dtic Minister Parks Tau pitches Northern Cape for green industry

The dtic Minister, Mr Parks Tau, MP, announced at the Northern Cape Investment and Job Conference that the Northern Cape will be positioned as a national growth region focused on Decarbonisation, Diversification and Digitalisation, leveraging green hydrogen, critical minerals, renewable energy and data infrastructure.

• Main announcement/action: The dtic will prioritise the Northern Cape via the 3D Industrial Strategy (Decarbonisation, Diversification, Digitalisation), backed by live policies such as Boegoebaai and the Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy, and by instruments including the IDC, SEZ programme, and Omnibus Investment Support Programme; InvestSA launched a One-Stop-Shop (presided by Premier Zamani Saul) to speed up facilitation, and NEF with the Northern Cape Blended SMME Fund launched projects that created 229 new jobs and sustain 110 existing jobs.
• Background and supporting details: The speech links this provincial push to national programmes such as the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan and Operation Vulindlela II, references past national investment pledges of R1.5 trillion and an ambition to attract a further R3 trillion this cycle (as announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa), and notes partnerships with private investors and Global South partners; no specific implementation timelines for new sector partnerships were provided in the address.