ECDC_Development projects in the Eastern Cape_2011 by Get News

Life, for the living A celebration of development projects in the Eastern Cape

Life, for the living A celebration of development projects in the Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) is the visionary steward of development assets in the Eastern Cape. We would like to lead you on a quiet journey. As you meander your way through this photographic exhibition, we invite you to let go, to feel, and to experience both the joys of the projects we discuss, and the pains that have made them necessary. Each and every project showcased is funded and supported by ECDC and third party funders which include local and district municipalities, Municipal Agencies, Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and European Union-funded local economic development programme Thina Sinako. Behind every project is a story of a person or a group of people who have drawn a line in the sand and made a proclamation: Poverty, no more. Enjoy the celebration, and partner with us, keep us in your thoughts, and help transform our beautiful, rich province.

A celebration of development projects in the Eastern Cape

Take your pick in Amathole Meeting global quality standards, and creating sustainable wealth for all participants in the blueberry value chain, Amathole Berries is a truly South African project in the heart of the Eastern Cape. The R70million project was launched in 2007 in Stutterheim, a quaint and culturally rich small town in the Amathole district of the province. Having reached the second of ten phases, the project now occupies 32 hectares (ha) of planted blueberries. The project aims to become an integrated berry company also to include processing, packaging and distribution across a wide range of product lines including fresh fruit, juices, jams, and vinegars. This vision includes a zero-waste processing complex in Amabele that will be linked to a vegetable and dried herb initiative in Ndakana. The project already sustains 267 jobs on the farm, and an additional 150 through various contractors that have participated in the project to date. In future, it will sustain 800 permanent and 5,000 seasonal jobs. A fully-equipped learning centre has been developed which will facilitate the training of staff across the full spectrum of related activities.

Blue fields under blue skies Keiskammahoek Blueberries: large outgrower programme Three 20 ha hydroponic blueberry farms will grace the natural beauty of Keiskammahoek, and create wealth for land owners and workers in a mutually beneficial outgrower programme. The preparation of three 6ha sites will be ready for planting by the end of 2011. These sites will then be increased to 20ha each by mid2012. The project constitutes a R105million total investment into the berry industry in Keiskammahoek, and will create 1,200 jobs as it reaches maturity. It is also expected that manufacturers of organic compost, and beekeeping entrepreneurs will benefit from the injection into the area.

A celebration of development projects in the Eastern Cape

A new taste for Cassava ECDC has partnered with Agri-Biotech SA to conduct five cassava crop trials to develop the growing and extracting of tubers in the Eastern Cape, and to establish starch processing plants for the manufacturing of chips. The project entails the transfer of specialised skills and technology to communities positioned to explore opportunities in the sector. The R770,000 project was launched in July 2010 on five sites in the former Transkei. The first crops were planted just before the holiday season in mid-December. The trial plot has since been harvested and replanted, and at the time of publishing a good harvest was anticipated. It is estimated that the project will create and sustain approximately 50 jobs in the short- to medium-term.

A celebration of development projects in the Eastern Cape

The Essence of MiddleDrift Rosemary and geranium are the selected essential oil crops to be cultivated on communal land in the area after trials with rosemary, geranium, rose-geranium and spearmint were conducted in 2008. During the first two years of the project, 20ha of land will be planted. This will increase until the total surface area covers 156ha. Rosemary and geranium plants will be destined for global markets after harvesting. 40 members of the Zalaze Co-operative, the majority of them being women, will share in the benefit of the R1.6million project.

Amathole, in essence In 2007, ECDC together with the departments of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform, and Aspire ( Amathole Economic Development Agency) joined arms with the communities of Seymour, Thyume and Hogsback in the Nkonkobe region to establish an organic essential oils project with a total value of R15million. The initiative took the form of a private public partnership that established growing sites in various communities, and developed a centralised oil extraction process. At the time of publishing, the commercialisation phase had just commenced. 200 ha plantations are targeted in the medium term which will create 200 jobs.

A celebration of development projects in the Eastern Cape

Reviving the Eastern Capeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pineapple industry Eastern Cape pineapple fibre products are posed to hit local and global markets as the Ndlambe Natural Industrial Products (NNIP) completes the next phase of the provinceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pineapple project revitalisation. The project kicked off in February 2009. Now dietary fibre product is being produced at Summerpride Foods (East London) on a limited commercial scale. The project is the first value added intervention within the pineapple industry based entirely on factory waste. High grade dietary fibre fit for human consumption, which has applications as an ingredient in many sectors of the food processing industry was produced. Orders for the products have been received in the local market, and NNIP is in talks with European and American companies to distribute the products within their respective footprints. At the time of publishing, pilot trialing on other value added products which have uses in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical sectors was ongoing.

A celebration of development projects in the Eastern Cape

A plantation of opportunity ECDC has identified bamboo as a high potential development sector in the Eastern Cape. The resilience of the plant, as well as its varied uses across a wide range of industries and the favourable climate of the province, make bamboo an attractive vehicle for job creation and poverty alleviation in rural areas. Three testing sites were established in 2011 to pilot the growing and processing of bamboo in the province. The three sites are located in Ndakana in the former Ciskei (a 216m2 nursery where plant hardening takes place before being planted out at the other sites), Centane Village in the former Transkei (where fencing was being completed at the time of publishing), and St. Albans near Nelson Mandela Bay (where first planting had been completed at the time of publishing). In anticipation of bamboo harvests at Ndakana and Centane, local â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cottage industriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; are being investigated for the making of bamboo mats, baskets and similar ornaments.

