Opportunities provided by Estcourt Intermodal Terminal
The establishment of the EIT will have significant positive socio-economic and business impact, uplifting the people in the communities surrounding the terminal and providing extensive business opportunities to investors and other stakeholders.
LOGISTIC & TRANSPORTATION OPPORTUNITIES
The shape and style of the EIT project is not testing a greenfield logistics system that does not exist. The Container Corridor route has been importing and exporting containerised freight for many years. This means that there is an existing case for the Container Corridor that is predominantly road transport based, with parallel roadway and railway infrastructure between Estcourt and the Port of Durban.
The roadway is run as a public private partnership, while the railway is public sector. Transnet has announced that various slots on the railway will be privatised, but the trains will be managed by private partners, resulting in public private partnerships on the rail line itself. The logistic inefficiencies of both roadway and railway along the Container Corridor are punitive to the South African economy as well as the KwaZulu-Natal provincial economy.
This new multi-modal logistics park in Estcourt introduces a fresh logistics business case for shippers importing and exporting along the Container Corridor. The viability of EIT, specifically over the first five years, is tested in terms of an inland transshipment terminal business and investment case based on the repurposed design. The EIT pre-feasibility study supports the viability of a multi-modal transshipment terminal business in the Container Corridor logistics economic passage as a private sector operational infrastructure investment in the transport sector of the South African and KwaZulu-Natal economies.
EIT is now actively opening the opportunity to the following stakeholder groups, looking to secure interest from the likes of the following:
- Terminal operators
- Logistics companies wishing to rent space within the multi-mode freight terminal and logistics park
- Logistic service providers (LSPs)
THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT
Until December 2017, Estcourt was synonymous with the well-known manufacturing facilities for a variety of established South African brands, such as Masonite Africa, Estcourt Meats, Nestle and Clover Milk Powders. Unfortunately, Masonite Africa and Clover Milk Powders closed down, while Estcourt Meats burned down and relocated thereafter.
Furthermore, Estcourt lacks certain infrastructures, or has infrastructure that has been worn down by lack of maintenance.
As a result, Estcourt is in steady decline, with the majority of the population having to decide between moving away to find jobs, or remaining in the town in poverty.
The socio-economic impact of the EIT project is of unparalleled importance in this area that has been devastated by company closures, economic downturn and the compounding effects of the pandemic.
The people and communities of Estcourt will be included in various projects to uplift their society in general, and to ensure participation.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES | |
|---|---|
TOTAL JOBS | 4445 |
Terminal Activities | 160 |
Hotel accommodation | 215 |
Road Haulage activities | 2800 |
Truck stop and affiliated services | 45 |
Supporting retail activities | 230 |
Bulk packaging | 435 |
Stuffing and de-stuffing facilities | 60 |
Bulk liquid storage | 35 |
Cold storage facilities | 60 |
Cleaning services | 120 |
Site management services | 8 |
Security and safety services | 90 |
Maintenance and engineering services | 25 |
Food and other hospitality activities | 150 |
Training and facilitating activities | 12 |
The terminal will lead to numerous auxiliary and affiliated business activities in the area, with the following at the forefront of the development:
- Hotel and other accommodation
- Haulage activities, such as owner driver schemes for up to 2200 heavy vehicles at phase 3 of the project
- Truck stops and affiliated services
- Supporting retail activities
- Bulk packaging
- Stuffing and de-stuffing facilities
- Bulk liquid storage
- Cold storage facilities
- Cleaning services
- Site management services
- Security services
- Maintenance and engineering services
- Food and hospitality activities (aside from accommodation)
- Training and facilitating activities