The ECA Sub-Regional Office for Southern Africa is organising a study tour on Special Economic Zones (SEZs) for fostering automotive value chains in Southern Africa. The study tour will be facilitated by Gauteng Provincial government, South Africa in close collaboration with the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ)[1] and will take place from 25 – 27 March 2025. The aim of the study is toexplore incentives and requirements to support the development of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) for automotive value chains and enhance the stakeholders’ capacity towards inclusive development of the automotive value chain in Southern Africa. The study tour will be attended by policy makers and private sector representatives from Namibia and Lesotho.
Objectives of the Study Tour
Specifically, the study tour will seek to achieve the following:
(i) Enhance stakeholders' knowledge of the automotive value chain by fostering partnerships and peer learning to develop these chains. This includes understanding the policies, strategies, and regulatory mechanisms that support sectoral development, as well as identifying capacity development needs for Lesotho and Namibia.
(ii) Present case studies of industrial clusters and SEZs in South Africa and isolate the success factors.
(iii)Analyse the policy and regulatory environments necessary for the effective operation and governance of SEZs in Southern Africa's Automotive Industry context.
(iv)Discuss how regional cooperation and integration can enhance the effectiveness of SEZs in driving sustainable industrialization, particularly in the automotive sector.
(v) Create a platform for dialogue among governments, the private sector and international partners to discuss opportunities for collaboration in the development of SEZs focussing on the automotive sector in Southern Africa.
Expected Outcomes of the Workshop
(i) Enhanced insights into effective incentives and policies for establishing and managing automotive SEZs, focusing on fostering the automotive value chain in Southern Africa.
(ii) Deepened understanding to successful automotive SEZs, showcasing innovative approaches to attract investment, develop local supplier networks, and integrate renewable energy and sustainability into SEZ operations. Improve knowledge of aligning SEZ policies with the AfCFTA’s SEZ model templates and the SADC Industrialization Strategy, promoting regional integration and competitiveness for the automotive industry.
(iii)Strengthened capacities of policymakers, private sector representatives, and other stakeholders to design, implement, and manage SEZs that stimulate economic growth and job creation. Development of actionable recommendations to harmonize SEZ policies across Southern Africa, fostering regional collaboration to build integrated automotive value chains.
(iv)Increased dialogue among key stakeholders, including policymakers, investors, and industry leaders, to identify opportunities and address challenges in developing competitive automotive SEZs.
(v) Identified strategies to position SEZs as hubs for innovation, skills development, and technology transfer in the automotive sector. Enhanced understanding of requirements to attract FDI into automotive SEZs, ensuring they become pivotal in regional and global automotive value chains.
Contacts
For additional information and confirmation of participation:
- Grace Kaonga (Staff Assistant, UNECA Southern Africa Office) - kaonga.uneca@un.org
- Talumba Ireen Chilipaine (Economic Affairs Officer, UNECA Southern Africa Office) - talumba.chilipaine@un.org
- Olayinka Bandele (Chief, Inclusive Industrialization Section, UNECA Southern Africa Office) - olayinka.bandele@un.org
Media Contacts:
- Lavender Degre (Communication Officer, UNECA Southern Africa Office)- lavender.degre@un.org
Document
[1]The Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ) is Africa’s first automotive city, an industrial hub that provides investors with a wide range of offerings to help their business flourish. It is a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) that is focused on growing South Africa’s automotive manufacturing industry. – https://www.tasez.co.za/who we are/ (last accessed on Sunday, 9th March,2025)
