Project Description
The Harrismith Logistical hub (HLH) is a future project that has been earmarked by the Free State Provincial Government as a flagship project, as part of the government’s prioritised Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiatives (Asgisa) programme.
The overriding argument for the development of a central logistics hub in the Free State is a need to eradicate the traffic congestion caused by heavy haulage transportation on the N3 highway which is the busiest long-haul freight transport corridor in South Africa.
The HLH has not been established yet, but it is expected to be located in the town of Harrismith, which is funnelled by the N3 (Johannesburg to Durban route) and the N5 (Durban to Cape Town route) national roads, which link the Durban port with inland distribution centres.
As Harrismith is located at one of South Africa’s major interchanges of national and regional roads, the HLH will offer a unique opportunity to reduce the costs of freight by creating an inland port that can handle cargo containers through offloading road cargo to rail, thereby reducing the congestion of trucks on the road.
The move also reflects the government’s target to shift more freight off roads and back on to rail, mirroring efforts by Transnet Freight Rail to increase its rail cargo capacity, and its acquisition of additional rolling stock over the next three years.
Earlier this year, the Honourable FB Marshoff, premier of the Free State Province, said that the volume of cargo passing through Harrismith equates to just under 30% of all road cargo through its roads.
“It is projected that with the current steady economic growth rate of our province and that of the country, this volume will increase by at least 25% annually for the next 7 years,” said Marshoff.
Multi-modal Logistics capabilities in the Free State
In anticipation of this continued growth in cargo, the objective of the HLH is to provide multi-modal transportation logistics (air, rail and road) capabilities, as part of an overarching programme.
A designated industrial area of land, alongside the N3 highway, has therefore been identified as suitable for the establishment of a multi-modal Transport Logistical Park to be known as the Harrismith Logistical Hub.
The first phases of the feasibility study and the scoping report have already been conducted. The next stage, still to follow, is the identification of the Project Manager to lead the process of commissioning the second phase feasibility study and further development of a dedicated Logistical Park.
The HLH is just one part of the current spate of infrastructure development projects currently underway in the Free State province. Another key development is the N8 Corridor development project.
N8 Corridor Development project
The N8 Corridor development is taking place along the N8 route, which is one of the major roads stretching from the east of the Free State Province through towns such as Ladybrand and Bloemfontein, all the way to Kimberly in the Northern Cape Province.
The projects that are earmarked for development along the N8 Corridor are: the expansion at Bloemfontein Airport, the building of the International Convention Centre and a hotel, construction of industrial buildings for warehousing and other manufacturing facilities. The N8 Corridor is spearheaded by the Mangaung Local Municipality.
For more information about the N8 Corridor Development project click on the link below:
Free State Corridor Development Project opens opportunities
For more information about the Harrismith Logistics Hub and related opportunities, contact the Free State Investment Promotion Agency:
Name: Lesley-Anne Welman
Tel: +27 51 410 0885
Email: lesley@fipa-sa.co.za
