Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM) will work with local municipalities to attract investors, Executive Mayor Wongama Gela said as the district welcomed investors from Germany.
The multimillion rand investment by Sun Farming will generate about 30 megawatts of renewable energy.
Company CEO, Gustav Radloff, said they were bringing agricultural solar farming at a cost of around R500 million.
“We are going to have green houses that can be used to plant tomatoes, cucumber and peppers among others. We will also be able to do chicken farming as well as feedlots for cattle,” Radloff said.
He said Sun Farming was training up to 1 500 people to become commercial farmers and create more jobs.
Radloff further added that the solar farming used less water and fertiliser but huge land with sunshine and power lines were needed.
“We like to invest in areas where decision makers are willing to work. Right now CHDM is that area,” he said.
Gela said the district was open for investment, adding that these were some of the outcomes of the pre investment summit event held earlier in the month.
“We are currently finalising an application with national Treasury where we will get more than R2.9 billion. We are also looking at all legal avenues to attract investors and are pursuing all that will help deal with our challenges,” Gela said.
Gela added that the district authority had helped buy a substation at the Queendustria for businesses to function.
“It was through our efforts that a new substation was bought at the Queendustria. We will assist in town as well with our focus being in Komani as the economic hub of the district,” Gela said.
He said CHDM will do all in it’s power to help local municipalities for the economy to grow.
Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality, which boasts a wind turbine farm, will benefit from the investment.
Executive Mayor Noncedo Zonke said that the investment hits where the Municipality falls short, “It will enable us as the Municipality to do developmental programmes.”
“This is what we need for the growth of our area,” Zonke said.
