Both Eastern Cape industrial development zones at Coega and East London have now secured tenants following the announcement of investments totaling R188-million in the East London IDZ.

And an announcement on a second investment in the Coega IDZ is expected today following the already-announced decision by Belgian textile company Sander to construct a factory in the zone.

At a function here on Friday, East London IDZ CEO Simphiwe Kondlo said that the investments signalled that the zone had "reached a major milestone in its current investment phase", adding that this was "just the beginning".

The three investments are:
• Universal Safety Glass, a company that specialises in the manufacture of windscreens and mirrors for the automotive industry, will invest R156-million that will create 255 jobs over the next two years. The company is based in East London and is expanding into the IDZ. Work on the infrastructure will start in November and operations in July next year.

• Seatek will establish a perlemoen farming facility sited in the Customs Control Area, as large volumes of the produce will be exported. The investment is worth R21-million and will create 30 jobs for unskilled labour. It will start with the development of infrastructure next month and begin operations in November.

• Milltrans, a locally based transport and logistics company, has invested R11-million that will create 50 jobs. Infrastructure development has already begun and operations will get under way in November.

Speaking at the presentation, Kondlo said the IDZ programme was regarded "as the hope of the Eastern Cape economy and these three investors are a sign that this programme is no longer a dream but a very positive reality".

He said they were the "first of the many investors for the IDZ".

Noting that the automotive sector was a target area for the IDZ this year, Kondlo said that an automotive supplier park was being created in the Customs Control Area. It held "huge advantages" and would be opened soon.

Also at the function, Premier Nosimo Balindlela said it was a "defining moment for Buffalo City and our province as a whole".

She said the three investments were "a significant confidence booster for those who believe so passionately in the strategic value of IDZs".