Saldanha IDZ to kick-start economic growth

The newly launched Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) is expected to boost economic development and facilitate job creation in the Saldanha Bay and surrounding areas in the West Coast region, President Jacob Zuma said at the official launch last week. Zuma said government had begun developing Industrial Development Zones in 2000 and 2002, with four Industrial Development Zones designated at Coega in Port Elizabeth, East London, Richards Bay and OR Tambo International Airport between 2000 and 2002. The main objective of IDZs is to attract Foreign Direct Investment, export value-added products and create jobs. “Our objective is to develop the Saldanha-Northern Cape linked region in an integrated manner through rail and port expansion as well as back-of-port industrial capacity. “Our strategy is also aimed at strengthening the maritime support capacity to create economic opportunities from the gas and oil mining activities along the African West Coast, as well as the expansion of iron ore mining production and beneficiation in the Northern Cape,” he said. South Africa has a 3 000-kilometre coastline and seven well-equipped commercial ports which are able to function as a hub for commercial traffic emanating from and destined for Europe, Asia, America as well as the east and west coasts of Africa. The ports will be utilised more than before to generate economic activities in coastal regions, he said.