Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone Archives - Page 2 of 14

Lwams Africa’s manufacturing journey shows the power of supplier development

By Mandla Mpangase A business that started as a car wash in 2018 has grown into a diversified manufacturing company producing automotive components, homeware, medical waste containers and 3D-printed products – a transformation that underscores the role of supplier development and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in building South Africa’s industrial base. Speaking on the sidelines of the 2nd International Special Economic Zones Infrastructure and Investment Conference in July 2026, Zwi Nelwamondo, Managing Director of Lwams Africa Group, said the company’s evolution reflects a deliberate strategy to move beyond participating in the automotive industry as a supplier of services to becoming a manufacturer. “Lwams Africa Group was founded in 2018. We were only doing the car wash business in 2018, and then in 2020 we got a contract to supply these number plates. We just wanted to add value into the automotive value chain, not only by being a middleman, but rather being a manufacturer,” said Nelwamondo. Lwams Africa Group is a Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ) enterprise development beneficiary. The shift into manufacturing laid the foundation for a broader product portfolio. Today, the Pretoria-based company manufactures household products including lunch boxes, plates and microwave covers, produces medical waste buckets, and offers in-house 3D printing services using its own equipment and proprietary designs. “Everything is in-house. We’ve got our own machines. We own our designs as well,” Nelwamondo said. He said expanding the business required significant investment in manufacturing equipment, with access to finance proving to be one of the company’s biggest hurdles. “My challenge was more on the finance to acquire equipment. We approached government, and they assisted with funding, and then we were able to get equipment that is currently running in our facility,” he explained. Nelwamondo also credited supplier development initiatives with accelerating Lwams Africa Group’s growth, helping it become part of the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone family through its connections to anchor tenant Ford. The company joined Ford’s supplier development programme after responding to a public call for applications. “We applied to be part of the programme, and fortunately enough we got to be part of the supplier development. Ford really played a big role in the success of our company from the inception up until now, and we are looking forward to a continuous relationship going forward,” he said. His experience reflects one of the central themes of the conference – that industrialisation depends not only on attracting investment into SEZs, but also on developing local enterprises capable of integrating into manufacturing value chains and expanding their capabilities over time. For emerging manufacturers, conferences such as the International SEZ Infrastructure and Investment Conference also provide an important platform to connect with potential customers and partners. “A platform like this assists small businesses like us because it’s access to the market. We get to meet other businesses that can be interested in our product offering, and already we’ve got a couple of leads through the engagements we’ve had,” Nelwamondo said. His company’s journey from a small car wash operation to a diversified manufacturer demonstrates how targeted supplier development, government support and access to market opportunities can enable South African businesses to move up the industrial value chain while contributing to a more resilient and competitive manufacturing sector.

Awarded tender: RFP018/2025

Tenders / By Tasez

The Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ) has announced the awarding of RFP018/2025 for the design and construction of top structure services to Ukuza Holdings. See details here

RFP 025/2025: For a service provider for the supply, delivery, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of an online utility management system

Tenders / By Tasez

The Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ) is looking to appoint a service provider for the supply, delivery, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of an online utility management system, including the supply of meters on an as-and-when-required basis, and the six-monthly servicing of water meter strainers. Compulsory briefing session Date: 14 August 2026 Time: 11h00 Venue: TASEZ Central Hub, in Manitoba, The Willows 340-Jr, Pretoria Closing date: 21 August 2026 by 12h00 Download RFP 025/2025 here Download pricing schedule here Download Addendum 1 here

Deputy President unveils 20-year blueprint to make SEZs engines of South Africa’s industrial revival

