Gauteng has in the past year attracted more than R68bn in foreign investment from 261 companies and created about 23,000 jobs, premier Panyaza Lesufi said on Monday.
In his state of the province address at a special sitting of the Gauteng legislature, Lesufi said these investments cut across the 10 high growth sectors of the province’s economy.
The province decided to create a new economy in Johannesburg based on the financial sector, telecoms, pharmaceuticals and ICT.
“We have attracted financial institutions. Their headquarters are in our province, insurance companies have headquarters here.
“We took the decision to persuade major telecoms companies to invest in our province. They are here. We repositioned to attract pharmaceutical companies and they are based here.”
Lesufi said ICT companies, such as Google and Huawei, chose Gauteng for their head offices in South Africa.
In the OR Tambo International Airport special economic zone in Ekurhuleni, government is working with a mining company which has opened a diamond sorting facility, creating close to 100 jobs.
Another company has set up a gold refining facility with an investment of R100m and created 100 jobs.
Lesufi said the Tshwane automotive special economic zone operations were in full swing.
Ford South Africa invested R5.8bn and is increasing capacity to produce 200,000 cars.”
This created 3,291 jobs, with more than 65% of these sourced from surrounding townships.
“We are developing a new railway line between Tshwane and East London so we can ship these cars to the world.”
After the recent promulgation of the Vaal special economic zone, investments of more than R8bn in the green economy, agroprocessing and manufacturing sectors were expected to start in 2024/2025, Lesufi said.
However, if the province was unable to reduce crime, it will affect growth plans.
“The partnership we have developed with SAPS has grown. Government has donated 245 cars to SAPS so police stations cannot run out of vehicles to fight crime.
“We are proud that after persuading [the] minister of police to recruit 30,000 police officers, 25% are coming to Gauteng so they defend our communities.”
Lesufi said he was proud that 7,000 previously unemployed youth now had jobs.
“I am proud to announce these 7,000 are in this house as [crime] wardens They are no longer relying on [social] handouts.”
In the past year, Gauteng added three new helicopters to the police air wing and was on the verge of adding two more.
Many cash-in-transit robberies, vehicle hijackings and theft attempts have been foiled through joint efforts between the air wing and ground forces.
As part of its programme to revitalise Gauteng's CBDs and rid them of crime, lawlessness and vandalism, the province identified Small Street in Johannesburg as the first for immediate intervention.
“Small Street will be under 24-hour surveillance with CCTV deployed in the area. We are putting up a permanent deployment of 350 law enforcement officers. When we get it right in Small Street we will succeed in other CBDs in the province.”
TimesLIVE
Gauteng attracts investment and on track to fight crime: Lesufi
Image: Veli Nhlapo
Gauteng has in the past year attracted more than R68bn in foreign investment from 261 companies and created about 23,000 jobs, premier Panyaza Lesufi said on Monday.
In his state of the province address at a special sitting of the Gauteng legislature, Lesufi said these investments cut across the 10 high growth sectors of the province’s economy.
The province decided to create a new economy in Johannesburg based on the financial sector, telecoms, pharmaceuticals and ICT.
“We have attracted financial institutions. Their headquarters are in our province, insurance companies have headquarters here.
“We took the decision to persuade major telecoms companies to invest in our province. They are here. We repositioned to attract pharmaceutical companies and they are based here.”
Lesufi said ICT companies, such as Google and Huawei, chose Gauteng for their head offices in South Africa.
In the OR Tambo International Airport special economic zone in Ekurhuleni, government is working with a mining company which has opened a diamond sorting facility, creating close to 100 jobs.
Another company has set up a gold refining facility with an investment of R100m and created 100 jobs.
Lesufi said the Tshwane automotive special economic zone operations were in full swing.
Ford South Africa invested R5.8bn and is increasing capacity to produce 200,000 cars.”
This created 3,291 jobs, with more than 65% of these sourced from surrounding townships.
“We are developing a new railway line between Tshwane and East London so we can ship these cars to the world.”
After the recent promulgation of the Vaal special economic zone, investments of more than R8bn in the green economy, agroprocessing and manufacturing sectors were expected to start in 2024/2025, Lesufi said.
However, if the province was unable to reduce crime, it will affect growth plans.
“The partnership we have developed with SAPS has grown. Government has donated 245 cars to SAPS so police stations cannot run out of vehicles to fight crime.
“We are proud that after persuading [the] minister of police to recruit 30,000 police officers, 25% are coming to Gauteng so they defend our communities.”
Lesufi said he was proud that 7,000 previously unemployed youth now had jobs.
“I am proud to announce these 7,000 are in this house as [crime] wardens They are no longer relying on [social] handouts.”
In the past year, Gauteng added three new helicopters to the police air wing and was on the verge of adding two more.
Many cash-in-transit robberies, vehicle hijackings and theft attempts have been foiled through joint efforts between the air wing and ground forces.
As part of its programme to revitalise Gauteng's CBDs and rid them of crime, lawlessness and vandalism, the province identified Small Street in Johannesburg as the first for immediate intervention.
“Small Street will be under 24-hour surveillance with CCTV deployed in the area. We are putting up a permanent deployment of 350 law enforcement officers. When we get it right in Small Street we will succeed in other CBDs in the province.”
TimesLIVE
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