A celebration of development projects in the Eastern Cape

Berries, Empowerment and Employment The project aims to address the empowerment and employment needs of the Inkwanca area by growing raspberries on the Langlaagte farm. Launched in February 2010, the R8million project was nearing the completion of its implementation phase at the time of publishing. Over a ton of raspberries were harvested from the 2ha site during the 2010/11 picking season, and over 3,000 bottles of jam produced and distributed to outlets in the Eastern and Western Cape. As the project develops, it aims to become a sustainable grower and processor of raspberries and other cold-weather berry varieties - which are to be piloted in 2012. A co-operative made up of six previously unemployed people, and six farm workers on Langlaagte farm own 49.9% of the Berry Nice company. Numerous seasonal jobs have already been provided by the project, which will increase as the company expands to its full potential.

A celebration of development projects in the Eastern Cape

Eastern Cape positions itself as hazelnut hub In a move that is likely to place the Eastern Cape at the forefront of hazelnut production in the African continent, global confectionary giant, the Ferrero Group, and ECDC launched a 24ha hazelnut pilot project in the Queenstown area. The pilot site with 16,500 trees, already the largest in Africa, is part of Ferreroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new agricultural development for South Africa to create a supply of high quality nuts for their sought after products. The trial, involving a group of six community members in Tarkastad (the Mitrock CC), was on its first phase at the time of publishing, with an additional 24ha to follow. Ferrero has signed an off-take agreement with Mitrock. ECDCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ultimate goal is to ensure that Ferrero establishes a processing plant in the province and Mitrock to have a stake in it

A celebration of development projects in the Eastern Cape

Fly tying in the former Transkei Fly tying is defined as â&#x20AC;&#x153;the simple process of binding various materials to a hook with threadâ&#x20AC;?, and is one of the arts attached to angling and fly-fishing. ECDC launched a R500,000 training initiative in February 2011 to train and mentor fly tiers in the Eastern Cape. Five fly tiers are based at Khamanga Cultural Village near Sea Gulls in Centane and a further five are at Nqabara Community Centre in Willowvale. At the time of publishing, the first training was drawing to a close, and the ten newly trained fly tiers will be producing and selling flies to the fishing industry through a designated mentor. Once training and mentorship is complete, fly tiers will take full ownership of a newly formed commercial entity. Other revenue generating opportunities include satellite fly tying, bait and tackle outlets, management of local fishing venues, and a training centre for future fly tiers and fishing guides. .

A celebration of development projects in the Eastern Cape

Satellite networks, now with gills The R300million Camdeboo Satelite Aquaculture Project in Graff-Reinet is a commercial fish production venture that will create 400 sustainable jobs as it reaches its full potential. The initiative is funded by ECDC together with IDC, DBSA, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (UK), Camdeboo Local Municipality, the UN Global Environmental Fund, Agricultural Sector Education Training Authority and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Founded in 2006, the incubation phase will commence in January 2012 and commercialisation to commence in 2014. At the time of publishing the project design, product development and market acceptance survey was completed, while further environmental impact assessments were being carried out. Bulk product development had also commenced with prospective buyers in the food sector. Fish produced will be processed and distributed as a nutritious, affordable tinned fish product. The demand for this type of product has been stimulated by an 80% reduction in the pilchard quota over the past seven years, resulting in an insufficient supply of fish to the market.

A celebration of development projects in the Eastern Cape

seven communities with seven million Rand and seven years The women of seven communities unite to form a R7million initative to manufacture clothing, and to produce arts and crafts. Co-funded by ECDC, DBSA, the National Arts Council, Eastern Cape Provincial Arts and Culture Council, Small Enterprise Development Agency and Thina Sinako (European Union), the initiative which is based in Mthatha currently involves the Sithembene Women’s Development Enterprise, and the Multipurpose Centres of Zitolofiyeni, Hegebe, Vuk’ukhanye, Luphapheni, Sbab’aba eMarewini, and Sinqobele Baba, as well as the Ikhwezi Le Africa Cooperative. The enterprise, which was launched in 2004, is owned and managed by historically disadvantaged groups, mainly women. It directly employs 280 people, and in the medium term aims to employ an additional 250. At the time of publishing, the project had just celebrated the completion of a factory. The factory aims to be operational before the end of 2011.

Rock hard investment ECDC has partnered with IDC and DBSA to fund and support Bold Moves, a private company that has obtained the permit to mine granite in Masaleni near Butterworth. The trial sampling and drilling process has been successfully completed in the quarry that was established in 2008. Samples of the granite mined were sent away for cutting and polishing, and their consistency of quality confirmed. During the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marketing roadshow, the granite received favourable comment from retailers. Bold Moves, which will constitute a R20million injection into the local economy, aims to sell granite blocks internationally (specifically to the US market) and granite slabs locally, and to set up a processing factory in Butterworth which will generate additional spinoffs for the local economy by producing memorial stones, counter tops, and building blocks. Eight people were employed during the trial phase, and as the project reaches its full capacity, an additional 70 jobs will be created in the quarrying operations, and numerous others in the cutting and polishing plant.

A celebration of development projects in the Eastern Cape

HEAD OFFICE ECDC House, Ocean Terrace ParkMoore Street, Quigney, East London, PO Box 11197, Southernwood 5213 FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel:+27 (0) 43 704 5600 • Email: projects@ecdc.co.za