August 2013
CONSTRUCTION WORLD
30
Construction is booming at
Coega as current projects
amount to R1,2-billion, with
over 2 500 jobs created.
projects & contracts
BUILDINGPROJECTS IN
the Coega Industrial
Development Zone (IDZ) have injected over
R1,2-billion into the NelsonMandela Bay con-
struction industry over the past two quarters.
Six major construction projects are cur-
rently underway in the Coega IDZ including
erection of:
• Chinese car and truck manufacturer First
Automobile Works’(FAW) plant;
• Famous Brands’cold storage plant;
• DCD Group’s wind tower manufacturing
plant;
• the addition of Coega Cheese onto the
Coega Dairy outfit;
• Agni Steels’R400-million smelter facility;
• Rehau’s extension in the Nelson
Mandela Bay Logistics Park (NMBLP).
Industrial gas company, Air Products South
Africa, is also about to begin construction of
its R300-million state-of-the-art air separation
unit in Zone 3 in July, bringing the total num-
ber of projects being built to seven.
“The global economic climate is still not
stable, yet investment continues to flow into
the Coega IDZ and is literally taking root in the
construction projects underway,”saidAyanda
Vilakazi, Coega Development Corporation
(CDC) head of marketing and communica-
tions. “We currently have 20 operational
investors, and once these seven construction
projects are complete, we will be up to 27
operational investors by mid-2014.”
Vilakazi said the activity meant major
spinoffs not only for lead contractors, but also
subcontractors, suppliers and thewhole built
environment supply chain: “At a time when
there is industry malaise at a national level,
the Coega IDZ is experiencing a construction
boom to the value of R1,2-billion.
“The unaudited results 2012/13 financial
year also show that construction jobs in the
Coega, IDZ and the NMBLP for April 2012 to
March 2013 amount to 1722 and investor
jobs created are at about 856 – so just over
2500 jobs created directly through activity
in the Coega IDZ,” said Vilakazi, adding that
it was through these major investments that
the CDC was delivering on its mandate to
create jobs.
Famous Brands
The Famous Brands project is nearest comple-
tion and the company was given access to
the warehouse portion in the first week of
May allowing its service provider to start with
racking on the warehouse floor.
Thewarehouse is operational and Famous
Brands moved its stock into the cold storage
unit on 10 June.
“Everything is on track, with timeframes
tight but on target to be met. The project is
still well within original time, cost and quality
Delivering on jobs and
investment promises
parameters set – despite loss of a number of
days due to inclement weather, mainly wind
and rain,”said Bruno Ponzi, CDC senior project
manager for infrastructure development.
The company – which owns the likes of
Steers and Debonairs – was also given ac-
cess to the ground floor of the office block
portion this week, with the balance of the
building due for hand over on June 21. Once
delivered Famous Brands would become the
newest operational tenant in the Coega IDZ.
Vilakazi said Famous Brands was a prime
example of the short conversion times inves-
tors experience from the point of signing a
lease with the CDC to full operation.
“The turnaround times are much quicker
now than they were a couple of years ago
and we are able to construct buildings for
A worker on site at the FAW plant
in Zone 2 of the Coega industrial
development zone.
