Below are ten reasons why the ELIDZ presents a compelling environment for industrial investment.

1. Plug-and-play industrial land

Investors at the ELIDZ gain access to fully serviced, development-ready industrial land, with bulk infrastructure already in place. This means no delays, no hidden capital expenditure, and no servicing risks when establishing operations, providing a ready platform for industrial development.

2. Strategic automotive port access

The ELIDZ is located close to a dedicated automotive port. With automotive berth access, lower congestion, and faster turnaround times, manufacturers benefit from more efficient logistics and export movement. Location continues to play a critical role in industrial competitiveness.

3. A deep automotive skills base

East London is home to one of South Africa’s most mature automotive labour pools. Decades of OEM manufacturing expertise, combined with an MBSA-trained workforce and a strong pipeline from WSU and TVET institutions, contribute to a skilled and experienced workforce, supporting the continued growth of automotive manufacturing.

4. An established supplier network

The ELIDZ operates within a ready-made ecosystem of component manufacturers, logistics providers, and service companies. This established network helps reduce operational risk, retraining costs, and supply chain realignment for manufacturers, strengthening the industrial value chain.

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5. Strong government coalition

Investment within the ELIDZ is supported by collaboration between ELIDZ, DEDEAT, Buffalo City Metro, the Provincial Treasury, Transnet Port, and the DTI. This coalition works to unlock incentives, accelerate approvals, and de-risk investment, creating a coordinated approach to industrial development.

6. Green energy and smart manufacturing

The ELIDZ supports reduced energy costs and carbon footprint reduction, while enabling smart factory readiness, EV innovation, and green logistics solutions. This positions manufacturers for a more sustainable future.

7. A proven automotive zone

The ELIDZ has built a 20-year track record hosting Mercedes-Benz Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, supporting export-focused manufacturing. This experience contributes to the Zone’s global credibility in automotive production.

8. Supporting localisation

Through the ELIDZ Manufacturing Incubator, enterprise development programmes support opportunities linked to the Geely value chain. Structured incubation programmes help strengthen local participation within the manufacturing sector.

9. Improving project economics

The ELIDZ provides access to a structured package of automotive and SEZ incentives designed to support investment, localisation, and export competitiveness. These incentives help strengthen the business case for industrial investment.

10. A de-risked investment environment

The ELIDZ provides investors with a proven industrial platform and a mature operating environment. This helps reduce ramp-up complexity and lowers transition risk when establishing operations, offering a practical pathway for industrial investment.

Connect with the ELIDZ team to explore available opportunities and join a growing manufacturing ecosystem. Visit www.elidz.co.za or contact 043 702 8200 to learn more about investment opportunities.

Here are 10 more compelling reasons to establish your business in the East London IDZ!

The iZinga Balwin Development is situated in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The site covers a gross area of approximately 107 ha.​
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The development will have a profound effect on Durban’s housing market, providing affordable housing in an affluent area that was previously reserved for the wealthy and largely unattainable to the majority of the​ community.​
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The development will incorporate a school with a sports centre, which will include padel courts, soccer fields, gyms, a swimming pool as well as a retail​ centre including a restaurant, fuel station and convenience store.

Current progress

• iZinga Eco Estate – Phase 1 – in progress
• iZinga Eco Estate – Phase 2 – in planning
• iZinga Lifestyle Center – in planning
• iZinga Views – in planning

Next steps

• Construction of the upgrades to Herrwood Drive to start in September 2025
• De-silting of exiting sewer line to Ohlanga pump station to accommodate full development flows
• Construction of the extension of Herrwood Drive to the N2 as well as an underpass and on/off ramps onto the N2
• Construction of the extension of Preston Drive and the intersection of Preston Drive

Project info

• Investor: Balwin Properties
• Investment value: 6.14-billion
• Construction period: 2020 – 2030

Contact project promoter

Investment opportunities in Durban

Invest Durban act as a partnership between the Metro City Council and the private business sector, offering a free investor advisory service, plus key promotion, facilitation, aftercare services between all investment stakeholders.

Its proximity to the Maputo Corridor and the connections to the Port of Maputo provides investors with easy access to East African (146 million people), SADC (277 million) and ultimately, global markets.

The SEZ is supported by well-developed world class rail and road infrastructure, logistically providing efficient connectivity to Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo in South Africa, the Kingdom of eSwatini and the Republic of Mozambique.

Position your operation strategically along the Maputo Development Corridor

The Nkomazi SEZ is an attractive investment destination, especially for the agri-industrial and logistics sectors.

