Free State
South Africa
Sector
Call Centres & Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)
Food & Beverages
Manufacturing
Sport
The Free State Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA) is the official investment promotion and development agency for the Free State province and has been established with the mandate of attracting investors to the region and providing a full range of services to those investors.
With a wide variety of investment opportunities available FIPA is planning not only to attract big South African business, but also to target international investors, increasing the flow of foreign direct investment to the Free State.
There are a vast range of opportunities currently available in the Free State, and a selection of current projects is included below:
Projects currently underway in the Free State:
Take part in the Fresh Food Market
Agriculture is a dominant force in the Free State and the province already boasts a wide variety of fresh produce, including both white and green asparagus, soya, sunflowers and wheat and cherries.
While the agricultural sector in the Free State is becoming increasingly export-orientated, most produce leaves the province unprocessed. It is here that a gap in the market has been identified.
The Free State Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA) is concentrating on establishing a Fresh Produce Market as a means of beneficiating produce in the province, as well as providing a one-stop service for the fresh food industry.
For more information on this opportunity: Fresh Food Investment Opportunity
Establish a call centre in the Free State
The Free State makes an ideal destination for BPO investment, with a number of potential sites having already been identified for call centre locations, including industrial parks, unused government and business buildings, as well as vacant land.
In addition, the province also has a well-educated population, which is available to be utilised by any incoming investors. It is envisaged that the sector could create approximately 8,000 (3,000 direct, 5,000 indirect) new jobs in the Free State by 2011.
The Free State Investment Promotion Agency has highlighted key reasons why the Free State is the right choice for potential investors.
- Rental and labour costs lower than Johannesburg and Cape Town.
- Convenient accessibility from Gauteng.
- Appropriate supporting infrastructure on a par with both Johannesburg and Cape Town in sophistication and reliability.
For more information on this opportunity: BPO Investment Opportunity
Become a part of a jewellery hub
The Virginia Jewellery Hub (VJH) is being developed in the Free State as a jewellery manufacturing cluster of industries
This area has been identified as a result of the vast availability of the redundant mining assets which are suitable to be turned into factory space to manufacture jewellery as gold is available from the Harmony Gold Mines dotted around the goldfield area.
As part of the establishment of the VJH, there is the Harmony Jewellery School, which was established in the year 2000 to train students from the Goldfields and the surrounding towns.
For more information on this opportunity: Jewellery Manufacturing Hub Opportunity
Develop a Sports Academy
There is an opportunity to develop a sports academy at the Schoeman Park Golf Club, to be either sport-focused or integrate schools of sport for which facilities already exist.
This will involve the development of boarding facilities, lecture halls, an audio visual room, a gymnasium, medical facilities etc.
If a sports academy is not developed a medical sport centre can be developed at the golf course – representing an exclusive medical centre focused on addressing sport related issues and injures – physiotherapy, acupuncture, etc.
For more information on this opportunity: Sports Academy Investment Opportunity
For more information about these or any other investment opportunities in the Free State, contact the Free State Investment Promotion Agency:
Name: Lesley-Anne Welman
Tel: +27 51 410 0885
Email: lesley@fipa-sa.co.za
