Western Cape plans halaal logistics hub

The Western Cape government’s initiative to establish a Halaal Hub is fast gaining traction. According to Premier Helen Zille, the development of such a specialised food hub is one of the levers the province is using to boost the agro-processing sector. “The signing of an agreement with Malaysia, a leader in the supply of halaal certified products, was the first step. We have identified the land around the area as ideal for such a hub as it is easily accessible from the various farming regions in the Western Cape. We can bring the agri goods in from the farms, produce it using the Malaysian know-how and then export it into Africa.” She said South Africa was a leader in farming but not enough beneficiation of its agricultural sector was taking place locally. “This hub will address that and allow us to add value to our agricultural sector. It is time to turn our land into green gold.” According to Zille, the province is also talking to several other countries and regions’ agricultural sectors to process their products locally. “The food business retail sector is expanding into Africa as this is where the best potential and opportunities lie. We have the skills and capacity to develop farms and make them highly productive by creating more factories on our shores to process these goods.” She said the halaal industry had been identified simply due to the large numbers of Muslims in Africa who were always trying to source halaal products. Almost half of Africa – 44% – is of the Muslim faith and the need to provide certified products to countries has been on the increase. Halaal food parks globally are currently valued at more than $2.3 trillion. “The Western Cape can capture a share of this market servicing Africa in particular,” said Zille. Halaal parks or hubs, as is being planned by the Western Cape, are simply a cluster of manufacturing and service firms specialising in the halaal industry. “This will be a big game changer for the province,” said Zille.