DURBAN A combination of good land prices and government incentives is attracting substantial industrial investment to the outlying area of Waterfall, between Durban and Maritzburg.
Three factories covering 6000m² have been built at the 7,4ha Woodland industrial park, and several projects are in the pipeline. The three factories were developed for food companies Tri-Mark Industries and Title Prepacks and clothing maker With It Trading.
Negotiations are also under way to establish of a 14000m² factory.
The adjacent Pinelands industrial park is fully let, and demand has paved the way for the development of further phases of the project.
The Pinelands development is a high-security minifactory complex with 20 units ranging from 240m² to 720m².
Woodlands and Pinelands owner-developer David Rowles says government's tax-free cash incentives have played a role in attracting small and medium-sized industrialists to the node.
The benefit of a taxfree grant paid out every three months cannot be underestimated, he says. He cites the example of a development with capitalised machinery and building costs of R3m that qualifies for a R75000 payout each quarter for up to three years.
Rowles says smaller manufacturers who qualify for the incentives are in a better position to develop their own factories or lease purpose-built premises. The land price R95/m², against R220/m² in similar nodes elsewhere has also proved an attraction.