July 2022 - Exporters Eastern Cape

Exporters Eastern Cape Wins Trade Promotion Service Provider Award

GQEBERHA – The Exporters Eastern Cape is the proud recipient of the Trade Promotion Service Provider Award at the Southern Africa Regional Exporters Awards which was held in Gqberha this week (26 July 2022).

Showcasing the achievements of exporters in Southern Africa, the awards programme aims to recognise companies in the nine participating countries – Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and South Africa.

Exporters Eastern Cape plays a leading role in creating networking opportunities amongst exporters and facilitating conversations regarding issues which affect exporters in the region. Furthermore, the organisation serves as a catalyst to strengthen support to exporters and organises the annual Exporter of the Year Awards in the province which creates a platform for local businesses to showcase their competitive prowess.

Quintin Levey, Exporters Eastern Cape chairman, said the Trade Promotion Service Provider Award accentuates the work which is carried out by the organisation. “We are sincerely appreciative of this recognition and trust that we add value to an industry which is vital for the economic prosperity of the region,” said Levey.

This was the second edition of the awards programme which was launched last year. The event is a collaboration between the Eastern Cape Development Corporation and the government of the United States of America and the USAID Southern Africa Trade and Investment Hub.

For more information on the organisation contact Suzanne Loubser, Branch Manager of Exporters Eastern Cape, at info@exportersec.co.za.

Main Photo Caption: Suzanne Loubser, Branch Manager of Exporters Eastern Cape, received the award from Mr Cristóvão Gemo, Consul General of Mozambique.

Business confidence soars at the Coega SEZ

COEGA STEELS (PTY) LTD: Coega Steels anticipates commencing construction of Phase 3 in the first quarter of 2023, after the completion of Phase 2 in the second quarter of 2022.

Gqeberha, South Africa, 28 July 2022, – Coega Steels (Pty) Ltd, located in Zone 6 of the Coega SEZ – a leading SEZ in Africa, applied for environmental authorisation in early 2017 for the construction of its planned 2^nd and 3^rd phases of development. Coega Steels (Pty) Ltd is the leading manufacturer of steel billets in South Africa for export into Africa and Europe.

Environmental authorisation was granted to Coega Steels (Pty) Ltd for the construction of both these phases on 12 June 2018. Phase 3 will add a modernised rolling mill to convert the current steel billets into reinforced steel and lifestyle steel structures for local, regional and export markets.

Phase 2 was completed in the second quarter of 2022 owing to delays brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. This phase included the expansion of the initial building to house an additional two 25-ton induction furnaces enabling Coega Steels to increase its production capacity two-fold, from 120,000 metric tonnes to 240,000 metric tonnes, annually. To accommodate this increase in production, the stores warehouse was expanded as well as the pump house.

The projected investment for the 2^nd phase is R100 million and is expected to create at least 150 additional job opportunities. A total of 511 jobs have been created to-date since the launch of Coega Steels at Coega in 2014. This number of jobs is expected to increase by another 500 jobs when phase 3 is complete, bringing a total number of jobs to more than 1000.

Marking the completion of phase 2, CDC’s Head of Operations, Mr. Sadick Davids, expressed his excitement about this milestone, and emphasised the crucial role phase 3 will also play in creating employment opportunities. Phase 3 of the development is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2023.

“It’s gratifying to see the confidence business has on the Coega SEZ. Our responsibility is to ensure we provide an enabling environment for businesses to grow,” added Davids. Other businesses in Coega concur, as indicated below.

Furthermore, in terms of sustainable business practices, Coega Steels procured a Water Softening Plant to minimise the impact of the current water crisis in the Metro. The Water Softening Plant will allow Coega Steels to feed water continuously through their production processes in a closed loop system.

For more information about Coega Steels, visit coegasteels.com.

Aspen SA Operations Virtual Tour – 19 August 2022

You are invited to a Virtual Plant Tour with Aspen SA Operations and Exporters Eastern Cape.

Aspen SA Operations (Pty) Limited, located in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, is a wholly owned South African subsidiary of JSE Limited-listed Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited.

Aspen’s Gqeberha site consists of six facilities that manufacture and pack a broad range of pharmaceutical products ranging from sterile products in the form of liquid vials and ampoules, eye drops, lyophilised vials, and vaccines to oral solid dosage forms (including niche high potency pharmaceutical products).

EVENT DETAILS:
DATE: Friday, 19 August 2022
TIME: 09:00
VENUE: Online Platform (link to be shared upon RSVP)