How to put the Eastern Cape on pathway to prosperity

The people of the Eastern Cape must never accept poverty, unemployment and economic decline as permanent features of life in the province. Our province has the people, natural resources, industrial capacity, ports, agricultural potential and strategic location to become one of SA’s leading investment destinations. We have established automotive and manufacturing clusters, two special economic zones, three commercial ports, extensive renewable energy potential and significant opportunities in tourism, agro-processing, logistics and the ocean economy.

We also have something investors increasingly struggle to find in SA’s more congested economic centres. The Eastern Cape offers comparatively affordable commercial and industrial property, substantial underused land, access to universities and skills and infrastructure connecting businesses to domestic and international markets. The reality is that the Eastern Cape could, quite quickly, become the most investable and fastest-growing province in SA.

But that will not happen while our municipalities remain binding constraints on growth. For most investors, local government is where the daily reality of the state is felt most directly. It is encountered when they apply for planning approval, request an electricity connection, wait for a building plan, seek clarity on zoning, report a water leak, or attempt to move goods along a municipal road.

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When those basic functions fail, investment stalls. When investment stalls, growth falls and jobs are lost. Reliable water and electricity are the very basic essentials for business expansion, while efficient planning systems determine whether development can proceed. Failing roads, sewerage systems and power infrastructure drive up operating costs for manufacturers, and neglected public spaces and unreliable services undermine the viability of tourism enterprises.

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