THE Master Plan for Ekurhuleni’s Aerotropolis has finally been approved, giving the metro the thumbs up towards becoming the ultimate airport city.
The metro, together with the Gauteng Provincial government, have launched the Aerotropolis project, which is described as one of the most exciting developments in the country.
Put simply, the project is an urban development concept on which the regions’s layout, infrastructure and economy has an airport at its core, linking it to world markets.
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The metro’s Aerotropolis will leverage the potential of OR Tambo Airport as an economic engine and will offer sustainable economic growth in Ekurhuleni with significant benefits for the economy and its people.
Speaking at Ekurhuleni’s Press Club on October 30 at Kempton Civic Centre, HOD for Ekurhuleni’s Economic Development Department, Caiphus Chauke, broke down the plans to members of the media.
“We (Ekurhuleni) have all the ingredients to make this a super hub and we therefore need to embrace our capabilities. We must strive to re-position our place in the world by leveraging the presence of the airport,” Chauke said.
OR Tambo, Chauke said, was identified as the centre of Gauteng’s economic programme and this entails creating a way for the travelling distance between the city’s businesses and cargo and the airport as short and quick as possible.
As Gauteng was projected as one of the world’s mega hub regions, Chauke said Ekurhuleni contributed greatly to this because of the airport. The airport therefore will be the core and focus of the Aerotropolis Master Plan.
Kempton’s suburbs Rhodesfield, Pomona and Bonaero Park are being positioned to play a bigger role in the economic hub.
The Aerotropolis also creates unique investment opportunities for people and businesses in the following industries: property development, industrial and agricultural investment, logistics companies, warehousing and cool chain storage, research and development as well as companies involved in bio-life products, pharmaceuticals, health care services and training.
Speaking at the conference, mayor Mondli Gungubele said the plan aimed to “drive sustainable socio-economic development and an economic infrastructure development programme in partnership with other spheres of government, state owned companies, private business and social partners within the Gauteng City Region and South Africa. Our main objective is to grow the economy, create jobs and improve the general quality of life in the country.”
