The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic), together with the Gauteng provincial government and the Lesedi and Midvaal local municipalities will host interactive public consultations on the planned designation of the Vaal Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

This follows the publication on March 3 of Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau’s intention to designate the proposed SEZ for public comment.

The consultations will provide businesses and stakeholders of the Lesedi and Midvaal municipalities with an opportunity to express their views and share ideas on the proposed SEZ with national, provincial and local government leadership. These sessions will lead up to a broader engagement planned at the Vereeniging Civic Centre in the Sedibeng district, in Gauteng.

The first municipal session was held on April 1 at the Rathanda Multi-Purpose Centre, while the second will be held on April 8 at the Meyerton Town Hall.

The Vaal SEZ will comprise five land parcels in Heidelberg, Rietspruit, Langlaagte, Zwartkopjies and Kookfontein. The prospective sites for the Vaal SEZ are strategically located near significant population centres and essential transport infrastructure.

Moreover, the development of the Vaal SEZ aligns seamlessly with the objectives outlined in the Sedibeng district municipality’s District Development Model (DDM) and its District One Plan.

The Vaal SEZ land area will explore the diverse investment opportunities that the region offers, including green industrialisation aimed at transforming this industrial basin into the country’s pre-eminent hub for low-carbon manufacturing and renewable-energy production; high-impact investments into the food, agriculture and agroprocessing industries value chain; and investment in gateway logistics to exploit the locational advantages of the Sedibeng district.

Other investment opportunities will include investment in the blue economy and the tourism sector on the back of the Vaal river, building a smart city along the Vaal river and an aerotropolis to drive urban development, and building strong linkages between township and rural economies with the value chains that the Vaal SEZ will develop and strengthen.