News / By Tasez

By Mandla Mpangase Deputy President Paul Mashatile has unveiled an ambitious 20-year strategy to transform South Africa’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) into globally competitive industrial hubs, warning that underperforming zones could lose their designation if they fail to deliver jobs, investment, and exports. Delivering the keynote address at the second International Special Economic Zones Infrastructure and Investment Conference at the Durban International Convention Centre on Friday, 17 July 2026, Mashatile said South Africa had entered a “third phase” of industrial development, with SEZs positioned at the centre of the country’s manufacturing-led growth agenda. The conference, attended by government leaders, investors, industry executives, and international partners, focused on the role of SEZs in reigniting industrialisation and positioning South Africa as a competitive investment destination. Mashatile said South Africa’s industrial policy had evolved from the Industrial Development Zone programme introduced in 1997 to the current SEZ model, which is now being strengthened through a new Spatial Industrial Development Strategy. “We are not planning for the next election cycle. We are planning for the next generation,” he said. Central to the strategy is a 20-year development framework approved by Cabinet that will subject every SEZ to formal performance evaluations every five years. The first phase will focus on auditing every zone and establishing measurable performance indicators covering investment attracted, jobs created, exports, and linkages with small businesses. Zones that fail to achieve at least 60% of these targets after five years will face intervention, restructuring, repurposing or even de-designation. Mashatile said future success would depend on reliable infrastructure, effective governance and stronger integration between SEZs, municipalities and surrounding communities. “No zone can thrive in isolation,” he said, outlining six criteria that will guide future industrial development, including infrastructure corridors, natural resource advantages, industrial parks, district economic planning, socio-economic needs and community integration. The deputy president said South Africa’s SEZ programme had already demonstrated its value. Referring to a World Bank assessment, Mashatile said the programme had attracted R14.8-billion in revenue while creating more than 30 000 jobs across industries, including automotive manufacturing, agro-processing, and renewable energy. He singled out the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ) and the Coega Industrial Development Zone as examples of successful industrial platforms that have strengthened skills development and local supply chains. However, he acknowledged that lessons had been learnt from earlier industrial zones, where some investment represented companies relocating rather than establishing new operations. Government’s renewed approach, he said, aims to ensure that SEZs stimulate genuine economic growth while delivering benefits to surrounding communities rather than functioning as isolated industrial enclaves. Mashatile said the new industrial strategy is built around three priorities: decarbonisation through low-carbon industries, diversification of manufacturing into higher-value exports, and digitalisation to improve productivity across the economy. The ultimate objective is to raise manufacturing’s contribution to South Africa’s gross domestic product from its current level of about 12%, while addressing unemployment, particularly among young people and women. The deputy president also highlighted the incentives available to investors operating in qualifying SEZs, including a preferential 15% corporate tax rate, manufacturing tax allowances, VAT and customs relief, and employment incentives for youth. Provincial development agencies would continue to provide serviced industrial land, infrastructure, and skills programmes, while municipalities would be expected to accelerate planning approvals and increase procurement opportunities for local small businesses. “Incentives are not entitlements,” Mashatile cautioned. “They are part of a compact. In return, we expect investment, exports, jobs and transformation.” Despite the incentive package, Mashatile acknowledged that South Africa faces intense international competition. With more than 5 400 SEZs operating globally, he said the country could not rely on low costs alone to attract investment. “We compete by being the most strategic, the most reliable, and the most inclusive.” He urged SEZ executives, municipal leaders and investors to work together to improve infrastructure, expand industrial clusters and deepen local supplier participation. Addressing investors directly, Mashatile said South Africa remained open for business but expected investment to contribute meaningfully to local development. “We are not open for extraction. We want you to benefit here, to train here, and to partner with our small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) here.” In closing, Mashatile called for renewed commitment to ensuring that SEZs become catalysts for inclusive economic growth across all provinces. “Our SEZs must become engines of investment, innovation, and opportunity, not islands of prosperity, but catalysts for inclusive growth that will uplift every province and every community across our country.”

