On 10 July 10, 2026, the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition (the dtic) announced that South Africa’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) would take centre stage as they compete for top honours at the inaugural SEZ Achievement Awards, hosted by the dtic at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC) on 16 July 2026.
The awards ceremony is part of the two-day International SEZ Infrastructure and Investment Conference, taking place from 16 to 17 July 2026, under the theme ‘Reigniting Industrialisation through World-class Special Economic Zones’.
The conference will bring together a broad range of stakeholders from South Africa and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), including government representatives, business leaders and international SEZ experts, to share insights on the role of SEZs as catalysts for industrial development.
According to the Acting Deputy Director-General (ADDG) of Investment and Spatial Industrial Development (SID) at the dtic, the primary objective of the SEZ Achievement Awards is to recognise best practices adopted by SEZs in advancing the objectives and goals of the SEZ Programme, which the department has been implementing since 2014.
The programme aims to accelerate industrialisation, boost exports and attract both foreign and domestic investment by establishing designated, tax-incentivised areas with world-class infrastructure. To date, it has unlocked more than R31 billion in investment for the South African economy from 224 companies, creating over 28,000 direct jobs. The 12 SEZs designated as part of the programme have shown a positive trajectory in the number of investors operating in the zones and the jobs created.
“Through these inaugural awards, we will recognise and reward SEZs’ excellence in leadership and management, good governance, job creation, export growth, investment enablers and attraction, integration of small and medium enterprises into SEZs value chains, localisation and good business ethics. In essence, we will be acknowledging excellence, innovation and impact across SEZs at different stages of development,” says ADDG.
The ADDG adds that the award categories will focus on recognising strategic programme implementation by individual chief executive officers of the SEZs, the attraction and retention of investors in SEZs and investors’ contribution to the economy through job creation and industrial growth in South Africa.
“Beyond the SEZs themselves, we are confident that these awards will help raise the profile of the SEZs programme among potential investors by acknowledging service excellence, showcasing the programme’s achievements and demonstrating the importance of good governance,” the ADDG said.
The most coveted of the six awards will be the SEZ of the Year Award, presented to the overall top-performing zone.
The awards ceremony will be preceded by the official opening of an exhibition by the Trade and Competition Minister and the MEC for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA). Companies operating in the SEZs will showcase their products at the exhibition to conference attendees.