South Africa’s new industrialisation policy is focused on the next two decades rather than the next election cycle.
That’s according to Deputy President Paul Mashatile, who delivered the keynote address at the second International Special Economic Zones Conference in Durban.
Mashatile described Special Economic Zones (SEZs) as key catalysts for re-industrialisation and economic growth.
South Africa has 13 SEZs across almost every province, which have attracted more than R32 billion in investment over the past eight years and created about 30 000 jobs.
He says government’s long-term vision is for SEZs to become fully integrated with local businesses and communities.
“A young person in Mthatha should be able to envision a career path that starts at a TVET college, progress to an SMME supplier, move to a factory floor in East London industrial development zone and ultimately lead to an export market.”
Mashatile says SEZs should be aligned to district development models and the competitive advantage unique to that region in order to compete with the 5 000 SEZs elsewhere in the world.
“We cannot compete simply by being the cheapest. We compete by being the most strategic, the most reliable, and the most inclusive.”
SEZ Conference | Durban hosts major economic investment conference:
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