The Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism provides oversight over:
- two special economic zones (SEZs), the Coega IDZ and the East London IDZ
- development financier, the Eastern Cape Development Corporation
- the tourism and environmental management agency, the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA)
- the regulatory bodies governing gambling and liquor, the Eastern Cape Gambling Board
- the Eastern Cape Liquor Board.
The Coega Development Corporation is the 11,500 hectare industrial park, located in Nelson Mandela Bay, the economic hub of the Eastern Cape.
Already 45 investors whose investments total R11,6 billion have located in the province.
Coega’s priority sectors include energy, metals, logistics, automotive, chemicals, trade solutions training and development cluster, services, maritime, agro-processing and aquaculture.
Coega is being positioned as the African industrial development zone of choice for companies of all sizes wanting to establish a firm foundation for expansion into the African, southern hemisphere and world markets.
Eastern Cape Development Corporation
The Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) is the province’s development financier whose aim is to help stimulate the economy of the Eastern Cape.
Major areas of focus include supporting new and existing businesses with finance and other support as well as stimulating exports from and investment in the province.
The corporation works together with provincial and national ministries, municipalities, chambers, private businesses, communities and other development agencies to implement the economic development policies of the Eastern Cape provincial government.
ECDC is wholly owned by the Eastern Cape government.
The Eastern Cape Board was established in 1997 to regulate all gambling and betting activities in the Eastern Cape.
Important functions include licensing the legal gambling industry, regulating licence holders, and collecting gambling taxes on and preventing unlicensed gambling.
It is the board’s responsibility for the gambling industry to be accountable, credible and legal and complies with internationally recognised industry standards.
The Eastern Cape Liquor Board regulates the retail and micro-manufacturing liquor industry in the province by improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the Board.
The East London IDZ is part of the government’s South African Industrial Development Zones Programme (now the South African Special Economic Zones Programme) to develop, operate and maintain modern infrastructure and to complementary attract strategic investments for the region
The East Cape’s second IDZ was set up in 2002 as a response to the need for a robust catalyst for economic development and industrial diversification in the country.
The zone boasts more than 100 fully serviced sites and secured 26 investors in priority sectors such as:
The East London IDZ is owned by the provincial government and the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM).
It is funded by the Department of Trade and Industry (SEZ Fund – Capital Projects) and the provincial Department of Economic Development Environmental Affairs and Tourism.
It aims to be a world-class operator of a prestigious industrial complex where highly competitive organisations thrive on streamlined business benefits and stimulate sustainable regional economic growth.
The East London IDZ is also home to the East London Science Park.
It was designed to coordinate innovation initiatives, encourage and support the start-up and incubation of innovative, high-growth knowledge and technology-based businesses and to further foster the development and application of high technology to industry.
Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Board
ECPTA was established in 2010 with the goal of becoming a premier conservation and tourism agency, which promotes responsible tourism and conservation underpinned by sustainable development of the Eastern Cape
Its operations, which include six provincial reserves and the promotion of the province as a tourism destination, are governed through the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency bill.