27 November 2006
The long-awaited Alcan smelter development will give office, retail, leisure and tourism property investment in the region a major boost, Nondumiso Maphazi, the executive mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay, said at the signing of agreements by the Canadian aluminium group and power utility Eskom at the Coega Village on Friday.
The signing of the energy agreement between Alcan and Eskom was a major milestone in the company's plans to build a world-class, R20-billion smelter in the Coega Industrial Zone.
Maphazi said Alcan's investment in the Coega IDZ would communicate a positive message to foreign investors about Coega's competitiveness. It would also drive home the message that the Eastern Cape, and particularly Nelson Mandela Bay, was truly a viable investment destination, she said.
"To my mind, we have not even begun to understand the enormous impact Alcan will have on the economy of this region," Maphazi said. "The proposed aluminium smelter will be the most significant economic development in Nelson Mandela Bay in more than 20 years."
National government has already spent R7,5-billion developing the zone. The aluminium smelter is seen as an anchor investment for Coega.
The mayor said the smelter would create 6 000 jobs during the construction phase and 1 000 when it becomes operational.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Nelson Mandela Bay is a holiday hotspot. We have golden unspoilt beaches, many natural attractions and a sizable industrial sector," Maphazi said. "But we are ambitious: we want to be a globally competitive megacity. Today, we are taking an enormous step in our transformation."
Read more: Coega Development Corporation website at
http://www.coega.co.za/
Presentation for Seminar
