Parliament, Monday, 16 March 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition will this week conduct an oversight visit to the Eastern Cape to see first-hand how special economic zones are contributing to industrial growth and job creation.
The committee will visit the East London Industrial Development Zone and the Coega Special Economic Zone with a focus on the automotive industry’s value chain as part of its ongoing oversight work. The oversight visit forms part of a broader focus on strengthening South Africa’s manufacturing base and supporting industrialisation across the country.
The committee has identified industrial growth, economic transformation, and job creation as key priorities for its oversight work. It believes that expanding manufacturing capacity is essential for driving economic development and creating sustainable employment opportunities.
A key part of South Africa’s approach to inclusive economic growth is decentralising economic activity so that industrial growth is not concentrated in only a few provinces. Special economic zones and industrial parks are seen as important tools to achieve this goal. By locating these industrial hubs across provinces, government aims to stimulate regional economies and attract new investment.
The committee’s visit will focus on assessing how these zones are performing, the challenges they face, and how they can better support industrial development and employment in the Eastern Cape. It will also engage on challenges faced by the automotive industry’s value chain in the Eastern Cape
Details of the oversight are as follows:
Tuesday, 17 March 2026 | |
09:30 – 12:00 | Briefing from the DTIC and the Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism on the Coega SEZ |
12:45 – 13:30 | Site visits (component manufacturers) |
14:15 – 16:00 | Engagement with Isuzu (Gqeberha) |
Wednesday, 18 March 2026 | |
09:00 – 12:00 | Engagement with VW (Kariega) |
13:30 – 14:30 | Engagement with the AIDC-EC (Gqeberha) |
14:30 – 15:30 | Site visits (including Supplier Development Hub) |
Thursday, 19 March 2026 | |
09:00 – 12:00 | Briefing from the DTIC and the Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism on the East London IDZ (ELIDZ) |
12:45 – 14:45 | Site visits to ELIDZ Science and Technology Park |
15:00 – 16:30 | Site visits to component manufacturers |
Friday, 20 March 2026 | |
09:00 – 11:00 | Engagement with Mercedes Benz |
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON TRADE, INDUSTRY AND COMPETITION, MR MZWANDILE MASINA.
For media enquiries, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Ms Faith Ndenze
Parliamentary Communication Services
Cell: 081 377 0686
Email: fndenze@parliament.gov.za
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