More than 21 000 jobs to be created by SEZ

Premier Chupu Mathabatha said the flagship Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Project was nearing the implementation stage and in this regard they were designing measures to ensure that the significant value chain to be produced in this SEZ remained in the province.

“Our focus is to ensure that a significant number of the projected jobs should be taken up by the people of Limpopo, particularly our young people. It is also worth mentioning that, due to the increasing investor appetite in this project, our initial target of creating 21 000 jobs is set to be revised upwards,” said Mathabatha.

He made these comments during the State of the Province Address in Lebowakgomo.

He said that in an effort to get the construction work started at this SEZ, “I have since directed the MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism to fast-track the finalization of the environmental impact assessment and the adoption of the internal master plan by October of this year”.

He added that the Tubatse SEZ was at an advanced stage. “Our business proposal will most likely be lodged with the Minister for Trade & Industry and Economic Development by the end of August. Pending this formal process, we will be continuing with the industrial activities within this envisaged Tubatse SEZ and these include, but are not limited to, the mining input supplier park and construction incubation,” he said.

Mathabatha said that, in the same vein, they had established a partnership with the Department of Higher Education and Training, TVET colleges in particular, for SEZ skills-development purposes. “We are also establishing a Limpopo Skills Academy through the Limpopo Economic Development Agency (LEDA). This academy is expected to feed the skills demands for these SEZ initiatives. We have completed a youth-digital-skills database, and it has enabled us to digitize varied skills possessed by young people in our province,” he added.

News - Date: 13 July 2019

Silas Nduvheni

Email: