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The long awaited two days inaugural Investment Summit of Mangaung Metro will officially kick-off today, 19 February 2025. The summit is expected to woo investors and business alike by exposing them to the diverse and numerous opportunities within the municipality.
Mangaung Metro held two Indabas leading up to the Investment Summit to be held in Bloemfontein, the first was on property and the second on infrastructure, where expects were invited to give expect advice to the City on how they can enhance the respective sectors to become investor magnets.
On property, the Executive Mayor of Mangaung Metro Cllr. Gregory Nthatisi told The Business Weekly that there are many opportunities within the sector in the City; however, the high tariffs are a serious discouragement to the business community, which is one of the aspects that the summit is going to address.
On infrastructure, Nthatisi said infrastructure is key to any economy, as such, it is one of the priorities of the City to invest, maintain and develop roads and sewer systems and address the aging infrastructure in the City and prioritise service delivery to its citizens.
Mangaung Metro is going into the Investment Summit armed to the teeth with solutions to the challenges impacting on economic growth, ranging from energy, infrastructure and property. Each sector has a skills demand of its own, to address that, engineers were also pulled in as most of the work will need their skills.
The metro seeks to grow its economic, create jobs and become and investment attraction destination in the province. The City has many investment opportunities and it is a heritage site itself with great potential in the tourism sector as well.
The municipality hosts the home of the African National Congress (ANC), The Wesleyan Methodist School Church, in Waaihoek, Bloemfontein, where the liberation party was founded in 1912. It is home to a precinct that hosts the Supreme Court of Appeals, the Free State Legislature, and the old Presidency Museum just mention a few.
The City further boasts two universities, the University of the Free State (UFS) and Central University of Technology (CUT), it is home to the Braam Fisher International Airport, the Fresh Produce Market and Botshabelo Industrial Park amongst others.
Mangaung Metro also has great potential in logistics as several national roads pass through it including the N8, N1, N5, N6 amongst others.
The collaboration with deferent stakeholders going into the Investment Summit will boost investor confidence as the metro will be in a position to present not only the opportunities within the municipality, but also lasting solutions to its challenges including that of service delivery.
