The Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW) started work in September 2022 on a new R24.5m main road to serve the Industrial Development Zone (IDZ)/ Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of Saldanha, Western Cape. The project, which is expected to reach practical completion in March 2023, is creating employment for 27 permanent and two temporary workers.
Industrial and public vehicles currently enter Saldanha via a quarter loop between main roads. Once it is complete, Main Road 561 will provide a more direct route for industrial traffic to the IDZ with improved mobility and safety. Because the road pavement was designed for heavy industrial traffic, it is expected to provide excellent ride quality for many years to come.
The Saldanha Bay IDZ, which was established in 2013 through a partnership between the Western Cape Government, Saldanha Bay Municipality and Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), is one of four designated IDZs in South Africa. IDZs are purpose-built industrial estates, linked to an international port or airport, to leverage domestic and foreign fixed direct investment in value-added and export-oriented manufacturing industries and services.
The Saldanha Bay IDZ became an SEZ after the Special Economic Zones Act came into effect in 2016. SEZs are geographically designated areas set aside for specifically targeted economic activities that feature incentives to attract foreign and domestic investments and technology.
Facilities and services of the Saldanha Bay IDZ include enabling infrastructure, back-of-quay precincts, Transnet, TNPA and Operation Phakisa infrastructure, an ease of doing business centre, and SEZ investment incentives.