Ikusasa Green expands with new premises in Dimbaza Industrial Park

L to R: Eastern Cape Development Corporation Board chairperson Nhlanganiso Dladla, Buffalo City Metro Executive Mayor Xola Phakathi, MEC for economic development, environmental affairs and tourism Sakhumzi Somyo, Massmart group supplier development manager Von Stander and Ikusasa Green MD Thami Gxowa.

Ikusasa Green makes high-end cooler boxes that retain ice for up to seven days for household brands such as Massmart’s Camp Master label.

The Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development, Environment Affairs and Tourism (DEDEAT) has been involved in the company’s growth and development since its inception in 2013, when it provided an initial capital injection of R3 million to help source equipment for its rotational moulding plant in Stutterheim. In Ikusasa’s growth stage, DEDEAT invested another R3 million to boost plant capacity and invested a further R3 million to rehabilitate the Dimbaza facility.

The company has already attracted R21 million in public and private sector investment since inception, with Massmart investing a further R12 million.

Ikusasa’s move to the 12,000 square metre facility in Dimbaza is part of the Dimbaza Industrial Park revitalisation Master Plan, drawn up by development financier the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC), which is in its final stages of approval by the provincial cabinet.

“We are delighted that we have been able to attract an innovative and purely Eastern Cape company in Ikusasa Green to drive our plan of attracting high-quality investments and companies into the Dimbaza Industrial Park to drive economic activity and employment. Ikusasa develops a product with a unique value proposition in South Africa and we are proud as a province it has attracted interest and investments running into millions of rands from retailers such as Massmart,” says MEC for DEDEAT, Sakhumzi Somyo.

“In particular, our focus for the Dimbaza Industrial is in attracting companies and investments in the agro-processing space, as well as innovative concerns in general manufacturing. ECDC as the province’s economic development agency, which owns the Dimbaza Industrial Park, currently has 107 stands on behalf of Government. It will be the main driver of the revitalisation process of industrial parks across the Eastern Cape. Dimbaza currently has 24 tenants in sectors such as textiles and manufacturing.”

Replacing imported cooler boxes

Ikusasa Green MD, Thami Gxowa says the company’s star attraction is its in-house, high-end rotational moulding Romer cooler boxes, made strong and robust for African conditions. “Our only competition is cooler boxes from Australia and the US, which are not cost competitive," Gxowa explains.

The company already employs 35 people at its Stutterheim plant and plans are to employ a further 40 in Dimbaza. All these were previously unemployed people.

“Our continued success is a product of multiple strategic partnerships with DEDEAT, ECDC, Massmart, Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), Buffalo City Metro and the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) among others,” Gxowa concludes.

Further development for Eastern Cape industrial parks

ECDC chief executive officer Ndzondelelo Dlulane says its support of tenants such as Ikusasa Green at its Dimbaza Industrial Park is part of a broader industrial park revitalisation strategy in areas such as Butterworth, Vulindlela in Mthatha, iKomani and Fort Jackson in Mdantsane outside East London.

“All this work is concerned with the revival of industrial and economic activity in these areas. Dimbaza was once an industrial hub for King William’s Town generating significant employment opportunities. Supported by partners such as the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), the Eastern Cape Rural Development Agency (ECRDA) and the Buffalo City Metro among others, Government has made it a priority to revitalise economic activity in Dimbaza.

“We are mobilising potential anchor tenants who will occupy the park and negotiations with local entrepreneurs are ongoing. We are specifically targeting business in the agro-processing, renewable energy and general manufacturing sectors,” concludes Dlulane.