Pretoria - Trade and Industry (dti) Minister Rob Davies has launched Unilever’s multi-billion rand factory in Boksburg.
Unilever’s Khanyisa household care products is one of the four manufacturing plants in South Africa and is the company’s largest investment globally worth about R1.4 billion.
Speaking at the launch on Tuesday, Minister Davies said the investment showed the confidence that Unilever has in South Africa and the continent as a whole.
Minister Davies said the company has benefitted from the dti’s 12i Tax Allowance Incentive scheme with a qualifying investment value of R1.2 billion, an investment allowance of R350 million as well as a training allowance of R7 million for the Khanyisa plant.
The objective of the incentive is to support investment in manufacturing assets, to improve the productivity of the manufacturing sector and the training of personnel, to improve labour productivity and the skills profile of the labour force.
Unilever has invested about R4 billion in manufacturing plants in the country and has received nearly R1.981 billion incentives from the dti.
“Other investments include the Maydon Wharf soap and detergents, cleaning and polishing preparations, perfumes and toilet preparations factory, the Indonsa foods production plant factory as well as the Southpole plant which produces ice cream,” he added.
The investment had created about 1000 jobs altogether.
Global Chief Executive of Unilever Paul Polman said such plants signify growth for the company and hope for people as they create jobs.
He further added that the company had experienced a lot of growth in the emerging markets which count for 60% of the global market. He highlighted that all these investments in terms of factories in South Africa would not have been possible if it was not of the help of the dti.
“I would like to thank Minister Davies together with the department for all their efforts because cooperation is needed at all levels of these investments,” he added.
The British High Commissioner Judith Macgregor said investments such as these contribute to the increased trade relations between South Africa and Britain. She said it was important to increase cooperation in areas of skills development and job creation and that a lot of work was already being done in those areas. - SAnews.gov.za
