Gauteng premier Nomvula Mokonyane has unveiled industrial projects she hopes will help create jobs and cement the province as Africa's business destination and economic hub.
Delivering her state of the province speech in Mamelodi, Pretoria, Mokonyane yesterday announced the establishment of a "smart city" in Nasrec, south of Johannesburg, a climate innovation centre, the Gauteng Automotive Training Academy, township enterprise hubs and the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency.
These "mega-projects", said Mokonyane, "will serve as catalytic drivers of growth, development and job creation".
Mokonyane said the province will open a railway station at Nasrec's Smart City , introduce property development and use state-of-the-art ICT infrastructure, installed for the media during the World Cup in 2010, to create "smart villages".
The ICT centre will be used for research and to tap into the knowledge economy.
A climate innovation centre and a bio-sciences park will be established, she said, that will help entrepreneurs to develop and commercialise green technologies to assist disadvantaged communities.
The automotive training academy will be formed in partnership with Nissan.
"The facility will also contain a production simulator which will be used to enhance the quality of training," said Mokonyane.
The development agency will ensure that doing business in Gauteng is simple and hassle-free.
"We will strengthen the agency's business facilitation capability and pay more attention to facilitation efforts aimed at investment incentives, business retention and expansion services," Mokonyane said, adding that it would also assist companies to upgrade their technologies and would offer financial incentives for start-up enterprises.
The premier said the township enterprise hubs will be geared towards reducing the high unemployment among young people.
Each of these hubs will host the following clusters of work:
The automotive cluster will focus on auto body repairs and spraying, wheels and tyres, audio system fitting and repairs, auto spares and general vehicle maintenance;
The services cluster will focus on providing general services ranging from car washes, hair salons, laundry, internet cafes and related services; and
The light manufacturing cluster will focus initially on furniture, cleaning chemicals, clothing, textiles and fast-moving goods.
Mokonyane announced last year that the industrial area around the OR Tambo A irport had been declared an industrial development zone.
Giving an update yesterday, she said: "The first phase of the project will involve the development of a jewellery manufacturing precinct, which will commence during the current financial year."
Mokonyane also announced the establishment of freight and logistics hubs at Tambo Springs inland port, on the West Rand, in Rossyln, Pretoria, and in the Vaal region. All will be linked to the "aerotropolis" [urban development centred on an airport] that she announced last year.
DA leader in the Gauteng legislature Jack Bloom welcomed Mokonyane's job creation plans.
"The township enterprise hubs are promising but they will create jobs only if implemented properly, without corruption. Mokonyane has a poor record of keeping her promises, so we will need to wait and see on these projects."
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