Logistics Gateway

Mandela Bay is the largest metropolitan area in the Eastern Cape, with a population of approximately 1.3 million. The province is one of the four largest contributors to the South African GDP, with trade, catering, accommodation (tourism) and manufacturing being the largest contributors.

The metropolitan area is served by:

• Ngqura, as a deepwater port with a capacity of 2 million TEU’s per annum
• Port Elizabeth harbour, with a capacity of 400,000 TEU’s per annum including bulk ore and vehicular RoRo capabilities

The region is further directly connected by rail to Gauteng, the largest commercial market in Africa.

The province does not, however, have intercontinental reach by air, while the existing airport (PLZ) is the third largest mover of airfreight, using dedicated narrowbody freighters to CPT and JIA (Cape Town and Johannesburg).

The Development therefore creates a true gateway location for movement into and from Africa as a world-class capability.

This will benefit established enterprises in the Manufacturing – Logistic – Agriculture – Pharmaceutical and Marine Sectors, with an expanded market focus.

It will further increase the number of foreign tourists attracted to the Province.

It is expected that, as an intercontinental gateway airport, a doubling of existing passenger traffic to PLZ, as a regional airport, will occur.