The Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone

Overview

The mission of the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ) is to provide a conducive environment that attracts appropriate investment for sustainable economic development.

The Zone’s strategic goals are to: promote good governance and ensure legislative compliance; establish a world-class IDZ infrastructure; establish a sustainable IDZ; and attract fixed investment in export-orientated manufacturing and services industries.

The purpose of proclaiming the RBIDZ was to: facilitate the creation of an industrial complex having strategic economic advantage; provide the location for the establishment of strategic investments; enable the exploitation of resource-intensive industries; take advantage of existing industrial capacity, and promote integration with local industry and value-added production; create employment and other economic and social benefits in the region in which it is located; be consistent with any applicable national policies and laws, as determined by appropriate environmental, economic and technical analyses; develop and operate an IDZ in the area designated in the operator permit; provide quality services infrastructure to attract internationally competitive, export-orientated manufacturing businesses; take ownership of the assets and affairs of the Zone and be responsible for ongoing management and maintenance thereof; establish a one-stop service centre and provide commensurate human resources capacity, expertise and suitable technologies; make arrangements for and mobilise requisite resources for the development of the Zone; and operate in a manner that recognises that the shareholder is prioritising development, socio-economic improvement and long-term sustainability, rather than financial profit.