AS a build-up to the Manufacturing Indaba on June 28 and 29, Ekurhuleni Metro treated the media to an exclusive tour of the developments thriving around parts of the city.
The tour introduced the media to the many investment hubs flourishing in the city that are contributing to the manufacturing industry and the economy of Ekurhuleni.
This is all part of the metro’s vision to become an Aerotropolis, in which the layout, economy and infrastructure of the city have the airport at its core. The excursion focused on developments in and around Kempton Park, including Clayville and Chloorkop.
All these industries play a crucial role in forming an Aerotropolis, whose core functioning relies on the airport – with all the other elements, including industries such as manufacturing, logistics, trade, transportation and entrepreneurship, needed to harmonise to create a successful city.
For example, Rhodesfield is now home to a new form of public transport – the Gautrain. With a Gautrain station located in the suburb and its close proximity to the airport, Rhodesfield forms a central point which is accessible to the community by road (Harambee), rail (Gautrain) and air (airport).
There is also an approved urban design framework in place, mostly hotels and retail offices, which will turn the suburb into a high-density mixed-land-use area.
The tour began at the Ekurhuleni Business Facilitation Network in Kempton’s CBD. The investment centre is a partnership among Ekurhuleni, Peermont and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It is a modern facility that provides business support, incubation, mentorship, linkages and financing interventions for SMMEs and co-operatives.
The next stop was Lords View near Chloorkop, dubbed the greenest industrial park in the country.
This new industrial and logistics park will be environmentally friendly and eco-sensitive, and will house big corporates such as Ola Ice Cream, the Foschini Group and Stuttafords’ head office.
Another industrial space currently under development is the Twenty One Industrial Estate in Clayville, which is situated along the Albertina Sisulu R21 highway. This is a high-tech light industrial park accommodating distribution companies and packaging plants such as Consol Glass.
Bonaero Park residents will soon get new neighbours when Clearwater Estate is completed. The office park and residential estate is being built on Atlas Road, situated directly behind OR Tambo Airport and is easily accessible to the R21 and N12 freeways.
Tenants in the more than R2-billion project include Old Mutual, Absa Bank, Discovery Heath, Barloworld, Business Partners and Imperial Air Cargo.
Last but not least, in order for Ekurhuleni to be fully competent as an Aerotropolis, the metro needs to have facilities which provide aeronautical services.
In comes the Denel Group, a state-owned commercially driven company and strategic partner for innovative defence, security and related technology solutions.
Situated on land that is directly accessible to the east side of the airport, the Denel Campus houses several defence and aerospace divisions and associated companies, including Denel Aerostructures, Denel Aviation as well as the company’s technical academy.
As the name indicates, Denel Aerostructures designs and manufactures various military and civilian aircraft. Their capabilities include comprehensive design, industrialisation, advanced manufacturing and the assembly of ultra-light weight aerostructures for the global aerospace market.
Denel Aviation, the division responsible for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of aircraft, is currently in the developmental stages of a concept for a Small African Regional Aircraft (SARA) – a 21st-century transportation system for Africa.
