President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to officially unveil two major business projects on Thursday, in Durban, KwaZulu Natal.
According to Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya, the inauguration ceremony will mark the opening of the Newlyn PX Terminal and the Tetra Pak Manufacturing plant, showcasing strides towards fulfilling commitments made during the South African Investment Conference.
Development to benefit freight firms
The Newlyn PX Terminal, situated in Bayhead adjacent to the bustling port of Durban, emerges as a monumental achievement in infrastructure development, Magwenya explained.
Originally pledging R2-billion towards its construction, the terminal has surpassed expectations by completing its final phase with an excess of R2.6-billion.
Magwenya, emphasised the terminal’s pivotal role in expanding the nation’s logistics capacity and bolstering global competitiveness along the critical NATCOR trade corridor, linking Johannesburg to the port of Durban.
“The entity has over the last 26 years demonstrated its commitment as well as significant financial, technical and human resource development in developing transformational logistics infrastructure along the country’s major trade corridors.
“The terminal has also been recognised as flagship development expanding the logistics capacity of the country as well as enhancing global competitiveness as part of the critical NATCOR trade corridor linking Johannesburg to the port of Durban,” he said.
“The development will further facilitate an integrated ecosystem yielding benefits to freight owners, Transnet and logistics service providers. This will also accelerate government’s objective of migrating of cargo from road to rail.
“Furthermore, the terminal is poised to foster an integrated ecosystem, benefiting freight owners, Transnet, and logistics service providers alike, while aligning with the government’s objective of transitioning cargo transport from road to rail.”
State of the art facility
Meanwhile, the Tetra Pak Manufacturing plant represents a significant stride in industrial innovation and sustainability. With an investment exceeding R500 million in 2022, Tetra Pak, a global leader in food processing and packaging, has established the state-of-the-art facility as the premier producer of carton aseptic packaging in Africa, Magwenya said.
“Post the investment, the manufacturing plant is now the only state-of-the-art facility in Africa producing carton asceptic packaging for the domestic market and Africa export; meeting standards of sustainability; supporting a circular economy and propelling industrial growth.
“These investments will form a critical industrial base for South Africa’s recent commencement of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), for export opportunities.”
