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Gauteng Business 2019-20 edition

  • Text
  • Agriculture
  • Industrial
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  • Zone
  • Regeneration
  • Trade
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  • Johannesburg
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  • Gauteng
The 2019/20 edition of Gauteng Business is the 11th issue of this highly successful publication that has established itself as the premier business and investment guide for the Gauteng Province. In addition to the regular articles providing insight into each of the key economic sectors of the province, there are special features on ambitious plans to re-imagine the central business district of Johannesburg, a trend in urban development that is growing across the province, and on the impact of renewable energy in urban settings. The Gauteng Growth and Development Agency outlines its priorities and showcases the success of the OR Tambo Special Economic Zone in these pages. Subscribe for monthly updates here: https://www.globalafricanetwork.com/subscribe/

SPECIAL FEATURE A

SPECIAL FEATURE A REGIONAL OVERVIEW OF GAUTENG Inner-city regeneration and Special Economic Zones are bolstering growth in Gauteng. By John Young Gauteng is South Africa’s smallest province in terms of landmass but in every other respect it is a giant. The province is the nation’s key economic growth engine. At 18 176km², the province makes up just 1.5% of South Africa’s territory, but even that aspect showed growth in 2018 when the territory of Ekangala was formally transferred from Mpumalanga Province to Gauteng Province. The land had previously been part of the KwaNdebele homeland. The 14.3-million people living in Gauteng in 2017 generated a gross domestic product of R1.59-trillion, about a third of South Africa’s GDP (StatsSA). Urban regeneration is a strong theme across Gauteng. Provincial and municipal programmes aim to stimulate township economies and integrate them into the broader economy. All of the metropolitan municipalities are engaged in reviving their inner cities. Johannesburg’s efforts are the subject of an article elsewhere in this publication. One of the City of Tshwane’s projects involves the Salvokop Precinct which lies between the city centre and Freedom Park. The City of Tshwane is collaborating with the Danish city of Aarhus. The Danes bring expertise in sustainable urban planning and issues such as safe non-motorised green transport, effective water and storm-water management, and high-quality public spaces are being introduced in conjunction with planning for new buildings. The plan is to create a mixed-use precinct comprising offices, residences, retail outlets and restaurants. Heritage buildings are also part of the project as national monuments and the Freedom Park are nearby. A study has shown that the area’s water reservoir has potential for green hydro energy and a plan is being developed to tackle water supplies and management. The University of Pretoria is another partner in the project. Another strategy to increase economic growth and attract investment is through Special GAUTENG BUSINESS 2019/20 8

SPECIAL FEATURE Economic Zones (SEZs). The OR Tambo SEZ, aligned to the country’s busiest airport, is one of several sites allocated by the South African government to stimulate investment in targeted sectors. The SEZ supports the development of businesses that work in the beneficiation of precious metals and minerals sector, with a focus on light, high-margin, manufacturing of South African precious and semiprecious metals. Export is encouraged. The site has specific precincts in which various sectors are given priority. The National Department of Trade and Industry (dti) is the lead agent in the creation of Special Economic Zones, which are part of the national Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP). SEZs are designed to attract investment, create jobs and boost exports. Development corridors have been identified to channel investment into areas where it will make a big impact and where returns on investment will be good. The Albertina Sisulu Corridor is one such initiative. Linked to the idea of creating an “aerotropolis” around OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA), the corridor connects the airport (in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality) with innercity Johannesburg. Various hubs along the route are being developed with particular focus areas. These include S&J Industrial Hub in Germiston, Bredell Precinct (agriculture), Dries Niemand Precinct (transport) and Kempton Park CBD Precinct (economic). The concept of a Gauteng City Region has been embraced by planners in the province. Individually, the biggest Gauteng cities contribute to the national GDP as follows: Johannesburg (15%), Tshwane (9%) and Ekurhuleni (7%). The following development corridors of the City Region have been identified, each with its own industries and comparative advantages: City of Johannesburg, Central Development Corridor: provincial capital, finance, services, ICT and pharmaceutical industries, green and blue economy City of Ekurhuleni, Eastern Development Corridor: manufacturing, logistics and transport hub City of Tshwane, Northern Development Corridor: national administrative capital, automotive sector, research, development, innovation and knowledge-based economy, tourism, agriprocessing 9 GAUTENG BUSINESS 2019/20

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