ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Mr Erskine further notes, “Even during the current socio-economic climate brought on by Covid-19, it is important to note that our work is guided by a long-term business strategy as far as our operations go. Our priorities remain unchanged, and we have been able to continue serving our stakeholders without any disruptions to the organisational programme. Our focus is to drive investment and job creation in KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa through the provision of world-class infrastructure and operations. We continue to see potential in both industrial and commercial property.

“While passenger movements through King Shaka International Airport declined by 88% when comparing the period of April-October 2019 and 2020, which has hurt cargo throughput as the majority of cargo through King Shaka International Airport (DUR) is transported on passenger aircraft. However, now in the first quarter of 2021, we are seeing a firm recovery in air traffic since the government has eased lockdown restrictions and reopened the economy.

“November figures show that King Shaka International Airport’s route network has been restored to 29%, with a hub carrier like Qatar Airways providing onward connectivity to around 120 destinations within key markets around the world. As a province, we are actively working through the Durban Direct Route Development Committee to engage with airlines to reinstate and increase frequencies into the market.”

Air services are a critical component of the Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone development, the airline connectivity to export markets is central for providing access and stimulating the growth of the local manufacturing within the zone. Especially in the wake of the African Free Trade Continental Agreement coming into effect earlier this year paving the way for improved intra-African trade, air freight will be the quickest mode of transport to access new markets within the continent.

As Mr Owen Mungwe, Dube TradePort’s Development Planning and Infrastructure Executive highlights, “We are already seeing local and multinational firms position themselves within Dube TradePort in order to take advantage of the market opportunities that are available within the rest of the African continent.

“Therefore, Dube TradePort in collaboration with provincial and local government as well as the private sector is currently in the process of developing one of Africa’s most connected cities, the Durban Aerotropolis.”

THE DURBAN AEROTROPOLIS

The Durban Aerotropolis is a new urban development around King Shaka International Airport, taking advantage of increasing global air connectivity, and the efficient manufacturing and logistics infrastructure, of Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone, which is connected to the nearby seaports of Durban and Richards Bay.

The Durban Aerotropolis is set to cover an area of 32 000ha of land, translating to 42 million square metres of developable property, inclusive of a green space area of some 10 000ha. The area has been designed to develop a globally competitive environment that becomes a catalyst for social, spatial and economic transformation, which is the basis for a robust and flexible long-term development framework for KwaZulu-Natal.

Durban Aerotropolis Master Plan has a 50-year development horizon – in that time it is projected that it will stimulate the creation of some 750 000 employment opportunities, as well as the attraction of R1-trillion in investment.

The Durban Aerotropolis already comprises of a foundation of a purpose-built airport city development, centred around Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone and King Shaka International Airport; and area that is enhancing urban and industrial competitiveness through improved multimodal transport access that is opening up new land for development, while improving the efficiency of transport nodes throughout the region, as seen through the expansion of the N2 and upgrading of the R103 and M4, with plans underway to introduce a rapid bus system and monorail connecting the rest of the northern region to the Durban CBD. The Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone precinct has created a manufacturing and air logistics platform which supports export and logisticsorientated firms enabling them to speedily access markets locally, throughout the rest of the African continent and globally.

The area covered by the Durban Aerotropolis also caters to local communities, transforming the traditional commercial, urban, peri-urban divide, by fostering an integrated development, revitalising neighbourhoods, creating mixed-use developments, improving transport links, and bringing opportunities to where people live, in a structured and sustainable way.

Through this whole development, Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone remains committed to ensuring transformation is achieved in all its activities with the implementation of a sound and robust BBBEE Policy, that seeks to ensure the participation of all previously marginalised groups. “Amongst the key positions the organisation has taken in the last five years, is ensuring that there is full implementation of the provisions of the PPPFA. We have furthermore developed a comprehensive supplier development programme which creates space for increased participation for SMMEs,” concludes Mr Erskine. DTPC prescribes that for all large contracts, bidders must subcontract a minimum of 30% of the tendered amount to black-owned companies including women, youth and people living with disabilities. Furthermore, DTPC’s procurement strategy targets vulnerable groups, in line with the priorities of Operation Vula.

Supply Chain Management

Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone issues contracts to suppliers through two procurement processes, namely, Requests for Proposals (RFP) for contracts exceeding R500 000 and Requests for Quotes (RFQ) for contracts under R500 000.

Requests for Proposals

To get access to all the Requests for Proposals that are issued by Dube TradePort regularly visit: www.dubetradeport.co.za/ Pages/Tenders/Adverts www.gov.za/tenders.

Requests for Quotes

To receive Request for Quotes from Dube TradePort ensure that your business is registered on the South African Government Central Supplier Database (CSD): secure.csd.gov.za.

Thereafter submit your company profile as well as the Central Supplier Database Report to Shashni.Narain@ dubetradeport.co.za.

Dube TradePort has committed itself to the development of SMMEs and therefore gives preference to SMMEs when issuing Requests for Quotes.

Supplier Training

Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone provides development training to SMMEs in various fields, in partnership with accredited institutions.

In addition, the organisation has established a quarterly Supplier Forum, where enterprises have an opportunity to meet the Supply Chain Management team to discuss any of the aforementioned items.

To receive an invitation to the Supplier Forum and training opportunities email: Shashni.Narain@dubetradeport.co.za.

