Brick by brick we will build this project for the current and future generations

art infrastructure and the provisioning of utilities (water, electricity, sewer, waste removal, roads, security, telecommunications, etc) to our investors. We are pleased that master planning and front-end engineering designs have been concluded and the construction phase has commenced in earnest.

The development of the Musina Makhado Special Economic Zone takes shape at the time when global markets are in full swing to recovery from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the global economic meltdown. This recovery process anchors the MMSEZ as one among many initiatives to breathe life into the Limpopo economy by attracting new capital and creating jobs and training opportunities, especially among the youth. Because of its catalytic nature, the MMSEZ has already created a demand for the additional infrastructure development in the Musina-Makhado Corridor. The completion of the multimillion Musina bypass by SANRAL bears testimony to growing investment which can be expected in this development node.

The CEO of the Musina Makhado Special Economic Zone, Lehlogonolo Masoga, reports on significant progress being made on one of the nation’s biggest catalytic projects.

The much-awaited development of the Musina Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ) has finally commenced with the installation of the bulk services infrastructure.

The Limpopo Provincial Government has committed over R700-million over a medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) period to support the jump-starting of this game-changing initiative. Special Economic Zones are by their nature designed to offer investors a boutique, readymade, industrial platform to practise their trade. Brick by brick we will build this project for the current and future generations. Our business approach is centred around the plug-and-play model supported by state-of-the-

We are currently collaborating with the Department of Water and Sanitation to explore sustainable and long-term solutions for security of water supply. This initiative will soon translate into water schemes that will make water shortages a thing of the past. We are pleased that our project is beginning to attract technology-driven industrialisation projects in various sectors such as the pharmaceutical industry, renewable energy, automotive, agroprocessing, logistics and more. There is no doubt that the MMSEZ will soon become a smart zone driven by modern technology with a commitment to sustainable development.

During 2023, October Transport Month, we will launch a partnership with the Cross-Border Road Transport Agency (CBRTA) to explore collaboration in various areas to ease freight movement in the corridor and the Beitbridge Boarder Post in particular. Our partnership will also look into areas of regional skills development, development of a state-ofthe-art truck-stop facility and a vehicle-pound facility to promote crossborder road traffic law enforcement. Hot on the heels of the Presidential launch of the Border Management Authority (BMA) in our backyard, we will collaborate with the BMA to support our logistics industry players to become the immediate beneficiaries of the envisaged One-Stop Border Post currently being conceptualised and implemented by the agency.

We will soon make a public announcement about our massive roll-out of a skills development programme in partnership with SETAs and the local Technical and Vocational Training (TVET) college. Our commitment to turn the tide against unemployment among the youth is unwavering. Musina Makhado Special Economic Zone is open for business, and we invite investors and industrialists to join us in partnership to exploit the game-changing opportunities available. ■