Stakeholders and investors recently had a networking session with the team from the Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone (SBIDZ) in the hopes of cementing cooperation.
On Wednesday evening (25 May) Kaashifah Beukes, SBIDZ CEO, on behalf of the Board and Management, hosted a networking event at the Blue Bay Lodge in Saldanha Bay.
The event further cemented stakeholder engagements between investors and business associates with the SBIDZ, the national, provincial and district governments and the municipality.
Fikile Majola, Deputy Minister of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), and Maoto Molefane, Acting Deputy Director-General Director: DTIC, along with the newly elected MEC for Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger, attended. The Saldanha Bay and West Coast Municipalities were also represented by André Truter and Roelof Strydom, respectively.
Truter thanked the SBIDZ for convening the meeting, saying that “a wave was about to break in Saldanha Bay”, and it was poised for “the perfect economic storm” that would benefit the region and the country. He emphasised that to ensure this happened “would require the local, regional and national stakeholders to be singing from the same hymn sheet.”
Wenger echoed these sentiments. “Since 2013, the SBIDZ, in collaboration with its stakeholders, has made strides towards meeting its objectives and fulfilling its vision,” she said.
“Economic development and job creation remain the greatest priority, and the key to achieving this was to build partnerships as the SBIDZ had done. Investing in this economic ecosystem depended on the commitment of local and international investors and working together to overcome the choke points.”
Majola also expressed his support of the SBIDZ, saying its success was vital for its role in the region’s economic revival but was also important for the DTIC, which is why he had told his team to focus on setting up mechanisms to engage positively with local business and other stakeholders.
As regards the re-opening of Saldanha Steel, he said the DTIC “steel master plan” would focus on two critical issues, namely the electricity supply and transport. Majola added he was determined to “get things done” by assisting in consolidating the SBIDZ investor pipeline, focusing on smart manufacturing, and utilising the full benefits of the Saldanha port.
“We want to turn Saldanha Bay into a success story.”
Summing up the event, Beukes re-affirmed the importance of networking in furthering the understanding and development of the SBIDZ and for all three spheres of government to be aligned to make it a success. Making progress required greater collaboration and discussion around a shared vision for the future of the region and the country she urged.
She stressed that it was only through dialogue and conversation that all involved can begin to implement a common strategy to benefit all, from the government to communities and from investors to businesses.
“We remain committed to maintaining alignment with the development plans of the three spheres of government,” she said.
“We endeavour to achieve commercial sustainability and reduce the burden on the public fiscus, invest in research and development of what our investors require, and continue to build competitive value chains in the local economy through implementing and establishing new boundaries in contract management and by continually striving to expand our partnerships and build trust.” Beukes said global developments such as the pandemic and the war in Ukraine had shown the need for resilience and to understand the SBIDZ is here for the long-term future of the region and country.
She echoed Majola’s push to improve investors’ pipeline and develop the potential inherent in the SBIDZ’s freeport status.
“Our future is all about trade, and our ship is coming in. While we can’t solve all the challenges immediately we must have structures that systematically address those challenges.”
The following day, the SBIDZ, the DTIC, Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT), Transnet National Port Authority (TNPA) and municipality also engaged in half-a-day’s strategic session at the Access Complex in Saldanha Bay.
Discussions centred on identifying and agreeing on key priorities among the role players and plotting a path forward over the next 18 to 24 months.
These discussions included working closely with the TNPA regarding the development of the port infrastructure and supporting investors through expanding and developing an enabling policy and regulatory environment in which their businesses would thrive.
