At the successful 14th Annual National Business Awards, hosted on 17 November, the Coega Development Corporation was awarded the Top Performing Public Service Award, sponsored by the National School of Government. This national accolade was well-deserved – the CDC has created more than 56 000 jobs in the bustling Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) near Port Elizabeth.
Now, further praise has come from afar and from the highest level, with the Coega IDZ being recognised as one of the best Industrial Development Zones in all of Africa, by none other than Dr LI Yuanchao, Vice President of the People’s Republic of China. Dr Yuanchao, who recently led the Chinese delegation at the 6th South Africa-China Bi-National Commission, co-chaired by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and Li in Cape Town, said:
“I’ve been to many developing countries and industrial development zones. The Coega IDZ is by far the best of them all”. He also congratulated the Coega Development Corporation on its prestigious achievement at the National Business Awards.
Ralf Fletcher, CEO of Topco Media, congratulated the CDC and the Coega IDZ on this major endorsement from a global industrial leader. “The growth at Coega is indeed remarkable and has been driven by continual socioeconomic development and investment in job creation in the Eastern Cape.
Fletcher also commented on the mandate of the National Business Awards, saying, “In recognising the achievements of the country’s most innovative organisations, we strive to open up opportunities for them both locally and internationally. Year after year, following these awards, we have seen finalists and winners go from strength to strength.