Strategically positioned in the border town of Komatipoort, Nkomazi SEZ offers a multi-sector base of operations along the Maputo Development Corridor which provides exporters with good access through Maputo Port to the export markets of South East Africa, the Indian Ocean Rim and Far East Asia.

Focused industrial sectors

The Nkomazi SEZ is designed to be a multi-sectoral industrial zone, focused on:

• Agro-processing – citrus fruits; subtropical fruits; aromatic plants; ground and tree nuts;
• Formulation and production of nutraceuticals;
• Refining of nutritional oils;
• A sugar mill;
• Integrated meat processing and attendant leather beneficiation factories;
• Fertilizer production based on recent South African innovation.
• Also serve as Logistics Hub

Strategic Objectives of the Nkomazi SEZ

• Act as an industrial engine to increase agricultural produce throughout the agricultural value chain
• Contribute to GDP of the province and country;
• Increase cross-border trade and export to Africa and the rest of the world.
• Attract Direct Foreign and Domestic Investment;
• Create more sustainable job opportunities in the agricultural value chains;
• Promote SMME development through incubation of new entrepreneurs

The entire development is designed to follow a green infrastructure theme, through:

• • Deployment of renewable energy technologies;
  • Hydrogen mobility with associated generation, storage and transportation infrastructure;
  • Recycling of the bulk of water used on the site and adjacent

The Maputo Corridor is bound to develop even more as the Maputo harbour improves its handling and scheduling capacity. In the event that a second rail line to Maputo to complement the current rail link is developed, the shipment of mining products and agricultural produce to and from the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces will increase.

Investors to date

At this stage, 14 investors have committed to the Nkomazi SEZ, operating mainly in the energy, logistics and agro-processing sectors and amounting to a total investment of R50-billion.

Amongst others, DP World is committed to create a logistics terminal (Komatipoort Dry Port) that can handle cargo containers and bulk material transport through transshipment of road cargo to rail (intermodal). Another investor, Vutomi Energy, is constructing a 100MW Gas to Energy Powerplant. These developments are already in an advanced stage.

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The Nkomazi SEZ is set to provide One-Stop-Shop services, incentives, an innovative platform, a competitive and transparent market environment and timeous and efficient responses to investors’ market requirements.

Contact

Potential investors are encouraged to contact the Nkomazi SEZ team to discuss all available options and opportunities:

More information about the Nkomazi SEZ:

About Special Economic Zones

Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are geographically designated areas set aside for specifically targeted economic activities that are supported through special tax incentives. An SEZ aims to be an economic development tool to promote rapid economic growth by using various support measures to attract targeted foreign and domestic investments and technology. 

Key assets include Saldanha Bay Port—Africa’s deepest natural harbour—for bulk exports such as iron ore, supporting oil, gas, and maritime services. The district includes five municipalities: Matzikama, Cederberg, Bergrivier, Saldanha Bay, and Swartland. 

In 2024, the WCD generated R47.1-billion in GDPR (Gross Domestic Product per Region), contributing 5.1% to the Western Cape economy. It supported 182,346 jobs (7.1% of provincial employment). Sectoral composition in 2024 showed a balanced mix: 

• Primary activities: 25.0% of GDPR and 38.0% of jobs (agriculture dominant at 23.9% GDPR and 37.8% employment). 
• Secondary sector: 26.1% of GDPR (manufacturing 21.1%). 
• Tertiary sector: 48.9% of GDPR and nearly half of jobs (strong in trade, finance, personal services, and government). 

Growth opportunities abound in renewables (wind/solar farms), green hydrogen, aquaculture, agro-processing, and eco-tourism, driven by the revised Economic Development Strategy (May 2025), which emphasises inclusive growth for higher employment and incomes through private-sector innovation and stakeholder synergy. 

Projections & Featured Projects: Long-term GDPR growth 1.4%–2.0% annually through 2028. FDI since 2003: R631.7m (1,504 jobs).

Key projects:

• Matzikama Aquaculture Zone (R600m–R1bn),
• Clanwilliam Smart Town (R450m),
• Hopefield Museum (R6m),
• green hydrogen initiatives (multi-billion scale potential). 

Planning for Growth 

The Een Weskus / One West Coast Plan 2025-2050 (revised Nov 2025) and Spatial Development Framework (2020) guide sustainable development, focusing on nodes such as Saldanha-Vredenburg and the N7/Olifants corridors.

