The Scramble For Port St Johns From Chinese Investors

President Ramaphosa has championed the development of new infrastructure and ‘smart cities’ to help unleash South Africa’s economic potential. 

Plans to redevelop the region were made public by Avril Williamson, the Director-General of COGTA, who confirmed that a massive overhaul is likely to take place in Port St Johns, with a view to make it a new ‘coastal city’ nestled between East London and Durban.

However, few realised that the region has previously been the subject of intense interest from Chinese investors. Chinese business representatives have been closely connected to the Port St John’s project for the past few years.

The Chinese Ambassador to South Africa – Lin Songtian – has previously raved about the region and its potential for an economic boom. He told the media two years ago that investors from China ‘are serious’ about their commitment.

“We want to see how feasible it is to build a small harbour in Port St Johns. This province has 800km of coastline, I think the potential for an ocean economy is there. We want to know how we can encourage more investment from China to the Eastern Cape, particularly in the Coega region. We want to develop and transform this area into common prosperity.”

“The Eastern Cape is a favourite place to work together between South Africa and China. The country itself, meanwhile, is one of the best nations for investment and tourism. Our engagements so far have been productive.”

Port St Johns is home to about 6 500 people on the Wild Coast – despite its small size, it still attracts a healthy amount of tourists each year. The ECPTA is eager to observe how the developments unfold and to see how the province benefits as a whole with the upgrading of Port St Johns.

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