The Coega Development Corporation (CDC) is headquartered in the City of Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, South Africa. It is the developer and operator of the Coega Special Economic Zone (SEZ) which is located adjacent the modern deep water port facility, Port of Ngqura-developed and owned by Transnet National Ports Authority. It attracts investors from all over the world and in different business sectors through investment promotion as well as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
The 9,003 hectare Coega Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is a transhipment hub and leading investment destination in Africa which provides highly skilled competence and capacity for the execution of complex infrastructure and related projects throughout South Africa and selected markets on the African continent, as well as advisory on the development of industrialisation and logistics zones.
The CDC’s advanced capabilities are successful enablers in economic zone development and management, real assets management, infrastructure planning and development, and technology integration, while realising related socio-economic impact areas such as skills and SMME development. The foundational culture of the CDC’s approach, backed by core values, is innovation and continuous improvement.
As an internationally acclaimed and award-winning organisation, the CDC is the number one SEZ in Africa in terms of investment promotion (and performance). It is among the top seven SEZs in the world (the only one in Africa) that was earmarked by the World Bank and the London School of Economics as the successful model or case study for SEZ development. It was further recognised as the best SEZ in the developing countries by the former Vice President of the People’s Republic of China, Dr. LI Yuanchao. As an important DTIC project in South Africa, the former Director General of the DTIC, Lionel October, said that “Coega is a flagship programme we are very proud of. It is effectively the best functioning and most successful SEZ in the country and also has world-class management and corporate governance.”
In 2018, the Coega SEZ was further congratulated by the President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency, Cyril Ramaphosa, for outstanding achievements. Many other world leaders have congratulated the Coega SEZ for its achievements, including the British High Commissioner to South Africa, Nigel Casey, HE Mr.
Additionally, the CDC has received many local and international awards of excellence over the past 10 years. Among them is the 2019 Investor of the Year award which was received from the DTIC and sponsored by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange during the sixth Annual South African Premier Business Awards.
Key to the CDC’s success has been its ability to ensure that its stays ahead of the curve by focusing on key SEZ sectors for development.
But the company doesn’t stop there. It is currently aggressively promoting an array of projects within the energy sector, Business Processing Sector (BPO), automotive sector, agro-processing sector, Aquaculture Development Zone (ADZ), and water sector.
Looking towards the future, the CDC’s Strategic Plan 2020-2025 is directly aligned to the South African government’s priorities, geared toward economic development through the continued construction of enabling infrastructure to attract and secure investors into the Coega SEZ. This plan aims to achieve three impact statements: financial sustainability, increased strategic economic advantage for targeted industries, and increased economic opportunities for the marginalised.
The focus is therefore on improved investment attraction, retention of the current operational investors, improved customer satisfaction, and growth in the non-SEZ portfolio – where the CDC is the Infrastructure Implementing Agent of Choice in South Africa. It does this in order to enhance the state capacity to fast track the delivery of infrastructure in the country. Moreover, the CDC now provides advisory and consulting services to the rest of the Africa continent, including Zimbabwe and Central Africa Republic.
However, access to capital is a key enabler for the achievement of the CDC’s strategic outcomes. As a result, the organisation continues to invite interested local and international organisations to get in touch for project investment opportunities as well as to locate their businesses and/or future expansions in the world-class CDC Special Economic Zone.
For further information, please contact Dr Ayanda Vilakazi (PhD) or visit www.coega.co.za
