State-owned company for the development of 11 500 ha of industrial land in Port Elizabeth, the Coega Development Corporation (CDC), last month announced a R22-million expansion project by agroprocessing company Dynamic Commodities to be developed in Zone 3 of the Coega industrial development zone (IDZ).
The project brings the total number of investors, which has increased in the Coega IDZ over the past two financial years, to more than four.

These numbers are impressive, says CDC unit head for marketing and communications Dr Ayanda Vilakazi, considering the macroeconomic challenges facing the domestic and global markets. “Investors are confident in the IDZ’s ability and have seen consistent growth as a result of its location.”

Dynamic Commodities, which exports the bulk of its output, will be expanding its plant to include a warehouse and refrigerated storage facilities to meet its current demand and to increase production to expand its market penetration.

Dynamic Commodities sales and marketing GM Mark Larter says that, currently, the company’s clientele base is in Europe, centred in countries such as Germany, France, Russia, the UK, Norway and Sweden. “This investment will allow us to expand our client base in the process, providing more opportunities for the business and our brand.”

According to Vilakazi, the economic spin-offs resulting from the expansion will create more than 500 job opportunities, with 300 of the jobs being operational and 200 in construction.

Dynamic Commodities’ product line includes Island Way Sorbet – ice cream in real fruit shells, Breakfast Apples – flavoured apples with granola and oats, Pepaby’s – sweet baby piquante peppers, Frozen fruit pieces – loose and diced pieces of frozen fruit, Bits o’ juice – frozen natural citrus pods and SoShi – sorbet dessert in a sushi-rolled fashion.

Dynamic Commodities buys all its fruit locally, including lemons, oranges, grapefruit, apples, peppers, peaches, melons and pineapples. This enables South African farmers to grow produce on contract specifically for the factory, thereby creating jobs and ensuring sustainability for local farmers, who would otherwise “not have had a market for their products”, says CDC business development senior manager Johan Fourie.