The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies says that the upgrading and revitalisation of the Seshego Industrial Park will provide a business friendly environment which will enable an efficient way of doing business for existing players and attract industrial activity on a larger scale from new players.  Minister Davies was speaking at the official launch of the R21m first phase of the Seshego Industrial Park revitalisation project that took place in Limpopo.

Davies urged that the Seshego Industrial Park revitalisation and upgrade is intended at making it a much more supportive business environment which will encourage more businesspeople to come into the facility and conduct their business more effectively and create local employment.

“Currently there are more than 1 600 people that earn their livelihood by working in enterprises within the Seshego Industrial Park. I think the possibility of expanding the number of people working here is very evident. We are going to be developing a specialised programme on agro-processing because the sector offers huge opportunities for people in Limpopo Province. This province has got the capacity of producing agricultural products that can be transformed in agro-processing activities. And that can be supported more as we make the business environment and the facilities available to businesses more attractive that they have previously,” said Davies.

He further added that phase-1 of the revitalisation programme focussed on professionalising the industrial area, improving the physical security and eliminating the non-business related activities that were taking place in the park.

The revitalisation of Seshego Industrial Park is part of the R189 million invested in covering six prioritised parks under the Department of Trade and Industry’s (the dti) Industrial Parks Revitalisation Programme, to promote industrialisation and increase the contribution of the parks to job creation and the country’s economic growth. 

Davies added that phase-2 of the Seshego revitalisation programme will focus on refurbishing the buildings and some of the physical infrastructure beyond security. “We will be working together with the Limpopo Province to improve on the quality of the management, the way the proposition is packaged and the way it is promoted among the business community. This is the way we can work together to improve the prospects. We will be rolling out other industrial parks beyond Seshego,” said Davies. MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Toursim in Limpopo, Mr Seaparo Sekoati said that they were delighted and greatly encouraged that the dti invested considerable resources in the refurbishment of the Seshego Industrial Park.

“This investment will go a long way in capacitating the park in terms of professionalised zoning and safeguarding of industrial assets. We envisage major improvements in the infrastructure and future output of multiple companies in the park,” said Sekoati.