Role of SEZs expanding in African mining
Over the last decade, dozens of new special economic zones (SEZs) have been created to cater to the mining industry and as new zones are announced, this will change many of the underlying assumptions about the African mining industry, says Adrianople Group cofounder and chief researcher Thibault Serlet.
He notes that SEZs are business parks or cities that have been created for the purpose of attracting foreign direct investment. There are more than 12 000 SEZs worldwide, roughly half of which have been extensively mapped out.
African governments see SEZs as a way to contain the harmful effects of the mining industry while retaining the economic benefits, Serlet says.
Several South African SEZs have been specifically created for the purpose of fostering innovation in the mining sector.
Platinum Valley seeks to revolutionise Africa’s production of hydrogen fuel cells.
The valley will offer various incentives to companies including significant corporate income tax breaks, wage incentives for salaried employees, and the ability to write off expenses on various types of capital goods.
The Musina-Makhado SEZ, in northern Limpopo, will be home to a Chinese coal-fired steel refinery. Chinese companies located in the zone will be allowed to benefit from South Africa’s industrial incentives.
The government of Zimbabwe granted miner Tharisa SEZ status. SEZ status means that Tharisa will receive reduced tax rates, duty-free importation of raw materials and equipment, and benefits from less strict currency exchange rules. Other countries such as Senegal and Nigeria are also creating new SEZ frameworks specifically targeting mining.
This trend of creating mining-centric SEZs will play a major role in the African mining industry in years to come, Serlet concludes.
Comments
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Since 1919, Victaulic’s innovative solutions and design services continue to increase construction productivity and reduce risk, ensuring projects...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Leading condition monitoring specialists, WearCheck, help boost machinery lifespan and reduce catastrophic component failure through the scientific...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
