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.
