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Eastern Cape Business 2021-22

  • Text
  • Coastal
  • Windpower
  • Energy
  • Renewable
  • Transnet
  • Transportation
  • Ports
  • Trade
  • Economy
  • Provincial
  • Investment
  • Business
  • Banking
  • Economic
  • Nedbank
  • African
  • Nelson
  • Municipality
  • Mandela
  • Cape
The 2021/22 edition of Eastern Cape Business is the 14th edition of this successful publication that, since its launch in 2006, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide for the Eastern Cape. The Eastern Cape’s investment and business opportunities are highlighted in this publication. The fact that the province is home to the majority of wind power projects as part of the country’s drive to promote renewable energy is the subject of a special feature. Overviews are provided on the key economic sectors of the province, including the vital contribution that the agricultural and automotive sectors continue to make on the province’s economic trajectory. References are made to the potential of the Oceans Economy and to the prospects of oil and gas for this coastal province. The major business chambers in the province have made contributions to the journal.

OVERVIEW Education and

OVERVIEW Education and training Curro has expanded its Eastern Cape footprint. SECTOR INSIGHT Four new college campuses are being built. Credit: St George’s Preparatory School St George’s Preparatory School, founded in 1936 and located opposite the famous cricket ground in Gqeberha, has become the latest addition to the private Curro group of schools. The acquisition doubles Curro’s presence in the province, with the centrally-based preparatory school joining Westbrook Curro, which is located in the Westbrook Estate off the old Cape Road in the city’s western suburbs. The Eastern Cape has eight Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) colleges, most of which have more than one campus: Buffalo City, Port Elizabeth, Lovedale, King Hintsa, Ingwe, King Sabata Dalinyebo, Ikhala and Eastcape Midlands College. An amount of R569-million will be spent on building four new TVET campuses to expand the accessibility of these colleges. These new facilities are two new Ikhala TVET College campuses (Sterkspruit and Maletswai), a new East Cape Midlands campus in Graaff-Reinet and a new Ingwe TVET College campus in Ngqungqushe (Lusikisiki). The National Department of Higher Education and Training has been investing heavily in student accommodation in the province. This programme has seen an additional 2 000 beds added at the Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha, 2 047 student beds at the University of Fort Hare, 3 000 beds at Walter Sisulu University, and 1 000 beds at King Hintsa TVET College. The Eastern Cape Provincial Government has announced that a medical school has been allocated to the province. Nelson Mandela University will start offering classes in 2021. The Missionvale campus, near to the Dora Nginza Provincial Hospital, will be the site for the school. A school for vets is being considered for Fort Hare University. At the other end of the age scale, early childhood development (ECD) is to become part of the standard basic education system. It is believed that this will help to improve results of school pupils. A Science Centre for school pupils in Cofimvaba has been established as part of a drive to promote science, technology and mathematics. The Eastern Cape is home to a number of traditional boys schools, including Queen’s College in Queenstown, Selborne in East London, Dale College in King Williams Town, Muir College in Uitenhage and Grey High School in Port Elizabeth. Cradock’s agricultural school, Marlow, has a high reputation for farm education. In Grahamstown St Andrew’s College, St Andrew’s Preparatory School and The Diocesan School for Girls are part of a “family of EASTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2021/22 32

OVERVIEW schools” while Victoria Girls’ High School, Kingswood College and Graeme College are other well-regarded schools for English-speakers. PJ Olivier High School caters to Afrikaans-speakers. Research and innovation Among the important work being done at Rhodes University’s new Biotechnology Innovation Centre is research on the basic and applied sides of stem cell biology. Helping pregnant women in rural areas is another focus. A cellphone app will send colour pictures of test strips to diagnostic centres, saving the patient a long and difficult journey to hospital. The university plans to build an Innovation and Nanotechnology Institute to accommodate the exciting work being done by a team of researchers led by Professor Tebello Nyokong. The Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Building of Rhodes University is also to be upgraded and refurbished. The University of Fort Hare is leading three innovative studies into biogas including a project investigating compressed biogas for public transport. The South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) is working with Fort Hare on a pilot scheme of biodigesters for households. Walter Sisulu University (WSU) and the University of South Africa (Unisa) offer vocational training (diplomas) and academic programmes (degrees). There are several examples in the Eastern Cape of collaboration between the manufacturing sector and educational institutions. General Motors SA has assigned R3.6-million to a Chair in Mechatronics at NMU, which offers a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechatronics, covering electronics, mechanical engineering and computer-aided design. Volkswagen supports the International Chair in Automotive Engineering at NMU. NMU’s Ford Engine Research Unit (FERU) falls under the School of Engineering and centres its activities on new engine research and development trends, new initiatives within the field of engine testing and associated research. Another NMU body, eNtsa, supports the manufacturing sector through research in areas such as automotive, power generation and petrochemicals. eNtsa is supported by the Technology Innovation Agency. Rhodes University’s Centre for Environmental Water Quality, within the Institute for Water Research, is sponsored by Unilever. The NMU Institute of Chemical Technology commercialises research through a body called InnoVenton and has several clients in the private sector. In 2017, Nelson Mandela University (NMU) inaugurated its Ocean Science campus at its Port Elizabeth base. This includes a unit aimed at combating sea fisheries crime (FishFORCE, with support from Norway) and the South African International Maritime Institute (SAIMI). The university has four marine sector chairs funded by the South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI) and the National Research Foundation (NRF). The Provincial Government of the Eastern Cape is supporting skills training in the maritime sector through the Maritime Youth Development Programme. ■ ONLINE RESOURCES Eastern Cape Department of Education: www.ecdoe.gov.za Rhodes University Biotechnology Innovation Centre: www.ru.ac.za/biotech/ Technology Innovation Agency: www.tia.org.za 33 EASTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2021/22

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