers for transfer to rail, facilitating onward transport to the Port of Durban.
NMD’s Paulo Caldeira said his company was conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment and had prepared plans for the hub.
He highlighted Mooi River’s advantages: “Mooi River is an ideal location for the hub because it is close to major economic centres such as Durban and Johannesburg. We would also like to get a customs clearance agency here so containers can go from here straight onto ships.”
The intermodal facility is anticipated to generate hundreds of direct jobs, with thousands more in spin-offs such as truck repair workshops, battery stores and container-related businesses.
