The Mafikeng industrial development zone (MIDZ) has issued a request for proposals (RFP), asking property developers, operating companies and investors to get involved in the project.

Eric Stillerman, CEO of Natgrowth, which is a strategic partner facilitating the project, told Engineering News Online that 23 vacant sites with bulk services were available for development.

The MIDZ is adjacent to the Mafikeng International Airport. Last year, Cabinet approved the transfer of international airport status from the Pilanesberg airport to the Mafikeng airport, 5 km west of Mmabatho, to facilitate regional market integration within the planned IDZ.

Property developers would develop and rent out serviced sites, while companies could also establish and operate commercial and industrial projects and facilities at the MIDZ.

The MIDZ projects comprise a business and trade centre, an agroprocessing hub, a bulk fuel depot or petroleum cluster, a container depot, a logistics and supply chain management systems cluster and a manufacturing cluster, among others.

The MIDZ would offer investors a customs-free and value-added tax-free zone, as well as additional incentives related to priority industrial sectors.

The MIDZ was situated in a strategic location as a regional hub and gateway to the Southern African Development Community (SADC), linking South African provinces, such as Gauteng, the Free State and the North West provinces to Namibia, Walvis Bay and the West Coast.

It also served as a gateway to Africa and other global markets.

An RFP briefing will be held at the Mafikeng International Airport on October 27 where the terms of reference will be distributed to parties registered for the briefing. Interested parties would have until November 27 to submit their proposals.

Stillerman said that there was already a lot of interest in the project.

Natgrowth was hoping that the MIDZ would be able to take a view on the proposals for the projects by February next year.