​Thembisa Shologu
The Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) will on Tuesday host a Freight and Logistics Roundtable to establish long-lasting partnerships that will revive the economy.
The two-day discussions, to be held at the Gallagher Estate in Ekurhuleni, will provide a common platform to establish a competitive, safe, secure, more equitable and sustainable smart freight transport solution for Gauteng.
The roundtable is in partnership with the Gauteng Department of Road and Transport, the Gauteng Department of Economic Development and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.
Premier David Makhura says all related activities should aim to create an efficient economy with world-class supply chains competing at a global level.
"This freight also finds its way into other supply chains in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region through well-defined corridors with Gauteng as the epicentre.
"The development of the Tambo Springs Intermodal Rail Terminal will ensure that current and future container volume traffic is serviced on the rail, alleviating the existing and projected pressure on the national road infrastructure," said Premier David Makhura.
The Gauteng province contributes more than 33% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is the originator and destiny of more than 60% of South Africa's freight.
The current logistics infrastructure in the region is not sufficient for the growing economy and capacity, therefore, new intermodal hubs are being planned.
To address this, the province has introduced the Strategic Infrastructure Project 2  that is aimed at developing growth-supporting infrastructure along the Durban­–Free State–Gauteng corridor.
This freight corridor is seen as a model corridor and forms the backbone of South Africa's freight transportation network and is vital in facilitating economic growth for the country.