STEELPOORT, LIMPOPO — Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau is currently in Limpopo to monitor progress at the Fetakgomo-Tubatse Special Economic Zone, a flagship project aimed at accelerating industrialization, economic growth, and mineral beneficiation. The oversight visit provides a critical platform to engage government and industry stakeholders, update potential investors on facility developments, and showcase the zone’s capacity for large-scale job creation.
The Fetakgomo-Tubatse Special Economic Zone is one of two key areas earmarked for industrialization under the national SEZ program, alongside the Musina-Makhado SEZ. Early projections indicate the zone could create more than 25,000 jobs. Mogaramedi Makgata, the Municipal Manager for the local municipality, noted that the municipality holds a 25% interest in the project alongside the district, provincial, and national government through the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.
According to Makgata, the SEZ is expected to generate 8,000 permanent and indirect jobs in the short term, scaling up to 20,000 employment opportunities over the next decade.
“In the long run, once we are done with the Fetakgomo-Tubatse Special Economic Zone, this area is going to change completely and become highly urbanized,” Makgata explained. He added that the influx of opportunities will spur ancillary investments in sectors such as private education and tourism infrastructure, including lodges and hotels. To facilitate this, the municipality is actively supporting investors by fast-tracking approval processes through the district’s shared municipal planning tribunal and regulating business registrations, a function devolved to the local level in 2024.
The engineering sector is also anticipating significant benefits from the development. Warwick Yardley of Whoppa Engineering highlighted plans to manufacture electric tuk-tuks and electric vehicles for smart and micro-mobility. The facility intends to employ a large number of graduate students to support the manufacturing process.
“These vehicles can create many jobs not only in the factories but for every vehicle issued, giving the person an opportunity to generate a sustainable income,” Yardley stated. He noted that the vehicles, which boast a 160 km range and a top speed of 55 km/h, can be charged using solar power, offering a sustainable transport solution for both rural and urban areas.
The development of the SEZ is situated in the Sekhukhune district, an area historically plagued by high youth unemployment and severe illegal mining activities along the platinum group metals belt. Addressing this challenge, Makgata emphasized a multi-agency approach to curb illicit operations. The local authority is collaborating with town planners, the South African Police Service (SAPS), and the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources to enforce land-use legislation.
Furthermore, national programs are being leveraged to formalize artisanal and small-scale miners into the legal ecosystem. Community awareness campaigns are also being strengthened to encourage residents to report illegal activities, ensuring that illicit mining does not become a stumbling block to the city’s growth.
The Fetakgomo-Tubatse SEZ license was officially approved by the Cabinet in May, though an environmental impact assessment report is still being finalized. The minister’s delegation headed to Steelpoort for a panel discussion with stakeholders. Later in the day, the delegation was scheduled to conduct an oversight visit to the actual SEZ site.
While developments at similar zones like Musina-Makhado have seen minimal progress thus far, stakeholders are optimistic that high-level government oversight and targeted investments will accelerate the realization of the Fetakgomo-Tubatse project, bringing much-needed economic transformation to the region.
