The construction of the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency’s (GGDA’s) Jewellery Manufacturing Precinct, to be established within the OR Tambo Industrial Development Zone (IDZ), has kicked off.

On Friday, Gauteng MEC for Economic Development, Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development, Lebogang Maile and Trade and Industry (dti) Deputy Minister Mzwandile Masina officiated the sod turning ceremony of the project which has been labelled as “groundbreaking.”

The IDZ – which is one of the six in the country- aims to attract investors through a range of incentives including dedicated customs support services; duty-free importation of production-related raw materials and inputs and reduced tax and exemption for some activities.

The zone will be a huge project, covering about 725ha around the airport, according to Seipati Mangadi – senior project manager of the IDZ which is headed by GGDA and funded by dti.

According to Mangadi, the multisite development includes industry-specific precincts and will be developed in phases over 10 to 15 years.

However, the precinct would start out with a jewellery manufacturing facility catering for mineral beneficiation, diamond cutting, polishing and trading as well as light manufacturing for jewellery and other high-end products.

The jewellery precinct will be situated in a custom-controlled area of the industrial development zone, in which enterprises will be Vat-exempt.

“However it would eventually escalate into other projects such as producing components for the information and communications technology sector and watchmaking,” she said.

An investment of over R260 million has been committed to get the project off the ground.

The Gauteng provincial government last year launched a training programme aimed at bolstering jewellery manufacturing and design in the province which would be linked to the precinct.

Speaking at the event, MEC Maile said the precinct would assist in executing government policy on local content beneficiation and skills development while exploring new areas of growth and services.

“The facility will support industrial development in the area and give practical expression to our plans to turn Ekurhuleni into an Aerotropolis. It will also offer investors access to clustered infrastructure and its proximity to the OR Tambo makes it suitable for export-oriented production,” said MEC Maile.

MEC Maile said the project speaks directly to the needs of structural transformation of the economy.

“This IDZ will give impetus in the implementation of the South Africa’s mineral and beneficiation strategy which is centred on enhanced beneficiation of our rich mineral resources.”

He added that the precinct will offer a competitive platform to local and international players alike to efficiently and effectively manufacture and transport their finished products to all corners of the world.

“Our country’s position is that the resources we have are not just mined but also used to enhance our economic and social development prospects.”

For his part, Deputy Minister Masina said value-added products will be produced at the zone which will find its way to the global markets.

“This will end to a more skilled population, more high-quality jobs and eradication of poverty, unemployment and inequality which are the triple challenges facing us as a country.”

Both Ekurhuleni municipality, where the IDZ is located in, and the Airports Company South Africa have also thrown their weight behind the project, which they see as a step in connecting the city and airport to the rest of the world. – SAnews.gov.za