TASEZ positioned as a flagship for South Africa’s next phase of industrialisation at SEZ Conference

News / By Tasez

By Mandla Mpangase South Africa’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are expected to play an increasingly important role in driving industrialisation, investment and export-led growth, with the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ) well-positioned as one of the country’s leading examples of what a modern, high-performing SEZ can achieve. Opening the exhibition component of the 2nd International Special Economic Zones Infrastructure and Investment Conference in Durban on Thursday, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, said the country’s network of SEZs has become a significant contributor to industrial development and will form a central pillar of the government’s long-term economic strategy. Addressing more than 1 000 delegates from government, industry, development finance institutions, and international partners, Tau highlighted the scale of South Africa’s SEZ programme, noting that 13 designated SEZs across eight provinces now host 224 companies, which have collectively invested R31.7-billion and created more than 28 000 jobs. The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) has invested approximately R12-billion in bulk and top-structure infrastructure to support the zones. “The exhibition floor shows policy in practice,” Tau said, encouraging delegates to engage directly with investors, incentive packages, and development opportunities represented by the country’s SEZs. Among the country’s standout performers is TASEZ, which has rapidly established itself as one of South Africa’s flagship industrial zones. Situated adjacent to Ford Motor Company’s Silverton Assembly Plant in the City of Tshwane, the automotive-focused SEZ has become a benchmark for integrated industrial development, attracting major investment, strengthening local supplier networks, and supporting South Africa’s automotive manufacturing ambitions. The minister cited the expansion of another successful automotive-focused zone, the uMlathuze TradePort Special Economic Zone, as evidence that targeted infrastructure investment can unlock substantial private-sector participation. He noted that the expansion had attracted R16-billion in private investment, alongside billions more from public investors, and created more than 3 300 direct jobs. For TASEZ, these outcomes reinforce the value of the automotive SEZ model. The zone has already become a critical component of South Africa’s automotive value chain by enabling supplier localisation, supporting component manufacturers, and strengthening export competitiveness around one of the country’s largest vehicle assembly plants. Tau also announced that the government will use the conference to table an independent World Bank review of South Africa’s SEZ programme. The findings will inform a revised implementation model aimed at encouraging greater private-sector participation, strengthening financial and non-financial incentives, and introducing mechanisms to improve the performance of underperforming zones. Responding to questions from the media, Tau confirmed that the government had accepted many of the World Bank’s recommendations and was aligning them with its broader industrial strategy. “We see SEZs as a critical part of the industrialisation pathway for South Africa,” he said. Rather than setting arbitrary investment targets, Tau said the government wants SEZs to become catalysts for broader economic development, generating opportunities throughout supply chains and creating value beyond the zones’ boundaries. “It is about the supply chains, the suppliers that come into the industries in the SEZs. It is about value chains that are created,” Tau said. That vision closely aligns with TASEZ’s development model. The Tshwane-based SEZ has consistently focused on expanding local procurement, developing small and medium-sized enterprises, investing in workforce skills, and creating an automotive ecosystem capable of competing internationally. As South Africa prepares for the transition towards new energy vehicles and deeper participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), TASEZ is increasingly positioned to support regional manufacturing and export growth. Throughout the two-day conference, delegates are expected to discuss strengthening SEZ infrastructure, financing industrial development, expanding regional value chains, and unlocking export opportunities through the AfCFTA. The programme also includes export masterclasses, investor discussions, the inaugural SEZ Achievement Awards, and the presentation of new investment commitments and partnership agreements. For TASEZ, the conference represents more than an opportunity to showcase its achievements. It offers a platform to demonstrate how a strategically planned automotive SEZ can accelerate industrialisation, attract investment, and build resilient manufacturing value chains, precisely the role government envisages for South Africa’s next generation of economic development.

SEZ leaders: Speed, scale and certainty will determine South Africa’s investment future

