The plan for the Magwa-Majola Agri & Eco-Tourism Corridor seeks to take advantage of the draft National Spatial Development Framework (NSDF) and its transformative promise for Lusikisiki (Magwa) as one of 61 nodes prioritised for development towards a spatially rebalanced economy of the Republic.
Allied to this is the N2 that is under development, and will pass very close to Magwa in Lusikisiki, signalling new opportunities for improved logistics for the movement of products and people (tourism, agriculture, etc).
The winds are changing and 2020 is the year of rebirth for Magwa Enterprise Tea (MET), with major transformation making the tea estate, not only the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, but a critical player in South Africa’s eco-tourism and tea industries.
The futuristic MET will see the estates expand from being a tea-producing enterprise to becoming a tourist destination of choice. The proposed plan forecasts countless investment opportunities for the private sector.
Wholly owned by the Eastern Cape Provincial Government and managed by the Eastern Cape Rural Development Agency (ECRDA), MET plans to transform into a bustling eco-tourism centre dubbed “the Dubai of the Eastern Cape.”
MET has developed a masterplan for development initiatives around the Magwa and Majola Tea Estates for the next 15 years, creating an eco-friendly tourism valley. The call to action is to mobilise financial resources to ensure sustainability throughout the programme. How are we going to achieve this?
By facilitating strategic partnerships to fulfil the outlines financial, physical, skilled products and services that would contribute to economic rejuvenation.
