The Coega Special Economic Zone (SEZ), located in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, has been selected as one of seven examples of success out of thousands of SEZs around the world, in a World Bank-financed research study into what makes economic zones successful.
By current estimates, there are approximately 3 500 SEZs in more than 130 countries worldwide, employing more than 60 million people, according to the World Bank.
In its recently released report, Special Economic Zones- An Operational Review of Their Impacts, the Competitive Industries and Innovation Program (CIIP) found that the success of an SEZ depends largely on a combination of three factors, including the SEZ programme and its characteristics, the structure and layout of the zone and regional and country contexts.