Trade, Industry and Competitiveness Minister Parks Tau has described the Northern Cape as strategically poised to become South Africa's next major growth region.
Speaking on the second day of the Northern Cape Investment and Jobs Conference in Kimberley, Tau said the global race for green hydrogen is no longer speculative, with governments and corporations across Europe, Asia and the Americas spending billions of dollars to secure supply chains.
“The Northern Cape sits at the intersection of all three: namely, clean energy, critical minerals and green hydrogen. Certainly, the province has the land, sun and wind to become one of Africa's leading renewable energy production regions.
“Through BoeGoBay and the green hydrogen commercialization strategy, it has the infrastructure to build a real-scale hydrogen economy. These are vibrant policies and programs with government commitment and investor interest behind them,” Tau said. Tuesday at the Mitta Sepeparre International Convention Centre.
The three-day conference aims to act as a catalyst to align government, business and development partners around a common program to unlock large-scale investment, accelerate industrial growth and sustainable job creation.
According to the Minister, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTC) has structured its approach to industrialization around three organizing themes, namely: decarbonization, diversification and digitalization.
These correspond almost exactly to where the Northern Cape's competitive advantages lie.
“As a result of our G20/B20 Presidency, which was based on the pillars of solidarity, equality and sustainable development, government and the private sector will come together to realize the potential of the Northern Cape and establish it as South Africa’s next economic frontier,” he concluded.
As part of ongoing efforts to create a conducive, business-friendly environment and position the province as an attractive destination for global investors, the government on Monday launched the InvestSA One Stop Shop in the province.
It is designed to ensure comprehensive, accessible and responsive engagement through multiple channels including South African foreign missions, foreign missions based in South Africa, trade chambers, the InvestSA website, social media platforms, direct marketing emails, newsletters, surveys and targeted domestic and international investment promotion programmes.
As in other provinces, the one stop shop facility in the Northern Cape is a collaboration between the DTIC, the Northern Cape's Department of Economic Development and Tourism, the Provincial Investment Promotion Agency, other national, provincial and local government departments and agencies, traditional leaders and trade associations. – sanews.gov.za