News / By Tasez

By Mandla Mpangase South Africa’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) have already proved their value in attracting major investments, but faster decision-making, world-class infrastructure and globally competitive incentives will determine whether the country secures the next wave of industrial investment. That was the central message from a high-powered panel discussion, moderated by Gauteng MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Environment and Nature Conservation Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, during the second day of the 2nd International Special Economic Zones Infrastructure and Investment Conference in Durban. Bringing together leaders from Ford Motor Company South Africa, DP World, Aspen Pharmacare, AIH Group, Nyanza Light Metals and Afreximbank, the discussion explored why investors continue to see South Africa’s SEZs as strategic destinations despite intensifying global competition. Ford South Africa President Neale Hill said the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone had demonstrated how SEZs strengthen global competitiveness by shortening supply chains, improving quality control and supporting just-in-time manufacturing. He noted that South Africa competes not with local manufacturers but with Ford plants around the world for future investment, making efficiency and cost competitiveness essential. Nyanza Light Metals President and CEO Donovan Chimhandamba described South Africa as one of Africa’s most compelling industrial destinations, highlighting its engineering expertise, sophisticated financial markets and mineral wealth. He said the company’s US$870 million titanium beneficiation investment in the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone reflects growing confidence in South Africa’s ability to move beyond exporting raw minerals towards high-value manufacturing. Aspen Pharmacare’s Dr Stavros Nicolaou argued that South Africa remains the continent’s strongest long-term investment proposition, particularly as Africa’s population and healthcare demand continue to grow. He said SEZs help level the playing field against heavily subsidised international competitors while creating opportunities to build pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity closer to African markets. The discussion also highlighted the critical role of finance in accelerating industrialisation. Afreximbank’s Andrew Masuwe outlined the bank’s recently announced US$14 billion country programme for South Africa, including dedicated support for industrial development and project preparation, following South Africa’s accession as a member state. Looking ahead, panellists agreed that South Africa’s SEZs must evolve further by reducing regulatory delays, improving logistics, expanding utility infrastructure and attracting complete industrial value chains rather than isolated factories. They also called for stronger coordination across government and greater use of public procurement to build the scale needed for globally competitive manufacturing. Closing the session, MEC Ramokgopa said South Africa’s SEZs should become catalysts for broader industrial ecosystems that create inclusive local economic growth, rather than remaining isolated centres of excellence. The challenge now, she said, is to ensure the country’s investment offering remains globally competitive while delivering lasting benefits to communities and the wider economy.

RFP 014/2025: Provision of an integrated learning Management system

Tenders / By Tasez

The TASEZ Training Academy requires an integrated Learning Management System (LMS) to manage student administrative matters and learning activities. Compulsory briefing session: 5 August 2026Time: 10h00 – 12h00Venue: TASEZ Central Hub Manitoba, The Willows 340-Jr, Pretoria, 0081 Closing date: 14 August 2026 by 12h00 Download the RFP 014/2025 here

TASEZ named South Africa’s best newcomer SEZ

News / By Tasez

By Mandla Mpangase The Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ) has been recognised as South Africa’s best newcomer Special Economic Zone, receiving one of the inaugural SEZ Achievement Awards during the 2nd International Special Economic Zones Infrastructure and Investment Conference in Durban. The award was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who joined the SEZ Achievement Awards Gala Dinner virtually on 16 July 2026, where the government honoured outstanding performance across the country’s SEZ programme. The awards recognise excellence in leadership, governance, investment attraction, job creation, innovation, export growth, small, medium, and micro enterprise (SMME) integration, localisation, and sustainable industrial development. TASEZ’s recognition reflects its rapid emergence as one of South Africa’s flagship industrial development projects. Established to support the expansion of automotive manufacturing, the zone has attracted major investment, created thousands of jobs, strengthened local supplier development, and advanced skills development, positioning itself as a catalyst for industrial growth within the country’s automotive value chain. The award comes as the government places renewed emphasis on SEZs as key drivers of industrialisation and economic growth. Opening the conference, President Ramaphosa reaffirmed that South Africa’s industrial future depends on expanding manufacturing capacity, attracting investment, and building globally competitive industrial ecosystems. He described SEZs as strategic instruments for reindustrialising the economy, increasing exports, creating quality employment and strengthening South Africa’s position in regional and global value chains. The recognition also reinforces TASEZ’s growing reputation as a model for modern industrial development. As Africa’s leading automotive-focused SEZ, TASEZ has demonstrated how strategic infrastructure, close collaboration between government and industry, and a commitment to localisation and skills development can translate into tangible economic outcomes. Receiving the best newcomer award from President Ramaphosa underscores TASEZ’s contribution to South Africa’s industrialisation agenda and its role in helping build a more competitive, investment-driven manufacturing economy.

