Trade Zone

The Trade Zone, which will be linked to the airport’s air freight component, is a new and significant intervention and one which will provide dedicated space for the import to and export from KwaZulu-Natal of high-value goods.

Trade Zone objectives are two-fold. Firstly, to recapture KwaZulu-Natal freight currently utilising Gauteng’s OR Tambo International Airport and, secondly, to provide a platform to actively support and generate new investment in the full range of air freight-related businesses and associated services in KwaZulu-Natal.

By providing state-of-the-art air freight handling facilities, the Trade Zone is expected to attract industries, such as motor components, electronics, clothing and textiles, perishables and value-added logistics, which are critically dependent on specialised and dedicated air cargo facilities.

The Trade Zone comprises:

• Cargo Terminal and Perishables Centre – which will have direct air-side access and give effect to rapid export and import of time-sensitive products. It will be capable of managing some 100 000 tons of cargo per annum from its launch in 2010. Available land and the overall airport design and layout will ensure the capacity for the expansion of the cargo facility to handle 400 000 tons as and when demand necessitates. The cargo terminal will be built on 41ha of developable land and take up 193 200 square metres of floor-space.
• Trade Zone Precinct – which will be a controlled area specifically geared to the facilitation of value-adding and logistics processes of the Dube TradePort. The Trade Zone Precinct, consisting of 36ha of developable land and taking up 180 000 square metres of floor-space in 2010, will be home to trade and logistics warehousing, cargo and light industry activities.       

Essentially, the specialist freight-oriented Trade Zone will provide an all-new export environment through which tenants, operators and service industries may achieve high levels of productivity, logistics efficiencies and improved competitiveness. This multi-modal logistics platform will assist in creating economic opportunities and will be an attractive location for both manufacturing and service-based investment by businesses requiring quick access to air cargo and passenger services, and particularly those conducting their business within global value chains.

Possible investments include:

• Value-added logistics park
  - Dedicated logistics platform and services for the development of an air freight-focused value-added logistics cluster capable of attracting integrators, third-party logistics companies and logistics service providers, together with their key accounts;

• Aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, aluminium product manufacturing and aerospace
  - Offering of cost-competitive C and D check maintenance services;
  
  
• Electronic manufacturing services
  - Contract manufacturing or assembly of original equipment manufacture-designed electronics for the communications, automotive and medical/instrumentation sectors, typically for mass-volume or component-intensive products;

• Remote printing
  - Electronic receipt of newspaper, magazine or text book materials from overseas-based publishers for local printing and distribution, allowing for small print-runs and tailoring to specific regions or types of reader;

• Packaging service provision
  - Provision of value-added packaging services for product manufacturers and tailored services for import and export.

‘Spin-off’ commercial property and service developments will be stimulated in the vicinity of the Dube TradePort as a result of the step-change in the area’s economic activity.