Excecuted by STC B.V., Education, training, consultancy and research, serving the transport chain
This report deals with the Eastern Cape Province. Port and Corridor Development in the Eastern Cape has been investigated, together with (renewable) energy and water sectors, with the ultimate goal to identify markets for the 2g@there cluster members and beyond. The report is a compilation of various investment and trade related information on the Eastern Cape providing a fair overview of the opportunities for Dutch companies.
The province hosts the deepest container terminal port in Africa; the newly built deep-water port of Ngqura (Coega), adjacent to the Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ). Port Elizabeth is close to Coega while the port of East London is 260 km to the North.
Of the ten principal airports in South Africa, two are located in this province: one in Port Elizabeth and the other in East London. A total of 48,582 km of South Africa’s 596,234 km of road, or 14 percent of the country’s road network, is located in the Eastern Cape.
The Province faces challenges in the fields of electricity, water and sanitation infrastructure as well as underdevelopment, high unemployment rates, high dependency ratios, high poverty levels and a skewed economic structure.
There is a serious need to reconfigure the structure of the Provincial economy. In 2009/10, Government budgeted R16.8 billion (EUR 1.6 mld) for infrastructure development in the Eastern Cape Province, to cover cost of roads and logistics infrastructure, healthcare facilities, education and social infrastructure.
The Eastern Cape report reveals the following business opportunities:
- Port, logistics and transport sector; roads and railway upgrades;
- Renewable energy (solar, wind, biomass and distribution);
- Water; storage, distribution/infra, purification;
- Agri-progressing; in Port Elizabeth, Coega and East London area;
- Tourism; passenger terminal Port Elizabeth, possibly East London as well;
- Educational and training of skilled labour;
- Infrastructure upgrades planned by Transnet Ltd.;
- Diversification regional economy.
