The Newcastle Growth Coalition has offered their stance on the latest report issued by ArcelorMittal SA.

Chairman Johan Pieters says that although it has had an enormous impact on the Newcastle economy, he believed a bounce-back was in the pipeline.

“Newcastle is a very adaptable town and we always come back stronger, no matter what obstacles are thrown in our way,” he said.

He said the effect of AMSA’s closure was not immediately felt.

The ripple effect came much later, when he noticed companies closing their doors and moving out of town.

However, Pieters believed Newcastle will always be an economic hub for investors, given its placement in KwaZulu-Natal between major cities such as Durban and Gauteng, saying there will always be people wanting to invest here.

Already, according to him, the municipality released statements regarding a wind-power plant project, as well as the refurbishment and redevelopment of the old Karbochem facility into an energy generation plant.

Investment opportunities remain

He also believed that there were many other opportunities in Newcastle for new investments, such as possibly having SA Breweries invest in our rich soil, which harvests great hops in order to make beer.

“Our soil is great here. We also have a booming textile industry, which is worth more investments if done the right way, and then the fact that we’re very rich in coal also makes for great investments here,” he explained.

He further mentioned that the selling of AMSA Newcastle Works was still in the pipeline with the IDC, and great news regarding the selling was on the cards.

“We have to accept that Newcastle will never again see AMSA. That chapter is closed, but new beginnings are on the horizon and it can only mean great things going forward,” he said.

He continued that, “With the right attitude and enough local, provincial and national support, Newcastle will always be an investor-friendly town offering a rich variety of opportunities. But we’ll all need to play our part to ensure we remain attractive to potential investors.”

“Newcastle is very adaptable and we’ll always make a success of things.”

Pieters further encouraged the provincial and national government to continue looking into smaller towns as investment hubs and continue pouring tangible investments into these towns just as they would any larger metro city.

He also mentioned that the Growth Coalition had extended an invite to SA President Cyril Ramaphosa to pay a visit to Newcastle and help the business community with the tools to rebuild and continue making a success despite the challenges they had faced over the past few years.

“It is in our hands to turn things around now; we cannot sit idle and wait for things to get better,” he concluded.

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