The Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ms Nomalungelo Gina has urged businesspeople across the country to consider investing in the Free State, saying the province’s economy offers unlimited attractive opportunities. Gina was speaking at the second Free State Investment Conference that is currently underway in Bloemfontein. The objective of the one-day event is to highlight the province’s unique investment opportunities across vital economic sectors.
“This conference demonstrates the commitment of the Free State government to turn around the economic outlook of the province, and to jerk up sectors that are going down. A functioning and healthy province, and a healthy region, are measured by their economic performance, productivity level and the quality of employment levels,” said Gina.
“The conference is also part of the government’s concerted efforts to get our economy working again. As investors and potential investors, you are at the right place here. This province teems with an abundance of investments opportunities that require your active participation in order to exploit them,” she added.
Gina assured business that part of national’s government’s efforts to revive the economy of the country in order to return to pre-COVID 19 level is renewed support to grow South African businesses.
“This we do by implementing new areas of growth through industrialisation, localisation and export promotion, thereby helping the South African businesses to thrive and expand,” she explained
Gina also said national government has also identified five big frontiers as strategic investment attractive initiatives to drive foreign direct investment aligned to the objectives of the National Development Plan and sector masterplans. These include green hydrogen; next generation digital industries and infrastructure; Special Economic Zones, industrial cannabis and other advanced agro-processing.
Gina also urged the Free State government to increase its support to the Maluti-A-Phofung Special Economic Zone, as well as the Botshabelo and QwaQwa industrial parks that her department has revitalised.
“The SEZ requires support, attention and mobilisation of large companies to settle and manufacture from there. Without strong provincial government support, the SEZ will not play its rightful place of attracting investment pipelines like SEZs in Eastern cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal do. The industrial parks must be assisted to be attractive to companies. The province must work very hard to bring in a pipeline of large-size factories, which will create more employment in people living near these parks,” emphasised Gina.
Gina concluded by imploring the province to support and develop more Black Industrialists in different sectors of the economy through localisation and industrialisation, as part of the national economic transformation objectives.
“We will be hosting the second edition of the Black Industrialists and Exporters Conference in Johannesburg on 20 March 2024. We would like to see more Black Industrialists from this province participating in the conference, exhibition and awards ceremony,” she said.
Enquiries:
Bongani Lukhele
Tel: 012 394 1643
Cell: 079 5083 457
WhatsApp: 074 2998 512
Email: BLukhele@thedtic.gov.za or Mediarelations@thedtic.gov.za
