Deputy Chair, our response to the first question, hon members, to address the prevailing challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality, we need a growing economy that creates opportunities for new investment that results in jobs especially in the key sectors of our economy, including targeted infrastructure investment in townships and rural areas to stimulate growth and job creation. In this regard, the President is championing an investment drive to attract much-needed investment that will put our economy on a higher growth path. We are currently
working with provinces to align their provincial economic development plans with the broader goals of the National Development Plan, NDP, and to ensure that we develop a clear pipeline of high impact investment projects that will drive growth in each of the nine provinces based on individual comparative advantage.
The government has prioritised investment in key economic sectors and social infrastructure to enhance economic mobility and connect communities through our road network infrastructure in various provinces. Through the government investment in bulk water and sanitation infrastructure, we are enhancing the quality of life of citizens, while building incentives to attract private sector investment, and facilitating the ease of doing business in our provinces, respectively.
We are working with various provinces to grow the agricultural sector through targeted investment in infrastructure that will improve the levels of agriculture and access to markets, including increased productive capacity in our restituted land. Provinces are implementing targeted strategies to support farmers through negotiating competitive export opportunities and ensuring that emerging farmers are integrated into the value chains of big retail chain players and leveraging on government procurement through
tapping into government's nutrition programme. One of the critical measures to revitalise and support provincial economies focuses on the implementation of the industrial policy. An important pillar of our industrial policy is to develop new economic centres through Special Economic Zones, SEZs, revitalisation of industrial sites as well as business and digital hubs.
We currently have 10 SEZs that are in operation in the whole country. This has resulted in a number of foreign and domestic investors establishing new investments in these SEZs, with significant levels of new private-sector investments located largely outside of the main metro areas.
Work is currently underway to have the legal entities for further SEZs to be established within the next 12 months. Our goal is to ensure that we have a viable Special Economic Zone in each of our nine provinces.
The hon member will be aware and be familiar with the Coega SEZ and the efforts of the national government to bring new investment in that area. The largest new light-manufacturing vehicle assembly plant is, in fact, being built in the Coega SEZ as we speak. More is possible through the SEZ model.
I am advised that in one decade, investment in Coega has totalled to more than R9,5 billion, wherein 45 investors, both foreign and domestic, have come to the party, with more than 7 850 operational jobs created. This is in addition to construction jobs in the Coega SEZ. The Industrial Parks Revitalisation Programme is one of the programmes introduced by the government in an effort to revive the township and rural economies by attracting investment and creating the necessary jobs.
The government invests in upgrading security and building the necessary infrastructure, which seeks to make these industrial parks safe and more conducive to business activities to attract investors. The government will also provide support through implementing a special dispensation or set- asides in the awarding of medium and long-term contracts to small businesses, co-operatives and township and village enterprises to allow for incubation and other support to help reduce failure rates.
Our industrial strategy focus is on the expansion of manufacturing, mining, agriculture and other sectors recognises the comparative advantages of each of our nine provinces. In supporting provincial economic development plans, it is important to focus on specific sectors of comparative strength in each province.
For example, our current efforts to support the citrus industry will support the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Western Cape while agro- processing can support Free State and Mpumalanga. The promotion of beneficiation of minerals support mining in the Northern Cape and industrial activities in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. We need to encourage greater levels of investment in our provincial economies. Through better co-ordination and alignment of infrastructure investment plans, we stand to achieve better outcomes in terms of growing our economy to address unemployment, poverty and inequality.
As we begin to implement a co-ordinated District-Based Delivery Model, there is no doubt that all spheres of government will work closely to drive local economic development initiatives that empower ordinary people where they live. Thank you very much, Deputy Chair.