Polokwane International Airport, like many other airports across South Africa, has been undergoing a massive transformation ahead of the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup as it prepares for an influx of visitors.

However, while 2010 will offer tourists new to Limpopo a look at one of the untapped jewels of South Africa, preparations at Polokwane International go far beyond the mandate for a soccer event.

“We have invested R35-million to bring the airport to where it is today, and we plan to further expand the functionality of the airport,” says Sipho Mthombeni, chief executive of Gateway Airport Authority Ltd (GAAL).

Inside and outside views of Polokwane International Airport

These plans include a maintenance centre, a cargo hub, a trade fair centre, an aviation academy and new GAAL administrative offices.

While preparations for 2010 remain important, perhaps more important is the work that is going into ensuring the longevity of the airport and its positioning as a possible hub to attract further business, not just to Polokwane, but also to the wider region.

“We started to rebuild the airport in 2006, with a view to making it a centre of economic development in Polokwane,” says Mthombeni, noting, however, that opportunities exist far beyond just the immediate area.

“We see the airport as a catalyst for economic development not only for Polokwane, but for the Limpopo province and the surrounding SADC countries,” he adds, noting that South Africa’s northern neighbours can use the airport as a gateway into South Africa.

International Air Transport Association’s airport consultancy has already confirmed that “Polokwane is ideally situated to become a viable alternate development to OR Tambo International,” says GAAL’s Chairman Laduma Thembe “due to us being located at the northern most part of South Africa.”

Before GAAL embarks on the continued build-up of infrastructure for the cargo hub, the company is awaiting the results of a feasibility study currently being undertaken by Grant Thornton's research arm.

The location does however indicate that Polokwane International would be ideal for capturing cargo and freight traffic coming in from neighbouring countries, with its strategic location between South Africa’s main airport hub, OR Tambo, and Zimbabwe International and Zambia’s Livingstone Airport.

“The longer term development plans will see us upgrading and extending the rail link into the airport in support of the cargo hub, the extension of runways to accommodate larger cargo aircraft and the upgrading of access routes,” says Thembe

Close links to the Kruger National Park, as well as Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls, the Okavango Delta in Botswana and Mozambique’s coastline, should see Polokwane International become a thriving destination for tourists eager to see some of the jewels of Africa.

If the green light is given, GAAL will be seeking additional funding for the Cargo Hub, to help pay for new taxiways, cargo terminal and serviced sites for investors within aviation, and specialised facilities for private aircraft.

For more information about Polokwane International Airport or the Gateway Airports Authority Ltd (GAAL), please contact chief executive Sipho Mthombeni at siphogm@gmail.com.