High-tech industry offers opportunity

The Western Cape is increasingly
offering more opportunity to
businesses specialising in
high-tech industries, according to
Neil Harris, managing director of
Texcon Shipping.
“The establishment of the
R9 billion Saldanha Steel Project and
growth in the fields of information
technology, telecommunications,
medical and research equipment and
other high-tech processes are all
broadening the industrial core of the
province, making it necessary for any
business worth its salt to investigate
business opportunities,” he told FTW.
The company has just launched a
new division called Warehouseit.
This complements its lateral
integration, says Harris, and through
sister company Courierit, enables it to
offer a genuine one-stop logistics shop
for customers.
According to Harris, the Western
Cape is an important area of focus.
“In line with worldwide trends, South
Africa's export-oriented industries
tend to shift towards port cities and
coastal industrial belts – the drop in
import duties and the establishment of
Saldanha Steel as a basis for Western
Cape heavy industry adds momentum
to this shift,” says Harris.
And he believes the Western
Cape has in recent years become
increasingly important not only due to
the port, but also the expansion of its
manufacturing capacity.
“In the past the strength of Cape
manufacturing largely depended
on the performance of the food
processing sector as well as clothing
and textile industries. Several other
segments have made relatively small,
yet significant contributions to the
sector, like the petrochemical and
plastics industry, furniture, printing
and publishing,” he said.