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Where green tech goes to grow
3 September 2019
Sitting just 40 kilometres north of Cape Town, Atlantis is no longer the lost city and has been rediscovered, and revitalised, as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ). SEZs are supported by special laws and systems that are often different from the rest of the country, including tax incentives and building allowance.
The Atlantis SEZ is one of nine SEZs in the country and was launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in December 2018. The Atlantis SEZ has attracted R680 million in direct investments, created 300 permanent jobs and is projected to create 1000 – 1100 more jobs and attract investments of up to R1.3 billion by 2021.
The Atlantis SEZ is unique because it has been set aside for green technology specifically and, with its history as a small industrial area in the 1970s, Atlantis has the skills to grow and the space to thrive. Its community is made up of experienced welders, boilermakers, advanced electronics workers, and electricians and GreenCape has laid the groundwork for investments, skills and infrastructure development.
With the community’s help, the Atlantis SEZ will soon see 45-meter long wind turbine blades starting their journeys to wind farms across the country and powering the nation while empowering the Atlantis community as well.
Read the full article on the Atlantis SEZ and its potential to change the green technology landscape here: Better Together magazine issue 32