Under-supply of social facilities (e.g., 40 primary schools) creates opportunities for education/health investments. IDP Amendment (2022-2027) and 2024-2027 Budget/MTREF support these. 

Municipal investment profiling: A digital approach

In 2023, the South African Local Government Association (SALGA introduced the “Investment Profile Template Guide for Municipalities in South Africa” to help municipalities present their investment potential. Research showed only 15% of South African municipalities had investment profiles at the time.

However, limited financial and human resources have hindered digital promotion and investment attraction. SALGA has launched a programme to assist municipalities with digital initiatives, and the following municipalities are included in the first phase:

• City of Ekurhuleni (Gauteng) 
• West Coast District Municipality (Western Cape) 
• Mnquma Local Municipality (Eastern Cape) 
• Matjhabeng Local Municipality (Free State)

The main objective of this project is to provide municipalities with a platform to market themselves as investment destinations to both domestic and foreign investors using an already existing platform and access to the Global Africa Network audience.  

This reputation for hosting world-class gatherings was further solidified last week at the Sandton Convention Centre during Meetings Africa 2026. As the 20th anniversary of the event, it demonstrated Gauteng’s unmatched ability to facilitate thousands of confirmed business meetings, directly linking African products to global buyers and generating significant economic impact.

To that effect, Gauteng recently attracted R27-billion in Foreign Direct Investment from key global markets like the UK and the United States. Gauteng is clearly gaining momentum, with the inaugural Gauteng Investment Conference (2025) securing R312-billion in commitments, while the province claimed the lion’s share of last year’s Presidential Investment Conference, with over R180-billion in pledges.

Global industry leaders are moving beyond talk and are physically expanding their operations in Gauteng. Microsoft is currently investing R5.4-billion into local data centre infrastructure, while Heineken Global has committed R1.9-billion to its operations in Midvaal. The automotive sector is also seeing a boost with Chery International establishing local manufacturing, and the creative economy is set for a massive leap with the R4-billion Cradle Film Studios project which is destined to be the largest production facility in Africa.

What keeps Gauteng ahead of the curve is its connectivity. International arrivals hit 3.8-million this year, supported by new strategic air routes linking the province directly to North America and Australasia. With major infrastructure projects like the Gautrain expansion and a R50-billion dry port on the horizon, the province is effectively streamlining the region’s logistics.

Gauteng it the premier meetings destination in Africa while serving as a powerful catalyst for global opportunity. The 2026 Gauteng Investment Conference (GIC 2026) will provide another opportunity to turn conversations into investment.

Investing in Gauteng

Find out more about the economic and investment environment of Gauteng Province and explore projects in progress, insights and investment opportunities in the region.

Cornubia is planned to be a mixed-use, mixed-income development, incorporating industrial, commercial/retail, social to middle income residential and open space uses to be implemented over a 20–30-year period. This includes transit orientated development to promote live, work and play principles.

Current progress

• First 2,666 residential units in Housing Phase 1a and 1b delivered and occupied.​
• Housing is currently busy with the civils and top structure contracts for the phase 2A & B housing
• Cornubia Retail Park with Cornubia Shopping Mall, MMI offices and filling station operational.
• N2 Business Estate with a Makro and warehouses operational.
• CIBE (Cornubia Industrial and Business Estate) is largely complete, with businesses operational.​
• Fundamentum have come in as the new developer for CTC (Cornubia Business Park Precinct) – Planning stage
• Tenders out for key link portions of Cornubia Boulevard.

Next steps

Construction of the Cornubia Boulevard Roadworks (C9 WP6A – Ph1):

• • Procurement – Q4 2025
  • Implementation Start – Q1 2026
  • Implementation Complete – Q1 2028

Upgrade of Blackburn to Phoenix 1 Pipeline:

• • Procurement – Q4 2025
  • Implementation Start – Q1 2026
  • Implementation Complete – Q1 2028

Funding application with BFI:

• • Feasibility Study by DBSA – Q1 & Q2- 2026
  • Completion of CBA by CRI – Q3 -2026
  • BFI application – Q4 – 2026

Project info

• Investor: Tongaat Hulett Properties
• Investment value: R50-billion
• City contribution: TBC
• Construction period: 2010 – 2040

Contact

Potential investors seeking more information about upcoming opportunities in this development are encouraged to contact the project promotors:

Kings Estate is a 623ha mixed use industrial/commercial and residential development, with 322ha being located within eThekwini Municipality and the remaining 298ha within KwaDukuza Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Current progress

