Eastern Cape

The metropolitan economies of Port Elizabeth and East London are based primarily on manufacturing, the most important industry being motor manufacturing. The province is the hub of South Africa's automotive industry.
Several of the world's biggest motor manufacturers, such as Volkswagen, Ford (Samcor), General Motors (Delta) and Mercedes Benz, have plants in the Eastern Cape. 
With two harbours and three airports offering direct flights to the main centres, and an excellent road and rail infrastructure, the province has been earmarked as a key area for growth and economic development. Environmentally friendly projects include the Fish River Spatial Development Initiative (SDI), the Wild Coast SDI, and two industrial development zones (IDZs), namely the West Bank (East London) and the Coega IDZs. The latter, 20 km east of the Port Elizabeth-Uitenhage metropoles, was the first IDZ to be earmarked, and is one of the biggest initiatives ever undertaken in South Africa. Plans for the development of the area as an export-orientated zone include the Port of Ngqura, where the first ships docked in October 2009.