Last week Ms Kaashifah Beukes, CEO, Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone, on behalf of the Board and Management, hosted a stakeholder and investor networking event at the Blue Bay Lodge in Saldanha Bay.
The event further cemented stakeholder engagements between investors and business associates with the SBIDZ, the national, provincial and district governments and the municipality.
Present was the Deputy Minister of the Department of Trade, Industry & Competition (DTIC), Mr Fikile Majola and the Acting Deputy Director-General Director: DTIC, Mr Maoto Molefane. Representing the Western Cape provincial government was the newly elected MEC for Finance and Economic Opportunities, Ms Mireille Wenger. Also attending was the Saldanha Bay Municipality Executive Mayor, Mr Andre Truter and the West Coast Municipal Executive Mayor, Mr Roelof Strydom.
In his welcoming address, Mr Truter thanked the SBIDZ for convening the meeting, saying that “a wave was about to break in Saldanha Bay”, and it was poised for “the perfect economic storm” that would benefit the region and the country. But to ensure this happened “would require the local, regional and national stakeholders to be singing from the same hymn sheet”.
Ms Mireille Wenger echoed these sentiments, saying she felt honoured that within the first ten days of her appointment, she was part of the collaboration that characterised the strategy and operation of the SBIDZ and its stakeholders.
“Since 2013, the SBIDZ, in collaboration with its stakeholders, has made strides towards meeting its objectives and fulfilling its vision,” said Wenger. “Economic development and job creation remain the greatest priority, and the key to achieving this was to build partnerships as the SBIDZ had done. Investing in this economic ecosystem depended on the commitment of local and international investors and working together to overcome the choke points.”
Mr Fikile Majola also expressed his support of the SBIDZ, saying its success was vital for its role in the region’s economic revival but was also important for the DTIC, which is why he had told his team to focus on setting up mechanisms to engage positively with local business and other stakeholders.
As regards the re-opening of Saldanha Steel, he said the DTIC “steel master plan” would focus on two critical issues, namely the electricity supply (Eskom) and transport (Transnet). He said that he was determined to “get things done” by assisting in consolidating the SBIDZ investor pipeline, focusing on smart manufacturing, and utilising the full benefits of the Saldanha port.
“We want to turn Saldanha Bay into a success story,” he concluded.
Summing up the event, Ms Beukes re-affirmed the importance of networking in furthering the understanding and development of the SBIDZ and for all three spheres of government to be aligned to make it a success. Making progress required greater collaboration and discussion around a shared vision for the future of the region and the country. She stressed that it was only through dialogue and conversation that we begin to implement a common strategy to benefit all, from the government to communities and from investors to businesses.”
“We remain committed to maintaining alignment with the development plans of the three spheres of government. We endeavour to achieve commercial sustainability and reduce the burden on the public fiscus, invest in research and development of what our investors require, and continue to build competitive value chains in the local economy through implementing and establishing new boundaries in contract management and by continually striving to expand our partnerships and build trust.”
Ms Beukes said events like the pandemic and the war in Ukraine had shown the need for resilience, and the need to understand that the SBIDZ was here for the long-term future of the region and country. She echoed Mr Majola’s push to improve investors’ pipeline and develop the potential inherent in the SBIDZ’s freeport status.
“Our future is all about trade, and our ship is coming in. While we can’t solve all the challenges immediately,” she said, “we must have structures that systematically address those challenges.”
On Thursday, 26 May, the SBIDZ, the DTIC, the Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT), the Transnet National Port Authority (TNPA), and the Municipality engaged in a half-day strategic session at the Access Complex in Saldanha Bay. Discussions centred around identifying and agreeing on key priorities between the role-players and plotting a path forward over the next 18 to 24 months. These discussions included working closely with the TNPA regarding the development of the port infrastructure and supporting investors through expanding and developing an enabling policy and regulatory environment in which their businesses would thrive.