• SPLUMA approvals secured in both eThekwini & KwaDukuza Municipalities
• Environmental Authorisation finalised, including approved amendments
• Construction commenced (access infrastructure completed) 2020
• Bulk sewer interim solution agreed, pending Tongaat WWTW upgrade (2026)
• Phases 2D & 2E progressing within approved phasing framework
• Residential components gaining strongest
• Recognised as a Provincial Catalytic Project

Next steps

• Engagements underway with the new pension fund ownership entity for Phases 2D & 2E
• Phasing adjustments to align with available bulk services and investment priorities
• Rezoning and Land Use Scheme alignment progressing to meet SPLUMA conditions
• Finalisation of bulk water supply design from Burbreeze Reservoir in progress
• Current focus: securing approval for the proposed pipeline alignment

Project info

• Investor: KDC Projects and Developments
• Investment Value: R18-billion (all 11 phases)
• City Contribution: TBC
• Construction Period: TBC

Contact Kings Estate

Investment opportunities in Durban

Invest Durban act as a partnership between the Metro City Council and the private business sector, offering a free investor advisory service, plus key promotion, facilitation, aftercare services between all investment stakeholders.

The Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA) stands at the forefront of industrial infrastructure development in Mpumalanga, offering a strategically positioned and diversified property portfolio designed to unlock enterprise growth, stimulate regional economies, and catalyse sustainable investment.

MEGA’s extensive property portfolio spans key economic nodes, including well-established small industrial parks located in:

• City of Mbombela,
• Nkomazi Local Municipality,
• Chief Albert Luthuli Local Municipalities,
• Dr JS Moroka Local Municipality, and
• Thembisile Hani Local Municipality’s areas of jurisdiction.

These parks provide accessible, cost-effective operational space for SMMEs, light manufacturers, agro-processors, logistics operators, and emerging industrial enterprises. Positioned within vibrant local economies and transport corridors, they serve as incubation platforms for scalable growth and regional trade.

Complementing these are MEGA’s large-scale industrial parks located in:

• Kabokweni,
• Ekandustria, and
• Siyabuswa.

These flagship industrial zones are purpose-built to accommodate medium to heavy industrial operations, advanced manufacturing, warehousing, and large-scale agro-processing facilities, with expansive footprints and growth-ready infrastructure, they provide investors with space, stability, and strategic advantage.

Infrastructure that enables investment

MEGA’s industrial portfolio is anchored in:

• Serviced industrial stands and factory units
• Established utilities infrastructure (electricity, water, sanitation)
• Proximity to national road networks and cross-border trade routes
• Scalable facilities for expansion and sector clustering
• Secure environments conducive to operational continuity

This integrated infrastructure offering reduces entry barriers for investors while accelerating time-to-operation for new and expanding businesses.

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Catalysing inclusive economic development

Through our property and infrastructure portfolio, MEGA advances:

• Industrialisation and localisation
• Township and rural economic participation
• Job creation and enterprise development
• Agro-processing and beneficiation value chains
• Public-private investment partnerships

By activating underutilised industrial assets and aligning infrastructure to provincial economic growth priorities, MEGA ensures that economic opportunity extends beyond urban centres into district and community economies.

A strategic investment partner

As a provincial development-finance agency, Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA) combines infrastructure provision with investment facilitation, financial support mechanisms, and sector-focused growth strategies.

This integrated approach positions the agency not merely as a landlord, but as a long-term development partner committed to investor success.

From small industrial enterprises in City of Mbombela, Chief Albert Luthuli and Nkomazi to large-scale operations in Ekandustria, Kabokweni and Siyabuswa, MEGA’s industrial parks are more than physical spaces, they are platforms for productivity, competitiveness, and sustainable growth.

“Industrial infrastructure is a strategic economic instrument and at the MEGA, we deploy it with precision. Our property portfolio is deliberately structured to respond to sector demand, spatial economic priorities, and long-term industrialisation objectives within Mpumalanga.

We do not merely provide space; we engineer investment-ready environments, serviced, strategically located, and scalable which reduces operational risk but accelerate’s time-to-market for manufacturers, agro-processors, logistics operators, and emerging industrial enterprises.

From township-based industrial nodes to large-format parks capable of accommodating advanced manufacturing, our infrastructure strategy is anchored in sustainability, asset optimisation, and catalytic impact. We are repositioning industrial property as a driver of competitiveness, localisation, and inclusive growth. Infrastructure, when properly structured and professionally managed, becomes a decisive enabler of economic transformation.”

— Eric Nyathikazi, General Manager: Infrastructure and Property Management.

