Saldanha IDZ ready for lift-off

It’s all systems go at the Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone (SBIDZ). “We are ready and can begin with infrastructure provision in the targeted first phase area,” Kaashifah Beukes, who heads up stakeholder relations for the SBIDZ, said at the Oil and Gas Africa 2014 conference in Cape Town last week. The vision of the IDZ in Saldanha Bay is to create dedicated oil and gas services and a marine hub for the country. Africa produces an estimated minimum of 8 million barrels of crude oil per day constituting some 10% of the world production. “The demand for an offshore oil and gas platform that can service this industry is growing,” said Beukes. With an estimated 120 oil rigs passing the Cape annually, South Africa needs the SBIDZ up and running sooner rather than later. Set to be delivered in three phases over three sites, the IDZ will offer investors substantial fiscal and other benefits of being located in a customscontrolled area. “There is no doubt that the free port facility of the IDZ will be a major benefit. No value-added tax will be payable on goods or services, land or buildings, or construction items imported into the area,” said Beukes. “Companies will be relieved of import duties on manufacturing assets, goods for storage purposes, and raw materials used in the manufacturing process. This is all about creating catalysts to take control of our own landscape. We cannot wait for the rest of the world to come and develop South Africa. Now is the time to do it ourselves.” Beukes said with funding now in place to provide the necessary infrastructure projects over the next three years, growth and interest in the IDZ was expected to increase rapidly. “We don’t have the funds to develop and provide the top structures for the investors, but we now have R430 million available over the next three years to put in place the necessary infrastructure such as water, electricity and roads that will bring the investors. We are confident that we are going to see big developments in the very near future.” INSERT & CAPTION The vision of the IDZ in Saldanha Bay is to create dedicated oil and gas services and a marine hub for the country. – Kaashifah Beukes