Gauteng Business 2016 edition

SPECIAL FEATURE
Transformation, Modernisation
and Reindustrialisation
Transformation remains a key focus of the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG),
with an ambitious plan afoot to make Gauteng an integrated city-region characterised
by social cohesion and economic inclusion over the next five-to-15 years.
Premier David Makhura’s government is committed to the initiative
and says it will take decisive steps to implement it. The
Premier announced during his maiden State of the Province
Address that his administration has adopted a multi-pillar
programme of radical transformation, modernisation and reindustrialisation
of Gauteng.
Over the next five years GPG is determined to revitalise and mainstream
the township economy by supporting the development of
township enterprises, cooperatives and SMMEs that will produce goods
and services that meet the needs of township residents.
Key sectors with the potential to address the twin policy imperatives
of creating decent employment and greater economic inclusion have
been identified. These sectors include finance, automotive industry,
manufacturing, ICT, tourism, pharmaceuticals, creative industries, construction
and real estate.
THE GPG SAYS IT WILL INSIST ON
PLANNED AND INTEGRATED URBAN
DEVELOPMENT WHICH WILL ENABLE
IT TO BUILD MORE INTEGRATED AND
SUSTAINABLE HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
SMMEs and township enterprises will by no means be overlooked,
with firm undertakings having been made to bring these key sectors
into the mainstream economy.
The GPG says it will work with research institutions to vigorously
promote innovation within the provincial economy and fast-track
the development of new industries that will usher Gauteng into an
innovation-driven, knowledge-based, smart and green economy.
The government will also put
the focus on the reindustrialisation
of the Gauteng economy
through strategic infrastructure
development. This involves a
massive rollout of public transport
infrastructure across the
province which will be utilised
to revitalise and modernise old
industries that will locally manufacture
or assemble buses, trains
and locomotives.
In a significant boost to employment
and economic inclusion,
the provincial government
and municipalities will procure
75% of all goods and services
from South African producers,
especially SMMEs.
Decisive spatial
transformation
In what is seen as a bold measure,
the provincial government wants
to radically transform the spaces
people live in by connecting and
integrating places of work and human
settlements.
The GPG has noted that
even after the end of apartheid,
government has continued to
build houses and human settlements
that reproduce the
spatial legacy of apartheid – far
from work and the majority of
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