President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to officially open the Newlyn PX Terminal and the Tetra Pak Manufacturing plant in KwaZulu Natal on Thursday as part of South Africa’s investment drive.
The two entities pledged their investments through the President’s South African Investment Conference that aims to attract R1.2 trillion in investments over five years.
The Newlyn PX Terminal in Bayhead near the Port of Durban pledged R2 billion for the development of the largest multi-modal rail terminal in Africa and has completed the last phase of the development, exceeding its initial pledge by R2.6 billion.
“The entity has over the last 26 years demonstrated its commitment as well as significant financial, technical and human resource development in developing transformational logistics infrastructure along the country’s major trade corridors,” the Presidency said in a statement.
“The terminal has also been recognised as [a] flagship development expanding the logistics capacity of the country as well as enhancing global competitiveness as part of the critical Natcor (Natal Corridor) trade corridor linking Johannesburg to the port of Durban.
“The development will further facilitate an integrated ecosystem yielding benefits to freight owners, Transnet and logistics service providers. This will also accelerate government’s objective of migrating of cargo from road to rail.”
The Presidency highlighted that in 2022, the Tetra Pak Group had invested more than R500 million in its manufacturing plant in KwaZulu Natal. Tetra Pak is a leading food processing and packaging company with a presence in more than 155 countries.
“Post the investment, the manufacturing plant is now the only state-of-the-art facility in Africa producing carton aseptic packaging for the domestic market and African export, meeting standards of sustainability, supporting a circular economy and propelling industrial growth,” the Presidency said.
The investments are expected to form a critical industrial base for South Africa’s recent commencement of exports under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