KABE Consulting Engineers is devoted to establishing general engineering and project management services which they feel will create job opportunities and enhance their reputation for loyalty, respect, responsibility, professionalism and quality.

KABE is a BBBEE Level 1 Contributor, ISO 9001:2015 certifi ed.

SERVICES

1. Civil Engineering 2. Structural Engineering 3. Project Management

The company, a 100% black-owned civil engineering consulting entity established in 2005, specialises in the investigation, planning, design, implementation and project management of township services, roads and storm water management and water and sanitation with emphasis on research into and the introduction of aff ordable services. Their services are well-structured to assist all their clients suffi ciently and easily. They also assist emerging contractors by off ering project management services. We aim to form joint partnerships with other experienced strategic partners to facilitate skills transfer, transformation and growth locally and internationally. Our team subscribes to and upholds the international standards of project management as set out in the PMBOK, as well as principles and procedures associated with ISO quality standards, ECSA and other Engineering bodies.

Contact details:

Head offi ce: 218 Dr van der Merwe Road, Montana Park, 0182

Other offi ces:

South Africa: Eastern Cape, Free State. Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West | Zambia: Lusaka

Tel: +27 (0) 87 809 0982 | Fax: +27 (0) 86 516 4728 E-mail: info@kabe.co.za | Website: www.kabe.co.za Facebook: www.facebook.com/EngKabe Twitter: www.twitter.com/EngKabe LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/kabe-consulting-engineers

Delivering Transport Solutions

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South African Inland Logistics CC is a specialist in Road Transport, Rail and Warehousing with services off ered country wide.

We own a large fl eet of Light and Heavy Motor Vehicles; Multipurpose Trailers; Forklifts; and a host of ancillary support Vehicles, all of which are operated and managed by an experienced Team.

Our Warehouse facilities are Food Grade Certifi ed.

At South African Inland Logistics CC our primary objective is to deliver a fast, effi cient and comprehensive service – one in which customer satisfaction is prioritised.

DURBAN

10 Nottingham Place, Mobeni, 4060, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal PO Box 22403, Glenashley 4022 Tel: +27 31 462 2250 Fax: +27 31 462 2376 Email: roland@sa-il.co.za gerald@sa-il.co.za • arvin@sa-il.co.za

JOHANNESBURG

91 AG Dewitt, Solheim, Germiston, Gauteng Tel: +27 11 822 9397 Fax: +27 11 822 6876 Email: denolan@sa-il.co.za

www.sa-il.co.za

BUILDING AN ECONOMICALLY INCLUSIVE SOCIETY

Localisation and inclusion can be synonymous. By practising the one, we are by default supporting the other and creating much-needed jobs in the process, writes EUSTACE MASHIMBYE, CEO of Proudly South African

During this period of re-building and regeneration of the country’s economy in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact of the resulting lockdown period, economic inclusion is a vital element in equalising our society in so far as it promotes growth and job opportunities. A number of business practices conspire either for or against inclusivity and it is worth having a look at just a few in their relation to localisation and its own role in promoting broader participation in our economy.

KEEP IT LOCAL

Local procurement has never had more importance or relevance than it does now. But preferential procurement and enterprise development cannot be used merely as tools for your BEE scorecard. That is not sustainable and does little to entrench a culture of meaningful local procurement that truly benefits the business, the supplier, the growth of the economy and jobs. Enterprise and supplier development programmes, supplier pipeline initiatives, impact partnerships – these are some of the ways in which corporate South Africa has truly embraced the need to grow and nurture small, mostly black-owned businesses and bring them into their supply chain. These small businesses have the biggest potential for job creation and must be nurtured. A number of Proudly South African’s members and stakeholders have done this with great effect. SA Breweries, together with some of the companies that are part of the Market Access Programme, have created a database of pre-qualified SMMEs available to other companies looking for local suppliers. Absa has partnered with the Lionesses of Africa programme to grow and develop specifically female entrepreneurs. These and many more of our large corporates are playing their part in creating sustainableinclusivity programmes.

KEEP AN EYE ON VALUE CHAINS

A critical component to be monitored consistently is to look at the value chains of our private sector companies, to ensure that the actual products they are sourcing from local suppliers are locally produced. It begins with raw materials and day-to-day consumables, bringing new entrants into the supply chain, in order that they, too, can drive economic inclusivity.

As part of our ongoing follow-up since the October 2018 Presidential Jobs Summit, we have been soliciting localisation commitments and pledges from corporate South Africa, as part of our work in pushing the inclusivity agenda. By encouraging companies to commit to a specific Rand amount, or a specific part of their procurement process (sourcing only locally manufactured office furniture for example, or stationery) we are slowly but surely converting their supply chains to become more local, coupling this with their preferential procurement and ESD programmes, also making them inclusive.

KEEP FRANCHISING FAIR

We have worked over the past few years with the Franchising Association of South Africa (FASA) and taken smaller member companies to ‘elevator pitch’type events in an effort to grow the levels of local procurement and inclusivity in that sector. Franchising is a massive business, and irrespective of the nature of the franchise (from fast-moving consumer goods to hardware and everything in between) there is the procurement not only of the raw materials such as restaurant ingredients, but of the furniture, crockery, uniforms, etc, that create the specific ‘look and feel’ of that brand. Done correctly, and through fair import replacement sourcing strategies, franchise procurement can be a great driver of inclusivity.

However, done in an unfair and anti-competitive manner, it benefits only the few and can even lead to the