Delivering Value To Stakeholders
Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone Ltd (RBIDZ) is an agency of the KwaZulu-Natal government. The RBIDZ is located within the growing City of uMhlathuze, which incorporates Empangeni and Richards Bay.
The geographic location of the RBIDZ, neighbouring the Port of Richards Bay and facing the trading currents of the Indian Ocean, brings it nearer to some of the major international trade routes. It is strategically positioned to service Gauteng and its strong mixture of industry, as well as the SADC's emerging market economies, which depend largely on the Port of Richards Bay for trade. This location provides investors seeking efficiency and wishing to utilise South Africa, in particular Richards Bay, an all-in-one official gateway to emerging African markets.
The RBIDZ has a sustained campaign to draw the attention of investors to the region while motivating existing firms towards expansions that had a butterfly effect on business and employment opportunities.
Investments worth more than R10 billion encompassing business operations from a wide range of economic sectors have recently been signed, with continued efforts to create suitable sites for business operations.
The RBIDZ, which is deemed to be a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), aims to encourage international competitiveness through offering a number of benefits:
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The reduction in corporate tax from 28 to 15%
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World-class industrial land that support infrastructure for export-orientated production
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Dedicated in-house Customs Controlled Area (CCA) that supports services to expedite forwarding and clearing
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Duty-free on imports for production related raw materials including machinery and assets used in production with aim of exporting the finished products
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VAT exemptions under specific conditions for supplies procured in South Africa
Manufacturing Sector
The RBIDZ is an integral part of Government's macroeconomic policy to develop South Africa's manufacturing sector. This is done through encouraging investment in export orientated manufacturing industries, centred on beneficiation of the country's natural resources and thereby creating opportunities for employment, and has already entered into agreements with locators who will bring billions of rand of investment to the Richards Bay area.
A metals beneficiation hub will offer tenants:
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Improved intra-inter department cooperation
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Support for technical upgrades
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Promotion of industry development by encouraging cluster/alliances/cooperation in the metals and aluminium pipelines
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Sub-sector data including export/import market information
The Nyanza Light Metals beneficiation plant is located in RBIDZ Phase 1F estate in Alton. The plant construction commenced in 2017 with full production set to begin in 2020.
Nyanza Light Metals and New Zealand investor, Avertana Limited will extract titanium dioxide pigment from 45 million tons of waste slag, which has been stockpiled by Evraz Highveld and Vanadium at its Witbank operations since 1965. Titanium dioxide pigment is used in various products such as paint, toothpaste and food colourants.
In line with the industrial development zone's statutory requirements 20% of an estimated R300 million construction spend in Phase 1F, would go to local small, medium and micro enterprises.
Agro-Processing
Agro processing is one of the priority sectors. Specific services offered include:
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A dedicated warehouse for the export of value added products
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A manufacturing facility for various commodities
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A dedicated warehouse for processed products for export
