Transnet will create some 87 774 direct and indirect jobs in the Eastern Cape over the next seven years to 2018/19 in terms of its market demand strategy.
Spelling out the employment opportunities that would be generated in the Eastern Cape on Friday, Transnet Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Brian Molefe pointed out that the number of jobs created in the province would peak in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 financial years.
In the 2015/16 financial year 15.9% or 19 557 of the 123 000 direct and indirect jobs created by the transport parastatal would be in the Eastern Cape, while the following year 16.1% or 21 760 of the 136 000 employment opportunities would be created in the province.
The bulk of those jobs will be in Nelson Mandela Bay where Transnet will spend R7.3 billion on the Port of Ngqura expansion as part of the initiative to position South Africa as the “leading manganese exporter globally”.
A total of R2.7 billion will, however, be spent in East London on the upgrading of the vehicle terminal and grain silo as well as the container terminal.
In addition, Transnet is exploring the possibility of rail links between the Elitheni coal fields at Indwe and East London. Molefe told a briefing hosted by the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber that construction of the manganese terminal at Ngqura was scheduled to start in January 2014.
By 2018/19 Transnet expects the terminal to handle 11.7 million tons of manganese a year. Transnet also plans to expand the Port Elizabeth vehicle terminal to handle increased exports that nationally are projected to reach 648 000 by 2018/19.
Molefe said there would also be a major focus on training and the provision of skills with R4 billion being spent over the next seven years.
He said 2 000 artisans would be trained a year which meant that more people would be trained that Transnet required with the balance being “released” into the economy.
Transnet to create 87 000 jobs in the Eastern Cape over next seven years
Province
