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INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
continue to find new ways to solve industry problems and remain globally competitive. Economic growth and job creation is only sustainable if it is competitive, and although innovation increases competitiveness, it is only sustainable and effective when it is collaborative. So, the SBIDZ Innovation Campus is a substantial value add to the SBIDZ, our stakeholders, and the energy and maritime industry at large. To make it work, we shall need active involvement from government, industry, academia and the community in an ongoing collaboration and co-creation approach.
INVESTOR RESPONSE To date, we have attracted more than R21-billion worth of private investments into the zone, with a total of 2 900 jobs created over the past five years.
During the 2020/21 financial year, we completed construction on the first investment project – a specialised corrosion protection facility. We are currently in the process of constructing an additional two investment projects involving specialised manufacturing and fabrication, as well as partial assembly and manufacturing of components which are currently being imported into South Africa. In addition, we completed construction on the Access Complex Building – a 5ha state-of-the-art commercial office facility that started taking in tenants in September 2020. The SBIDZ has a robust investor pipeline that continues to grow in manufacturing and export facilities, and new-build port infrastructure.
Several private investors have undertaken, at their own cost, bankable feasibility studies that demonstrate demand for vessel fabrication, maintenance, recycling and equipment servicing. For example, the Saldehco Offshore Supply Base in the Port of Saldanha Bay is an investment that has made good progress. Construction of the facility is currently underway. The facility will offer internationally competitive services to vessels passing along our coastline, and projects looking to undertake surveys, exploration and production activity on the West African Coastal Area. The common-user Project Leasing Facility (PLF) is another development by the SBIDZ that already delivers value in assisting with strategic government energy projects and meeting a business need.
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