Sustainable Development Goal 9 was formulated and adopted in view of Africa’s inefficacy to industrialize. This coverage intends to ‘build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation’. Industrial growth is recognised as one of the nation’s top priorities, therefore numerous rising alternatives abound for Africa to industrialize. To seize such opportunities, African governments are required to implement revolutionary approaches to industrial policy, one of which is an elevated concentrate on the role of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and industrial parks as instruments of business development.
Industrial Parks and SEZ’s are two of the spatial interventions identified by the South African government and are subsequently aligned with international approaches. Industrial areas may be leveraged as catalysts for socio-economic development. All issues thought-about, such areas are recognised as enablers and are therefore typically managed as such, and never for rent-seeking functions. Moreover, industrial parks and SEZs effectively lend themselves as areas for piloting and experimentation of recent technologies and different approaches to industrial improvement, as well as for community and environmental programmes owing to the nexus between these three aspects.
Industrial parks and SEZs, in addition to related industrial areas, have the potential to develop the economy as a end result of owing to the alternatives for employment and establishing new businesses and worth chains. This consequently develops the tax base and native financial exercise which is important in facilitating social development. The myriad of interventions established by way of industrial areas help industrial and financial growth, the transition to sensible cities and transformation to a green financial system in addition to facilitate adoption of 4th Industrial Revolution options. What’s extra, such interventions present a platform for widespread engagement of a quantity of stakeholders that supports win-win outcomes serving financial, social and environmental pursuits. Accordingly, industrial parks and SEZ’s have the propensity to provide increased value, assuming the necessary planning and implementation is pursued proactively.
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There are currently an estimated 4000 industrial zones globally (SEZ’s, EPZ, FTZ’s etcetera), evidently demonstrating the validity of such mechanisms. There is, nonetheless, pressure gauge วัด แรง ดัน น้ำ as to the success of these zones and analysis has subsequently identified multiple success factors, similar to governance, enabling regulatory frameworks, location and types of providers provided. Suffice it to say, it stays worthwhile to discover the educational gained in executing such areas and the impression on supporting economic activities in a sustainable method that assist optimistic industrial, social and environmental outcomes.
The Special Economic Zones and Industrial Parks Programmes of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) will play a crucial function within the effectuation of South Africa’s financial reconstruction and recovery plan. This finally stems from the SEZ Programme representing the core of the reimagined industrial technique, which is purposefully structured to stimulate native and foreign direct investments.
Notwithstanding the catastrophic influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on international economies, the value of personal investments in the South African SEZs noticed a R1.eight billion enhance from March 2019 to March 2020, while the variety of operational investments rose from 129 to 143 in the identical time-frame. It is projected that the quantity and value of operational investments will improve by almost R10 billion when the next monetary yr ends.
Industrial Parks and Special Economic Zones symbolize a key function throughout the conference of the upcoming and eagerly awaited Manufacturing Indaba. The digital conference and exhibition, to be hosted between 22 – 25 November 2021, is ready to assemble international industry experts to handle technological innovations and evolving trends, whereas looking for actionable options to pressing challenges. The platform will empower thought leaders to exchange ideas, insights and experiences and serves to boost consciousness of emerging opportunities inside the realm that is manufacturing.
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