Meet Our Leadership Team

Ease of Doing Business

“Dedicated to building a world-class, proactive operating model that makes doing business in Saldanha easier for all.”

One of the most significant benefits and drivers of investment for Freeport Saldanha is our Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) unit. Its specialised team is focused on creating and implementing our EoDB model. This highly competitive operating model underpins our value proposition.

We aim to ensure that we are continually developing and improving upon the most proactive ways of working. Delivering consistency, certainty and fairness and ensuring that doing business in Saldanha is easier for all, benefiting all our partners across the value chain.

Learn more about our Ease of Doing Business model

Transaction and Investor Support

“We are implementing best practice leasing models to support our innovative infrastructure development and ever-growing tenant pipeline, unlocking the pipeline further and supporting revenue generating potential.”

To support the ramp up of Freeport Saldanha’s operations, in synergy with the business and infrastructure development processes, the company will be undertaking targeted tenant support activities. These activities will build on best practice leasing models to support our innovative infrastructure development and ever-growing tenant pipeline, unlocking the pipeline further and supporting revenue-generating potential.

This team is committed to realising the value of not only the commercial interest of our tenants and Freeport Saldanha as a whole but also the value of sustainable and beneficial ongoing partnerships between them. They are dedicated to:

• Empowering the client acquisition and retention functions of the special economic zone (SEZ) in which we operate;
• Managing client relations with investors and tenants;
• Management and retention of tenants;
• Operator interface and labour relations;
• Management of the following areas:
  • Estate;
  • Security;
  • Physical management of Freeport Saldanha’s industrial development zone;
  • Port operations interface;
  • Sourcing alternative funding.

Business Development

“We are building a robust and ever-growing tenant pipeline for sustainable growth, increasing the value proposition and securing ongoing investment into Freeport Saldanha.”

The Business Development team focuses on attracting investment into the Freeport Saldanha Industrial Development Zone. Investment promotion is centred on the five core sub-categories, including:

• Repair and maintenance;
• Logistics;
• Marine and sub-sea manufacturing and fabrication;
• Exploration and production support;
• Support services.

Supporting activities include:

• Increasing the value proposition and future investment into Freeport Saldanha;
• Concluding key Memoranda of Agreements (MOAs);
• Attending and presenting at national and international conferences and business meetings.

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Infrastructure Development

“We are delivering world-class infrastructure for an attractive, competitive, investment-ready zone.”

This specialised team is dedicated to developing the innovative local and internal infrastructure needed to create an attractive, competitive and investment-ready zone of opportunity.

Our team’s commitment to readying Freeport Saldanha Industrial Development Zone for ongoing investment includes the provision of relevant bulk infrastructure in our designated areas that will meet the needs of our tenants and operators. This includes:

• Bulk electricity, water and sewerage services;
• An optic fibre network;
• Regional provincial road network for heavy vehicle traffic for access to and from Freeport Saldanha;
• Internal reticulation and connection points for utilities;
• Authorisation for the establishment of light industry (for example, general manufacturing, maintenance and logistic support services);
• Environmental impact assessments;
• Estate maintenance;
• Servicing of the land.

We are in the process of obtaining environmental authorisation for handling and storing hazardous fuel and a waste license for dealing with the processes associated with fuel blending.

A security system is being implemented across the entirety of Freeport Saldanha, consisting of a perimeter fence, patrol road, CCTV surveillance and access control.

Development Programmes

“Working together to develop the businesses, workforce and community of Saldanha, shaping a better future for all.”

This team is committed to driving the ongoing development of Saldanha Bay’s workforce and business community. Part of this includes ensuring they are ready and able to participate in and benefit from the new opportunities created by Freeport Saldanha.

Utilising our in-depth knowledge, specialised expertise and a comprehensive understanding of the industry and investors’ requirements to build a ready the workforce and business community appropriately equipped to deliver world-class services to the global maritime industry.

We have formed a collaborative approach to service delivery for Saldanha Bay. A partnership and an innovative socio-economic cooperative agreement between the local and provincial government, with specific the aim of:

• Maximising local economic development and empowerment of the Saldanha Bay community
• Ensuring sustainable job creation
• Supporting socio-economic transformation for both Saldanha Bay and South Africa the complex challenges in our community

Executing development programmes under three central pillars:

1. Skills Development
2. Contractor Development
3. Enterprise Development

Stakeholder Management

“We create and manage the long-lasting, mutually beneficial partnerships that will drive The Zone forward.”

Our guiding principles governing our stakeholder engagements and relations are to be purposeful, inclusive, transparent and respectful.

Stakeholder management and engagement is a dynamic process central to effectively managing and communicating Freeport Saldanha’s vision. The team focusses on establishing mutually beneficial partnerships with stakeholders who have an interest in or are affected by our operations.

A challenge for Freeport Saldanha is the lack of public knowledge linked to the sector in South Africa. Part of our role is, therefore, to form national strategic partnerships and alliances to raise awareness on industry agendas.

Our key programme stakeholders include:

• Western Cape Government
• National Department of Trade and Industry
• Saldanha Bay Municipality
• Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA)
• National Government,
• Local Business Community,
• Private Sector,
• Investors,
• Civil Society,
• Organised Labour
• Industry Association and Agencies.

The stakeholder workstream is also responsible for facilitating the development of an Innovation Campus within Freeport Saldanha, which will be a world-class hub and learning centre for the oil, gas and marine repair and fabrication industries.

Once completed, the Innovation Campus delivers research, innovation, collaboration, learning opportunities and skills development that will serve both local and global industry needs.

Learn more about the Innovation Campus