On Thursday 17 March, Saldanha Bay Municipality Executive Mayor Councillor André Truter and Cornell de Kock, Director of Economic Development and Strategic Services for the municipality, paid a visit to the Access Complex of the Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone (SBIDZ).
They were there at the invitation of the SBIDZ CEO, Kaashifah Beukes, and members of her board and executive management team.
“The municipality has undergone a lot of change, and the mayor’s office needs to be fully informed about what we do at the SBIDZ,” Beukes said, welcoming the Mayor and De Kock.
Beukes gave a comprehensive overview of the last six years and referred to the holistic work already achieved in setting out a mutually shared vision and cooperation agreements with the municipality. The Mayor’s office plays a crucial role in ensuring that sustainable economic growth and development to improve the quality of life of all local residents remained a key focus for the administration.
The SBIDZ shares this vision, with Beukes highlighting the SBIDZ infrastructure projects having provided opportunities for local contractors and suppliers, and also the growing number of local firms in the zone coming in.
The SBIDZ had over the years adopted a collaborative approach to upskilling and the effective use of local enterprises within the development of the SBIDZ, which enabled and empowered the community. This strategy of “building local capabilities to maximise local beneficiation” supports the region’s economic development.
Beukes added the relationship with the municipality was built on trust and “a shared understanding of our short and long-term plans”. This ensured both parties understood what was necessary for the region and how these goals could be achieved by working together.
The Mayor also asked about plans perhaps to set up independent power plants. Beukes said this may be something to consider. She said, for example, the European Union had shown an interest in Saldanha’s potential in the emerging green-hydrogen economy, with the idea of exporting it to Europe, among other local uses. Such a facility, however, would require a lot of energy.
The meeting then visited the architect’s scale version of the SBIDZ’s proposed development.
Danielle Manuel, Executive Stakeholder Manager, and Vanessa Davidson, Special Project Manager, Marine Infrastructure, took the Mayor through the plans. These investments include the development of various marine manufacturing- and services-related ventures, reminding all Saldanha is the deepest free port in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Mayor said it was good to see the SBIDZ was agile: “We need to be forward-thinking. Times have changed, and the impact of Covid-19 means the world now looks different. We need to be looking at the scenario in 30 years. Long-distance travel and tourism will be affected as will long-distance sea-freight business.”
The SBIDZ and the municipality are ready to meet these challenges.
