At a recent webinar the North-West University (NWU) hosted in collaboration with several partners, the shared dream was to encourage investments and financial growth in the Vaal region.
The (NWU, in collaboration with the Vaal Special Economic Zone Programme Management Unit of the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency and the Vaal University of Technology (VUT), recently hosted a Vaal SEZ* webinar.
The event, hosted online and in person at the NWU's Vanderbijlpark Campus, was themed "Vaal SEZ/VUT/NWU Investor Support Programme – Skills & Enterprise Development Needs". During the webinar academics, investors and business leaders shared presentations on their Vaal SEZ projects.
Various topics were discussed during the webinar, including green energy generation, green hydrogen and green steel, greenhouse farming and agro-processing, aerospace and defence parts and component manufacturing, gateway logistics; residential, commercial and economic developments, and student accommodation.
According to Celeste Rossouw, acting director for stakeholder relations in the division Corporate Relations and Marketing, the purpose of the webinar was to call on investors who have identified the Vaal region as their investment destination of choice, to present insights into their planned projects and developments.
"The event aimed to look at ways to improve the economy of the Vaal area by attracting new investors to the region,” she says.
The webinar was also initiated to give effect to the memorandum of understanding that was signed on 10 February between the NWU, VUT and Vaal SEZ, where a partnership seeking To identify potential projects that will support the industry in the Vaal region was established.
“A working group was established, comprising representatives from the three parties, to identify areas of support in skills and enterprise development, industry challenges, and research," explains Celeste.
The project further intends to create commercial and tourism opportunities by developing a modern contemporary promenade that is centred around the Vaal River. This area will include hotels, retail malls and commercial offices, among others.
Prof Linda du Plessis, deputy vice-chancellor for planning and Vanderbijlpark Campus operations, says the region holds a strong skills base with two large universities in the area – VUT and the NWU.
"We want to establish what opportunities we have, and what we need to make them work. We want to to bring these skills sets and opportunities together to enhance skills, and to re-industrialise and rejuvenate the declining economy of the Vaal region," says Prof du Plessis.
More about *Special Economic Zones (SEZs)
SEZs are geographically designated areas for specifically targeted economic activities, supported through special arrangements and support systems to promote industrial development. There are currently around 11 SEZs in South Africa.
The Vaal zone differs from other SEZs in Gauteng, as it spans three municipalities in the Sedibeng district – the Lesedi, Midvaal and Emfuleni municipalities. This allows the Vaal SEZ to have multiple sites, which can service multiple sectors.
Attendees at the Vaal SEZ webinar.
