KEY POINTS
- Coega Development Corporation and Eskom signed a three-year framework to support South Africa’s Nuclear New Build Programme.
- The partnership focuses on infrastructure development, localisation, skills training, and supplier participation.
- A joint steering committee will oversee implementation to boost energy security and inclusive economic growth.
State-owned Coega Development Corporation and power utility Eskom have signed a three-year strategic cooperation framework to support South Africa’s Nuclear New Build Programme (NNBP) and promote inclusive economic growth.
The agreement outlines collaboration across key areas including infrastructure development, localisation, industrialisation, regulatory readiness, logistics coordination, supplier development, and socioeconomic investment initiatives.
Under the partnership, Coega an Eskom will jointly advance site-readiness initiatives, logistics planning, environmental compliance, spatial development, and the creation of a competitive domestic nuclear value chain.
The collaboration between Coega and Eskom also seeks to strengthen institutional coordination to support long-term energy security while ensuring the nuclear programme contributes to industrialisation and job creation.
Officials highlight economic and skills benefits
Eskom chief nuclear officer Velaphi Ntuli said the partnership reflects a unified approach to delivering socioeconomic benefits through the nuclear programme.
He noted that the initiative is designed to drive industrial development, skills training, and inclusive growth while maintaining transparency and adherence to regulatory standards.
Similarly, Coega Development Corporation CEO Themba Koza said the agreement positions the corporation as a strategic partner in supporting the country’s nuclear ambitions.
Koza added that the programme aims to deliver localisation, skills development, and sustainable economic participation, particularly for communities in the Eastern Cape.
Key areas of cooperation include stakeholder engagement, supplier and small business development, labour management frameworks, and mobilisation of development finance.
The partners also plan to implement targeted social investment initiatives covering education, work-readiness training, and life-skills development to support communities affected by the programme.