Manufacturing Indaba 2026 highlights why industrial ecosystems matter

News / By Tasez

By Mandla Mpangase South Africa’s manufacturing sector took centre stage this week as government, business, labour, and academia gathered at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg for the 13th Manufacturing Indaba, held from 14 to 15 July 2026 under the theme “Made in Africa: Scaling Growth, Shaping Trade”. The annual conference brought together policymakers, investors, manufacturers, and industry experts to discuss how the continent can strengthen industrial capacity, expand value-added production, and compete more effectively in global markets. The discussions unfolded against a backdrop of sluggish manufacturing growth, infrastructure constraints, and increasing global competition. Yet the prevailing message from speakers was one of opportunity: Africa can no longer afford to remain primarily an exporter of raw materials but must instead become a producer of higher-value manufactured goods. Delivering the opening keynote, Deputy President Paul Mashatile challenged delegates to reimagine Africa’s industrial future. “Our future should not solely be determined by the extraction of our natural resources in their raw form, but by the manufacturing, refinement and exportation of finished products,” he said, adding that a thriving manufacturing sector is essential for job creation, inclusive growth, and long-term prosperity. Mashatile further argued that industrialisation is about more than factories. “Manufacturing is also about people. It is about restoring dignity through decent work, creating opportunities for young people, strengthening communities and giving business the confidence to invest, expand and innovate,” he said. Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition John Steenhuisen echoed those sentiments but warned that manufacturing competitiveness continues to be undermined by weak municipal infrastructure, unreliable water and electricity services, and inefficient logistics networks. He said strengthening localisation, improving ports, and developing regional transport corridors would be critical if South Africa is to grow exports and reduce dependence on imported manufactured goods. Why TASEZ has a central role to play in South Africa’s manufacturing future Those priorities align closely with one of South Africa’s most significant industrial developments: the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ). While not a focus of the conference programme itself, TASEZ represents the type of integrated industrial ecosystem repeatedly highlighted by speakers as essential to Africa’s manufacturing future. Rather than simply providing factory space, the automotive-focused SEZ combines world-class infrastructure, supplier development, skills training, logistics and investment facilitation to strengthen local manufacturing value chains. Located adjacent to Ford South Africa’s Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria, TASEZ has become a strategic component of the country’s automotive manufacturing industry. It has attracted billions of rand in investment, enabled the localisation of automotive component production and created thousands of construction and permanent jobs while strengthening South Africa’s position as a vehicle export hub. The zone also supports key national industrial objectives by expanding local supplier participation, increasing local content and developing skills required for advanced manufacturing. These objectives mirror many of the themes discussed throughout the Manufacturing Indaba, including localisation, industrial competitiveness, technology adoption, and regional value chain development. Engineering News reported that speakers repeatedly stressed that sustainable industrialisation requires complete industrial ecosystems rather than isolated factories. Government support, stronger regional markets, strategic investment, technology adoption, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) were all identified as essential building blocks for future manufacturing growth. The conference also placed significant emphasis on digital transformation. Delegates heard that Africa must invest in robotics, artificial intelligence, advanced engineering, coding, data science, and modern artisan development if it is to compete in an increasingly technology-driven manufacturing landscape. These emerging priorities present new opportunities for TASEZ, which has increasingly positioned itself not only as an automotive manufacturing hub but also as a platform for skills development, supplier growth, and industrial innovation that supports the South African Automotive Master Plan and the country’s broader reindustrialisation agenda. As South Africa works to rebuild manufacturing confidence, the Manufacturing Indaba reinforced a simple but significant message: industrialisation is no longer just about producing more but is about producing smarter, adding greater value locally and building resilient industrial ecosystems capable of competing globally. For TASEZ, that vision is already taking shape. The zone demonstrates how targeted infrastructure investment, localisation, supplier development and collaboration between government and industry can translate national industrial policy into tangible manufacturing capacity. As the country seeks to position itself as a gateway for African manufacturing under the AfCFTA, TASEZ stands as a practical example of how special economic zones can help turn the ambition of “Made in Africa” into an economic reality.

