Services SETA Archives

2025 – a year of resilience and recalibration

It turns out that 2025 was a year that tested the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone’s agility but also reaffirmed its strategic direction, writes acting executive of zone operations, Sibusiso Khuzwayo. As 2025 draws to a close, the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ) continues to cement its position as one of South Africa’s leading special economic zones (SEZs) – an achievement built on resilience, collaboration, and a sharpened focus on sustainable industrialisation. Yet 2025 was anything but ordinary. The year placed TASEZ at the forefront of numerous conferences, industry engagements, and national conversations on automotive manufacturing, transformation, and economic development. These platforms allowed us to present TASEZ’s successes and the challenges we continue to navigate. They also reinforced the importance of capacitating TASEZ so that we not only meet our mandate but also deepen our impact on communities, stakeholders, and industry partners. Strong relationships Strengthening relationships with tenants was a key priority. Improved engagement has already laid the groundwork for future collaborations, particularly projects designed to uplift communities and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Industry-wide discussions on the future of the automotive sector, marked by technological shifts, supply chain pressures, and evolving investment landscapes, also prompted TASEZ to reassess its long-term strategy. We have had to rethink our tenant mix to ensure that TASEZ remains sustainable even as the automotive sector faces economic headwinds. Highlights of 2025 What stands out most during the year is a mix of organisational achievements and personal milestones. From an organisational perspective, TASEZ significantly expanded its collaboration footprint. Engagements with the National Skills Fund, universities, the CSIR (the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research), the AIDC (the Automotive Industry Development Centre), and the Gauteng Department of Economic Development strengthened the zone’s innovation ecosystem. These partnerships also supported TASEZ’s emerging e-mobility concept, positioning the SEZ as a future leader in new-energy technologies and skills development. As acting zone executive 2025 marked a number successful initiatives such as: These engagements helped us demonstrate what TASEZ does, why it matters, and how it can play an even bigger role in transforming the economy. More to do Despite the great strides already made, there is always more to do. First on the list is the need to further capacitate zone operations, ensuring the SEZ maintains its infrastructure, supports tenants effectively, and strengthens sustainability. Second is the need for improved collaboration across TASEZ’s internal departments. We cannot work in silos, but must support each other so that we deliver on our mandate in a way that benefits all stakeholders. Looking at TASEZ’s broader economic impact, it is clear that the organisation is making meaningful progress, particularly through Phase 2, which focuses strongly on supporting black industrialists. TASEZ has a tremendous opportunity to lead by bringing together funding institutions, OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, aftermarket players, the National Empowerment Fund, and the Automotive Industry Transformation Fund. If we implement this effectively, it can serve as a model for other SEZs such as Dube TradePort, Richards Bay, and the AIDC. In addition, partnerships with the CSIR on research and innovation will further support TASEZ’s ambitions in industrialisation and advanced manufacturing. Looking forward From the perspective of zone operations, there are three key priorities for the coming year that will allow TASEZ to unlock more responsiveness, agility, and meaningful impact. Further capacitating departments to improve efficiency and service delivery; TASEZ is poised to play a transformative role in strengthening the South African economy by driving employment opportunities, empowering MSMEs, and equipping the workforce with future-ready skills. With its commitment to industrialisation, sustainability, and inclusive growth, Africa’s first automotive city continues to evolve as a catalyst for long-term national development – one that remains resilient even in the face of industry uncertainty.

Skills training is able to change lives

News / By Tasez

By Mandla Mpangase Skills development is vital for the growth and transformation of South Africa’s economy – and is one of the core drivers of the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone. On 29 January 2025, representatives from the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ) and the TASEZ Training Academy attended a Services SETA monitoring session of one of their projects in Johannesburg, where they got the chance to meeting the 119 young people undergoing a learnership programme. The learners train under the auspices of Auvergne Designs, a factory that produces furniture for many of the country’s retailers. The learnership consists of 70% hands-on training, and 30% theoretical course work. At the end of 12 months, the participants graduate with the skills to enter the job market or even set up their own small business. “We are shaping the future of our youth,” says TASEZ Training Academy project manager, Ilse Immelman. The TASEZ Training Academy has three key components: skills development; entrepreneurial incubation; and high-performance programmes. “As a hub of innovation and growth in the automotive sector, our academy is dedicated to shaping the future of the automotive industry – and beyond – by nurturing talent, fostering entrepreneurship, and delivering high-performance education programmes.” Skills director for Auvergne, Phumla Stokwe, talks of the company’s vision of expanding their training offerings and developing a skills hub for the furniture industry. “We see the difference training makes in young people’s lives,” she says. Auvergne Designs co-owner Owen Drysdale is passionate about training the young cohort: “The youth are amazing. We recruit young people straight out of school and through the training are able to give them a solid foundation in furniture-making skills along with life skills like confidence and a level of self-esteem.” One of the young people on the learnership, 19-year-old Kutwano Motaung from Diepkloof Soweto, said he dreams of opening his own business in the future. By attending theoretical classes and then the practical work on the factory floor, Keagan Arends, from Noordgesig in Soweto, said the learnership was providing him with “workplace experience”. Auvergne Designs has been in operation for 25 years, but it was the Covid pandemic that breathed new life into the company: allowing it to change its approach from focusing on high-end products to retail furniture. This was possible thanks to the government funds provided during the pandemic and the partnership with the Services SETA, which offers a stipend for the young people undergoing the learnership programme. “It is through education, that we can create jobs,” Drysdale offers. The factory currently has 450 employees who work as frame cutters, seamsters, upholsterers, and quality controllers. Every item in the factory is hand-crafted using local materials. And the quality more than holds its own with international competition. Auvergne Designs is able to produce some 8 000 chairs every month. The TASEZ Training Academy appointed We Invest Africa as the project manager for the Auvergne Designs learnership programme. Director of We Invest Africa, Wisani Mathye, describes the project as an important one, giving the young people on the learnership the chance to change their lives. “On completing this year-long learnership, they will be able to find jobs and event start up their own businesses.” Natalie Ford from the Gauteng office of the Services SETA explained the importance of learnerships in opening doors to opportunities. The programmes sits on a number of pillars: employability; experience; knowledge acquisition; networking opportunities; and access to permanent jobs. South Africa has 21 SETAs (Sector Education and Training Authorities) covering key economic industries, including in agriculture, chemical, construction, finance and insurance, manufacturing, and wholesale and retail. Each SETA is responsible for managing and creating learnerships, internships, unit-based skills programmes, and apprenticeships within its industry.