The Coega Development Corporation (CDC) has welcomed international courier and package delivery company DHL as an investor in the Coega Special Economic Zone (SEZ), in the Eastern Cape.

DHL has invested in a distribution warehouse in Zone 1 of the Coega SEZ.

"We believe the decision by DHL to locate their investment in the Coega SEZ was a correct one and highlights the importance of SEZs in South Africa as key enablers for growth and development," says CDC CEO Khwezi Tiya.

The Coega SEZ is a transshipment hub and an investment destination in Africa, which provides a location with modern infrastructure for  businesses to thrive.

Coega also seeks to provide a location that focuses on environment, sustainability and growth, reinforced by its culture of innovation and continuous improvement, Tiya says.

"The timing for the opening of the DHL facility is especially significant because of the current devastated economy, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. We are pleased that the DHL investment at Coega has contributed to socioeconomic development in line with our vision of making a significant impact on the local economy."

During the construction of facilities, more than 255 construction jobs were created, and a total of 24 small, medium-sized and microenterprise contractors benefited from the project. The new facility for DHL consists of a 11 198 m² distribution warehouse and double-storey offices of 718 m² suitable for import, export and distribution of food and beverage products. The total site is 20 000 m².

"We understand that DHL now employs more than 50 people at its Coega SEZ facility, which is important during these difficult economic times. We hope DHL’s success at Coega will be sustainable in order to create more jobs during operations to boost the local economy for many years to come. We hope that this lays a foundation for further DHL investments," Tiya concludes.