On 14 April 2021, it was announced that the Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition would visit Special Economic Zones (SEZs), an industrial park, and government-supported factories in KwaZulu-Natal from 19 to 23 April.
The visit is part of the national Siyahlola Programme whose purpose is to assess progress made in the implementation of the SEZ Programme, Revitalisation of Industrial Parks Programme, and the sector-specific Master Plans that are part of the re-imagined national industrial development strategy.
The Minister will use the visits to receive updates on progress registered at the Richards Bay and Dube Trade Port SEZs, KwaSithebe Industrial Park, as well as Protea Leather Natal factory based in Tongaat, Bata Footwear in Estcourt, and the Msinga Clothing Factory.
According to the Minister the visits will provide her with an opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of the impact that government programmes and interventions are making on the country’s businesses in particular, and the economy at large.
The Minister will be meeting with the leadership of these SEZs, industrial parks and companies and then undertake tours of their facilities to see the difference that government support makes in the daily lives of the people whose factories operate in the SEZs and parks. “The clothing and leather companies are direct beneficiaries of our incentives and the roll-out of the Retail, Clothing, Leather and Textile Master Plan and it would be inspiring to observe how we are turning around the clothing, leather and textile sector as government through our interventions,” the minister said.
“The Siyahlola Programme will provide an opportunity for government to reiterate its support for SEZs, industrial parks, township and rural development, and manufacturing.”
In addition, the Minister added that the SEZs and Revitalisation of Industrial Parks programmes formed part of many important instruments that government used to drive industrial development as a key contributor to employment in the country.
The Minister’s schedule is:
- 19 April 2021 Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) 10:00
- 19 April 2021 KwaSithebe Industrial Park 14:00
- 20 April 2021 Protea Leather Natal - Tongaat 10:00
- 20 April 2021 Dube Trade Port SEZ -- Durban 14:00
- 22 April 2021 Bata Footwear - Estcourt 10:00
- 23 April 2021 Msinga Clothing Factory - Msinga 10:00
Story by: Riaan de Lange