Eastern Cape Business 2017 edition

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The Eastern Cape
Development Corporation
A province offering exciting investment opportunities.
Discover the Eastern Cape economy, spanning
an exciting spectrum of sectors ranging from
agriculture to information, communication and
technology. The Eastern Cape is a province which
prides itself on a rich cultural history, first world
financial system, robust infrastructure and a wide
array of business opportunities for investors and
entrepreneurs.
The Eastern Cape Development Corporation has a
dual role as provincial development financier: to enable
local business through innovative financial and
non-financial services, and to promote the province,
locally and abroad. The ECDC’s Investment
Promotion unit is the first point of entry for local
and foreign investment into the Eastern Cape.
Competitive advantages
• The Eastern Cape boasts four universities offering
high-quality tertiary education. Eastern Cape
university graduates are in demand
• Through an integrated database system developed
by the province’s two industrial development
zones, potential investors have ready access to
skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled labour resources
• Two purpose-built industrial development
zones – the East London and Coega Industrial
Development Zones, which are strategically situated
on major transport and shipping routes,
provide purpose-built infrastructure for investors
• The Eastern Cape Provincial Government is
committed to economic diversification
• Set-up costs for new business in the Eastern Cape
are extremely competitive
• Access to domestic, SADC and global markets is
guaranteed through three ports and three airports
• The Eastern Cape boasts some of the best quality
of living standards in South Africa.
Key growth sectors
Automotive
The Eastern Cape auto industry manufactures half of
South Africa’s new passenger vehicles and provides
more than 50% of the country’s vehicle exports. The
province accounts for five original equipment manufacturers
and nearly 200 automotive component
suppliers.
Tourism
The Eastern Cape hosts a range of cultural, sports,
adventure and heritage tourism events including the
National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, the Half Ironman
in East London, the Iron Man in Port Elizabeth.
The Eastern Cape is the Home of Legends – birthplace
of world icon, Nelson Mandela. Geographic
tourist attractions include 800km of scenic coastline,
national parks, and the Baviaanskloof Mega
Reserve, which is the only location in South Africa
where seven of South Africa’s biomes can be found.
Investment opportunities exist in the development
of golf courses, hotels and resorts where inherent
tourism potential requires development. The sector
value chain presents opportunities for local enterprises,
including travel agencies, shuttle operators
and arts and craft producers.
Business process outsourcing
The primary BPO and Offshoring focus is on inbound
and outbound contact centres. The province offers
world-class infrastructure at the East London and
Coega IDZs. Investors can take advantage of the
availability of a large English-speaking workforce,
EASTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2017
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