The Saldanha Bay area faces serious challenges, but good things are happening.
Saldanha Bay has the highest youth unemployment rate in the West Coast district, and 60% of all the current unemployed, not only youth, test positive for substance abuse. Also, 59% of the population are educated below matric.
“Saldanha Bay area has more challenges than water in our pipes and electricity in our wires,” according to Herman Jonker, Senior Manager: Industrial Development of the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism.
He was one of the keynote speakers at the recent Public Open Day of the Saldanha Bay Water Quality Forum Trust.
He highlighted as a serious challenge a lack of schools. There is a total schools deficit of three high schools and five primary schools for Saldanha and Vredenburg, which is expected to worsen within the next five years owing to the expected increase in population, with all the major projects in the pipeline for the area.
Jonker suggested that the private sector partners with government to finance the building of new schools, as has happened in Bonnievale where a new school was recently built. “Why can’t we do this in Saldanha Bay?” he asked.
But there is also positive news. Over the last three years R5,35 billion has been spent in investment in the area and, with the major projects lined up for the area for the next few years more than R50 billion in investment is expected to come in. This means more work opportunities in the construction industry with an estimated 5 000 to 10 000 jobs by 2024.
“Saldanha Bay has a chance to do successful industrialisation, and doesn’t have to be dirty”, said Jonker. He explained there is a lot of political will in making a success story of the area with reference to initiatives such as the Intergovernmental Task Team (IGTT).
Here the different spheres of government meet regularly with representatives from business and civil society on various issues. No other town has that, Jonker said.
“We really have a lot going for us in Saldanha Bay, there’s no reason not to be successful.”
