The Ekurhuleni municipality has given journalists insight into some of the key industrial and infrastructure developments in the metropolitan, including the Harambee bus rapid transit (BRT) system and the Lords View Industrial Park.

Ekurhuleni economic development facilitator Yusuf Mayet explained during the tour, which took place last month, that the metropolitan was looking to either sell or lease strategic land parcels for developments, in line with its Growth and Development Strategy 2055.

The strategy outlines the urban, industrial and infrastructure developments required to make Ekurhuleni a sustainable city by 2055.

Ekurhuleni senior protocol events officer Ivan du Plessis pointed out that the buses to be used for the BRT project would be equipped with WiFi access. Traffic lights along the Harambee network would also use an intelligent signalling system to help the buses move through traffic quicker.

Construction of the Harambee BRT infrastructure started in April last year. The project aims to connect the towns comprising Ekurhuleni – Benoni, Germiston, Springs, Kempton Park, Edenvale, Nigel, Brakpan, Boksburg and Alberton.

Mayet noted that the first station would be completed later this year and that the stations along the Harambee network had been designed to resemble aircraft to reflect the metropolitan’s ambition of transforming into Africa’s first aerotropolis.

The Ekurhuleni Aerotropolis project aims to boost economic activity by providing improved transport infrastructure corridors between the OR Tambo International Airport and a number of public- and private-sector-funded industrial hubs, such as the Jewellery Manufacturing Precinct and the Lords View Industrial Park respectively.

During a tour of Lords View, Mayet highlighted that developer Lord Trust designed the industrial area as a green development aimed at providing power from a waste-fuelled power station for tenants, including multinational consumer goods manufacturer Unilever’s first Ola factory in Africa,

The 1.3-million square kilometre industrial park lies within the borders of Ekurhuleni and Midrand.

He also highlighted that one of the most significant investments in Ekurhuleni was the R1-billion Gibela facility, in Dunnotar, near Springs.

The facility, which will be operational in June next year, will be used to manufacture 580 X’Trapolis Mega train sets as part of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa’s R51-billion modernisation investment.

The tour ended with a site visit at State-owned aerospace company Denel Aerostructures, which showcased the company’s manufacturing capabilities, which included several components for the Airbus A400M and the winglet of the HondaJet HA420, as well as Denel’s South African Regional Aircraft (Sara).

Denel Aerostructures diversification senior marketer Lesetja Mogoba noted that a full-scale mock-up of Sara would be launched in September. The project was launched in September 2014.

He highlighted that the company’s aerospace manufacturing capabilities would help support the Ekurhuleni aerotropolis vision and showcase local manufacturing excellence to international aerospace companies, raising the prospect of foreign direct investment into the municipality.