The Limpopo Investment Conference, taking place on 1st and 2nd of September which features South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Minister Ebrahim Patel and the Limpopo Premier Stanley Mathabatha will also see SEIFSA’s Chief Economist Chifipa Mhango present on the subject of Limpopo’s Industrialized Economy in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa.
According to Mhango the conference is an important intervention because it begins to position Limpopo province as a destination for investment. “This conference sits at the intersection of mining, beneficiation tourism, special economic zones, agriculture, energy and industrial infrastructure and technology so it is apt and important that metals and engineering be represented as well.”
“The M&E Sector is just so ubiquitous and therefore tends to be taken for granted. But no industry happens without it and economic growth stagnates without a strong and local M&E base”, says Mhango.
Recognition of this importance is the fact that the presentation from SEIFSA is positioned on the first day, right after the Keynote Address from the President of the Republic.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for SEIFSA to reinforce key issues such as localization, employment and to voice our support for the Steel and Metal Fabrication Master Plan 1.0” concludes Mhango.
Other organizations on the programme include the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) the DTIC, and the African Development Bank.