The Coega Development Corporation (Coega) and the Alfred Nzo Development Agency (Anda) have signed a landmark service level agreement (SLA) at Coega’s offices in East London, marking a significant step in the Wild Coast Special Economic Zone (SEZ) programme.

The agreement positions Anda’s portfolio as a core implementing agency within the SEZ framework and commits both organisations to developing a pathway for industrial growth in the Alfred Nzo municipality, in the Eastern Cape.

The SLA formalises a collaboration in which Coega will act as implementing agent to advance the establishment of the Alfred Nzo Industrial Park. The initial focus is on conducting a full feasibility study for the development of the park on 1 272 ha of land owned by the Izinini Community Property Association in Mbizana.

The ultimate objective is to develop an operational industrial park aimed at stimulating investment, creating jobs and supporting regional value chain development.

Key deliverables include completing the full feasibility study, developing a business case, operational structure and investment promotion framework, conducting site assessments and undertaking value chain analysis to identify priority sectors and linkages.

Other goals include introducing an ownership model for sustainable governance, creating a stakeholder management plan, arranging shareholder agreements between different spheres of government and assisting Anda in promoting the project to attract investment aligned with the Wild Coast SEZ programme’s socioeconomic objectives.

Under the governance terms, Coega is appointed as implementing agent for 24 months, renewable by mutual written consent. Its responsibilities include coordinating stakeholder engagement, establishing a governance framework and facilitating shareholder arrangements to ensure alignment across provincial, district and local government entities.

The collaboration forms part of a broader effort to expand Coega’s implementing agent portfolio in support of inclusive economic development.

By progressing the Alfred Nzo Industrial Park within the Wild Coast SEZ framework, the partnership aims to unlock strategic land assets, support value chain development and create an environment for sustainable investment and employment in Alfred Nzo and the wider region.

“The signing of the SLA . . . promotes the development of a model for a wider Wild Coast SEZ, which will allow us to diversify our investors to areas where they are closer to the commodity markets.

“For now, we are developing a full feasibility study for Alfred Nzo. We’ve already done a prefeasibility study (PFS), so this is a continuation of the work we have been doing,” Coega Wild Coast SEZ programme executive manage Dr David Lefutso said.

“Now that the PFS has been produced . . . we envisage that this feasibility study will not exceed 24 months, but we aim to ensure that we finalise it long before this to start attracting partners and investment to begin the real work.

“The costs related to these feasibility studies are huge. The PFS was sponsored by Coega and now this feasibility study is a joint commitment,” Anda CEO Lumko Mtimde said.