South Africa’s industrial future will be decided by what happens after Durban

News / By Tasez

By Andile Sangweni, TASEZ CEO The 2nd International Special Economic Zones Infrastructure and Investment Conference, taking place in Durban on 16 and 17 July, has the potential to redefine how South Africa thinks about industrial development in an era of slowing global growth, rapid technological change and increasing competition for investment. And the timing could not be more important. If its programme is any indication, this is not simply another investment conference. It is an opportunity to redefine how South Africa thinks about industrial development. For too long, South Africa’s economy has struggled to escape low growth, high unemployment and declining industrial competitiveness. Manufacturing’s contribution to GDP has steadily contracted, while many industrial towns have become shadows of what they once were. At the same time, global supply chains are being rewritten as countries seek resilience, localisation and regional manufacturing hubs. South Africa cannot afford to watch from the sidelines. The conference theme of “Reigniting industrialisation through world-class special economic zones” recognises that Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are no longer simply fenced industrial estates offering tax incentives. Around the world, successful SEZs have evolved into sophisticated ecosystems that combine infrastructure, logistics, skills development, innovation, research, housing and investment into integrated economic regions. The Durban programme reflects this shift. It begins not with discussions about incentives, but with the launch of South Africa’s new Industrial Policy before moving into a keynote address by President Cyril Ramaphosa – an acknowledgement that industrialisation must once again occupy the centre of economic policy. Equally significant is the discussion asking the fundamental question: “Why invest in SEZs now?” Rather than relying on theory, the panel brings together leaders from Ford Motor Company South Africa, DP World Mozambique, AIH Group and Nyanza Light Metals to provide an investor’s perspective on why SEZs remain attractive destinations for global capital. That conversation matters because governments do not create jobs—businesses do. Governments create the environment in which investment becomes possible. Perhaps the most important evolution in thinking is reflected in the session examining SEZs as engines for smart city development. This signals a departure from the traditional notion of industrial parks as isolated manufacturing precincts. Instead, delegates will consider how Special Economic Zones can become complete economic ecosystems incorporating transport, energy, logistics, housing, services and skills development. This is precisely where South Africa must go. The Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone has already demonstrated elements of this approach by integrating supplier development, skills training and automotive manufacturing into a broader industrial ecosystem. Other zones are beginning similar journeys. The conference also recognises that South Africa’s industrial future cannot be built in isolation. Sessions devoted to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), cross-border collaboration and regional competitiveness acknowledge that the next generation of industrial growth will increasingly depend on continental value chains rather than purely domestic markets. Africa’s market of more than a billion people presents opportunities that South African manufacturers simply cannot ignore. Equally encouraging is the attention given to subjects often overlooked in industrial policy debates. There are dedicated discussions on financing industrial infrastructure, public-private partnerships, supplier development for small businesses, export diversification, technology, innovation and the role of development finance institutions. Together, these sessions recognise an important truth: successful industrialisation depends on an entire ecosystem, not a single policy intervention. This is where the conference has the potential to become genuinely transformative. South Africa has spent years discussing industrialisation. The challenge now is implementation. That means ensuring infrastructure is delivered on time. It means creating regulatory certainty for investors. It means strengthening partnerships between government and business. It means developing skilled workers for advanced manufacturing. It means integrating small businesses into industrial value chains instead of leaving them at the margins. And it means building export-oriented industries capable of competing internationally. SEZs cannot solve every structural problem facing the economy. But they can become laboratories for reform – places where better governance, faster approvals, modern infrastructure and collaborative partnerships demonstrate what is possible for the wider economy. Ultimately, the real measure of the Durban conference will not be the number of delegates attending, the quality of its presentations or the awards handed out at the gala dinner. Its success will be measured by what happens afterwards. These are the questions that matter. Industrialisation is not a nostalgic return to the factories of the past. It is about building a competitive economy capable of producing the technologies, products and supply chains that will define the future. If South Africa is serious about inclusive growth, reducing unemployment and competing in the global economy, then the conversations taking place in Durban should not remain inside the conference venue. They should become the blueprint for the country’s next chapter of industrial development.