DURBAN – KwaZulu-Natal Economic Development MEC Sihle Zikalala has this afternoon urged local investors to take advantage of the under construction 45 hectare second phase of the Dube Trade Port Special Economic Zone (DTP SEZ).
He said that construction of the development, an electropolis, was expected to be finished in early 2020 and joins the first phase which was opened for business in 2010.
"We're launching phase two because already phase one is fully occupied and phase one created more than12 000 jobs and we're expecting phase two to double that because it is huge at 45 hectares.
"In this development government is going to invest in terms of infrastructure development and bulk services to ensure that we attract more investors to come here," Zikalala said.
He urged local businesses to invest in the SEZ because as local companies they would also receives tax incentives and benefits of being part of a special economic zone.
Zikalala added that already a pharmaceutical company was penciled in to operate from the special economic zone while the Mara Group had signed a lease agreement with the Dube Trade Port and was now forging ahead with its plans to invest R1.5 billion into Africa’s first fully-fledged smartphone factory.
"The second phase of the DTP SEZ is, therefore, a step forward towards this goal. This mega development brings an additional 45 hectares of prime industrial land and is expected to generate R18 billion within the SEZ over the next five years.
" Phase two offers immense opportunities in sectors such as electronics, aeronautical services such as aircraft maintenance, aircraft repair, overhaul, fixed base operations and executive aerospace amongst the many offerings," Zikalala said.