Cape Town - The City of Cape Town’s economic growth department is celebrating the near completion of a clothing and textile distribution centre for Truworths International Limited – the largest in the Western Cape.
Economic growth Mayco member James Vos announced the news on Tuesday after visiting the site at King Air Industria near Cape Town International Airport.
He said the economic project showcased the City’s progressiveness in terms of pushing for the establishment and migration of lucrative developments in Cape Town.
“Our mission to make the metro the easiest place in Africa to do business is paying off. In fact, according to a recent FNB report on commercial property owners’ motivations for development in a particular region, one of the most commonly cited reasons to relocate was the provision of reliable services,” Vos said.
The international distribution centre is a joint venture between King Air Industria and Truworths and is expected to be completed in November.
King Air Industria is the development company of the industrial park, a joint venture between Atterbury Property and Old Mutual Property, according to the City.
The facility will include a warehouse of 50 000m² and an office of 3 000m², totalling 53 000m², the equivalent of five-and-a-half rugby fields. About 750 tons of steel were used in the construction, equal to the weight of 125 African elephants.
Atterbury Property Western Cape Developments head Gerrit van den Berg said: “We are very grateful for the support that we are receiving from the City of Cape Town. Our investment in King Air Industria and Truworths shows our commitment to contribute to the economy of this beautiful, well-run City.”
Vos said Cape Town was the ideal location for the distribution centre, as the metro was the historic home of the clothing and textile industry.
“In 2023, retailers projected to have sourced 368 million garments from the South African industry, supporting over 60 000 formal manufacturing jobs. Through the City’s partnership with and funding of the Cape Clothing and Textile Cluster, we drive strategic upgrading initiatives with representation across the value chain from retail through to SMMEs,” he said.
Vos said one of the cluster’s projects, the Business Accelerator Programme, had resulted in the signing of contracts worth millions of rand in the past year.