AN ADVERTISING campaign aimed at establishing the Coega project in the Eastern Cape as the “Gateway to the African Renaissance” has been launched by the Coega Development Corporation (CDC). The campaign seeks to establish Coega as the successor to the ancient African trading port and hub of Alexandria in Egypt. “With our infrastructure roll-out now well and truly under way, we feel confident that the Coega IDZ now has something tangible to show to serious investors,” says Coega Development Corporation (CDC) executive manager communications, Raymond Hartle. The campaign, which will run in targeted newspapers, magazines, and on radio and television stations, is designed to promote the Eastern Cape as an investment destination, as well as the Coega IDZ. It draws parallels between the Egyptian port city of Alexandria on the northern tip of Africa, which two thousand years ago provided the gateway through which Africa’s unique products found their way to markets all over the known world. Site of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world - the legendary lighthouse of Pharos - Alexandria became known as “the great port”. Industries sprang up around the harbour. Finance poured in. Thousands of people were employed. And prosperity spread deep into the heart of Africa. “Our message is that history is about to repeat itself on the southern shores of the continent. At Coega, near Port Elizabeth,” says Hartle. The promotional material describes Coega as “South Africa’s largest, most innovative and most important infrastructural development. It is a long-term strategic investment, the benefits of which will stretch along trade routes far into the sub-continent – as they did in the days of Alexandria. “Following on the success of Alexandria, the project is anchored by a deep-water harbour to cater for the needs of the new generations of giant container ships. Neighbouring the port is the Coega Industrial Development Zone, a 12 000 hectare duty-free, environmentally friendly zone designed to rival the successes of Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and Subic Bay in the Philippines. This proven combination of a modern port, purpose-built industrial area and ready access to the rest of the world will help Africa regain the glory and economic might it enjoyed when Alexandria was the commercial, industrial and intellectual capital of the world. The strong visual treatment, which links the ports of Alexandria and Ngqura, gives a clear message of hope to the people of the region, and is designed to support the New African Partnership for Development (Nepad),” says Hartle. “Nepad identifies infrastructure is one of the major parameters of economic growth. It says solutions should be found to permit Africa to rise to what it describes as ‘the level of developed countries in terms of the accumulation of material capital and human capital. Our advertising campaign carries the message – Coega is part of the African Renaissance. It will help re-establish Africa as an economic powerhouse,” says Hartle.