Invest in infrastructure that works,
Invest where growth is intentional,
Invest with MEGA.

Contact MEGA

To discuss opportunities or find out more, please contact the Infrastructure and Property Management team at MEGA:

With more than its fair share of diseases, the World Economic Forum estimates that the total demand for packaged medicines in Africa is around $18-billion per year. Interestingly, 61% of that is serviced through imported products, with only 36% being locally produced. Of the 36%, 40% of the production capabilities are confined to packaging and labelling with the remaining 40% limited to filling and finishing (Who Owns Whom, 2023).

For Africa to effectively service the medical requirements of its 1.4 billion people, countries on the continent acknowledge the need to enhance their pharmaceutical and medical production capabilities.

In recognition of this, the OR Tambo International Airport SEZ has designed and is in the process of developing, a globally competitive medical manufacturing cluster that will enhance the production and export of medical products from South Africa.

OR Tambo SEZ’s bold ambitions

Comprising 265 000m² of developable space, the OR Tambo SEZ Precinct 2 development is well positioned to support the production and export of time-sensitive products such as medicines.

Located on the doorstep of OR Tambo International Airport, the SEZ is an ideal location for the production and export of high-value, light-weight products that utilise air freight as a mode of transport.

In support of its competitive value proposition, the OR Tambo SEZ completed industry-specific research that identified different elements essential for the establishment of a globally competitive medical manufacturing cluster. The result of this research is a bold plan, that aims to secure international as well as continental buy-in, thereby ensuring that the cluster is well positioned to support the manufacturing of different elements that form part of the broader pharmaceutical and medical product value chain in Africa.

Competitization of the OR Tambo SEZ pharma and medical cluster

The cluster-based approach is globally acknowledged as an effective approach to enhance economic growth and development.

For it to be competitive, any cluster must pursue and ensure the existence of linkages between different elements that form part of the production process; these include basic inputs, manufacturers, role players that approve the products for consumption, and those that move the goods to market. Equally important are the research, development and innovation institutions.

The OR Tambo SEZ’s planned pharma and medical manufacturing precinct will have all the above inclusive of a variety of medical production processes such as pharmaceutical mixing, medical device component manufacturing, sub-assembling, labelling and packaging, warehousing and storage, training, standard testing, patent compliance and regulatory approval institutions.

Through this approach, the SEZ, which already boasts a competitive location, is destined to become a world class pharma and medical products manufacturing destination.

The OR Tambo SEZ’s planned pharma and medical manufacturing precinct will have all the above inclusive of a variety of medical production processes…

Available Incentives

As a designated Special Economic Zone, the OR Tambo SEZ will also provide manufacturers looking to set up operations with the opportunity to access incentives that reduce the cost of production. This is particularly key, given that manufacturing costs remain a major impediment in the enhancement of manufacturing in Africa.

Available incentives include duty-free importation of production-related materials and assets, as well as VAT exemption on export.

OR Tambo SEZ: The competitive choice

Underpinned by factors such as a skilled labour force, South Africa has long been a location of choice for multi-nationals looking to locate in Africa. The country also has an established supply chain to foster medical manufacturing expansion.

All the above, coupled with the Gauteng City Region’s competitive positioning serving as a gateway to sub-Saharan Africa, make the OR Tambo SEZ an ideal location for the production, export and trade of pharmaceutical and medical products within Africa.

Contact

Interested parties are encouraged to contact the OR Tambo SEZ investment facilitation team with your details:

[contact-form-7]

For more information on the pharmaceutical and medical cluster being developed at OR Tambo International Airport SEZ, visit: www.ortambosez.co.za

Dube TradePort is a designated SEZ, strategically located adjacent to the King Shaka International Airport in Durban, South Africa.

Spanning 2,840 hectares, it is the only facility in Africa that integrates an international airport with a dedicated cargo terminal, warehousing and logistics platforms, commercial offices, retail developments, and high-tech agricultural zones all within a single, secure precinct.

Current progress

• Trade Zone 1: Fully operational + 50 investors
• Trade Zone 2: Serviced and operational
• Trade Zone 3: EIA approved; engineering report to support SPLUMA (Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act) submission
• Agri Zone 1: Fully Operational 
• Agri Zone 2: Development ready
• Support Zone 1: Development ready
• Support Zone 2: SPLUMA underway

Project info

• Investor: Dube TradePort Corporation (DTPC) (executing entity)
• Investment Value: R13-billion (to date)
• Construction Period: 2008 – 2068

Contact Dube TradePort