In one of Nelson Mandela Bay’s industrial areas, an exciting vision is coming to life of an eco-industrial park designed for a future of high-tech, sustainable production that supports the needs of business, workers, surrounding communities and the natural environment in an integrated ecosystem. This is the future envisioned by the Perseverance Business Association (PBA), a geographical cluster of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber.
The logical next step based on the strides already made by businesses in the area collaborating to address problems around reliable energy and water supply, safety and security, logistics, environmental degradation and illegal dumping.
Perseverance is the trail-blazer of the concept of businesses forming geographical clusters to pool resources and action collective solutions to shared problems in their areas. Since formalising the Perseverance cluster in 2021, there are now 11 established geographic clusters across the metro supported by the Chamber and similarly making progress in addressing issues hampering business operations in their areas.
The clusters have become a key component of the Chamber’s drive to resurge the Bay, “holding the line” to ensure functioning of basic services and an environment that supports investment and jobs.
The model is based on the Perseverance cluster’s approach of driving public-private partnerships that have resulted in stabilising power supply, restoring traffic systems, strengthening security, and protecting vital infrastructure in the area.
The next phase is building resilience – supported by improved infrastructure and reliable services for long-term sustainability – which is where the eco-industrial park plan comes in.
Perseverance is an ideal location for such a park, a compact 1.2 km2 industrial hub that punches well above its weight in terms of multi-national and local investments across diverse sectors, supporting significant employment from the surrounding area, and linkages into local and global supply chains.
The area has attracted investment due to its strategic location in proximity to both the Port Elizabeth harbour and the deepwater Port of Ngqura, the airport, and main arterial roads connecting various areas of the metro and hinterland.
However, no industrial area can operate in isolation.
The realities surrounding Perseverance are social ills of poverty, unemployment and crime; deteriorating road infrastructure and the alarmingly high accident rate on the M19 and R75 that border the industrial zone; and issues of illegal dumping, blocked stormwater canals, overall environmental degradation threatening the health of the Swartkops estuary and the salt pans.
The eco-industrial park is thus a plan to address these issues in an integrated, inclusive way, through collaboration and public-private partnerships, that benefits all stakeholders.
What is an eco-industrial park?
The UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), as the driver of the global Eco-Industrial Parks (EIP) initiative, defines these as “sustainable industrial spaces” where businesses collaborate to manage the environment and shared resources in order to achieve enhanced environmental, economic and social performance. We are buoyed by the fact that the PBA has been included in the UNIDO Industrial Park support programme for 2026.
By collaborating on issues of materials, logistics, energy, water and waste, businesses in an eco-industrial park reduce wastage and environmental impact, exploiting synergies which lead to greater competitive advantage for all and, ultimately, economic growth and job creation.
The programme in South Africa is implemented by the National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC-SA) and funded by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), with the mandate to support transition of local industry towards decarbonisation, a green economy and circular economy solutions through resource efficient and cleaner production interventions.
The Perseverance Business Association is working closely with these government entities to develop a Master Plan for the Perseverance Eco-Industrial Park, and we are in the final stages of preparing an application to the DTIC for a critical infrastructure grant to implement the plan.
We have registered a company, Perseverance Eco Industrial Park (Pty) Ltd, through which park management and governance will be implemented.
In practical terms, the plan for the Perseverance eco-industrial park starts with erecting 13km of fencing to clearly define the area, with two controlled entry/exit points for security and eliminating illegal dumping.
Traffic congestion and improved logistics flow will be addressed through measures including traffic calming, a central truck holding area with facilities for drivers, and extending the network of CCTV and license plate recognition cameras that we already have in place.
The park intends to have a water treatment facility to recover and reuse a significant portion of the water used daily by industry and reduce reliance on municipal water, as well as a dedicated waste collection and recycling facility, and an 80ha solar park to power the precinct and reduce demand on the national grid.
Stakeholder engagements to plan these facilities are underway.
The next phase is a green belt project to transform the disused railway track through the area into a landscaped walkway that provides a safe area for recreation and connecting with nature.
To support the digitised future of manufacturing, an artisan training centre is envisaged to supply the skills development needs of businesses and workers in the precinct.
In a rapidly-changing manufacturing and business environment, often shaped by global forces out of our control, the vision for the Perseverance Eco-Industrial Park is undoubtedly ambitious.
However, business in Perseverance has already shown what it can achieve through collaboration and strategic partnerships with government and community stakeholders – thus we believe our vision is not only achievable, but vital for a sustainable future.
Brenton van Vuuren is the Chairperson of the Perseverance Business Association, a geographic cluster supported by the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber.