Nelson Mandela Bay Brings Home A R60 Million Investment

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is making strides to reclaim its rightful place as a globally competitive City when it officially opened a R60 million investment in the form of a Lighting Innovation factory in Greenbushes on Thursday, 6 June 2013.

The factory, called Lighting Innovations Pty Ltd, has taken a decision to invest in the Nelson Mandela Bay region expanding the Johannesburg operations of their current manufacturing division to the Nelson Mandela Bay region.

They have also expanded their current manufacturing volumes by purchasing new machinery, building a factory plant of 8 000 square meters and creating 80 permanent jobs.

“Lighting Innovations was considering locating this investment to other destinations, but based on the value proposition that the region provides for this type of investment and successful negotiations, they finally decided to rather move to and expand their manufacturing division here in the Nelson Mandela Bay region, thus increasing investments in the region” said Nelson Mandela Bay Economic Development and Recreational Services Acting Executive Director Anele Qaba.

The investment is of strategic importance for the Nelson Mandela Bay region and the Eastern Cape Province at large, as it does not only contribute to the region’s objective of diversifying the manufacturing sector, but also strengthens the metals manufacturing sector.

The metal sector is highly labour intensive and carries great potential for skills transfer. The sector is in fact one of the targeted growth sectors for the region and the Eastern Cape Province as a whole.

Energy efficiency is a priority for the Nelson Mandela Bay region and the investment by Lighting Innovations is in line with prioritising energy efficiency, as Lighting Innovations specialises in the manufacturing of energy efficient lighting systems, this investment puts the region close to its goal of being an energy efficient region.

“As part of our economic development strategy and the job creation plan that was approved by the Council early this year, investment promotion has been lifted as a key critical pillar that will help this region achieve its economic objectives. It is exciting that Lighting Innovations has finally completed its manufacturing site in our region. The investment is coming at a crucial time when the country has declared war on unemployment. This investment is also coming at a time when the municipality is facing a dwindling budget. Having this investment in our region will help boost the Municipality’s revenue while contributing significantly to job creation” said Ben Fihla, the Executive Mayor for Nelson Mandela Bay.