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This is the first IDZ in the Western Cape.
"Today's launch is also another step ahead in the rollout of government's massive national infrastructure programme," said Zuma.
"Many projects are already either complete or nearing completion and some have been officially launched already in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces."
"The Saldanha Bay IDZ must boost economic development and facilitate job creation by way of industrial investment in Saldanha Bay and the surrounding areas within the West Coast region," Zuma said.
"That is what all of us must strive towards - government, business, labour and the community sectors."
The development of IDZs in SA started around the year 2000 and 2002.
"The dawn of democracy and opening up of our economy to the world meant that the country had to come up with strategies to reposition itself globally," Zuma said.
Four Industrial Development Zones were designated in the ports of Coega in Port Elizabeth, East London, Richards Bay and OR Tambo International Airport between.
The main objective of IDZs is to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), export value added products and create jobs.
"Our objective is to develop the Saldanha-Northern Cape linked region in an integrated manner through rail and port expansion as well as back-of-port industrial capacity," he said.
"Our strategy is also aimed at strengthening the maritime support capacity to create economic opportunities from the gas and oil mining activities along the African West Coast, as well as the expansion of iron ore mining production and beneficiation in the Northern Cape."
South Africa has a three thousand kilometre long coastline and seven commercial ports. These ports are able to function as a hub for commercial traffic emanating from and destined for Europe, Asia, the Americas as well as the east and west coasts of Africa.
"These ports will be utilised more than before to generate economic activities in coastal regions," said Zuma.
"There is no doubt that if effectively implemented through a well-coordinated stakeholder mobilisation, the Saldanha Bay IDZ project will have major macroeconomic benefits for both the region and the Western Cape province".
Zuma said the IDZ will generate income, create jobs, grow the tax base and be a net generator of foreign exchange earnings.
"It is estimated that overall direct and indirect employment creation will be around 25 000 over a period of 20 years. It is expected to generate around R62bn rand in foreign exchange," he said.
"We are determined to turn these forecasts into reality."
He said it is important to remember that the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and IDZs do not function as isolated enclaves.
Their very success is dependent on the backward and forward linkages that they create and foster with companies operating outside of these zones.
"It is within these sentiments that concerted effort must be established to align and integrate the IDZ plans with those of the Saldanha Bay municipality," said Zuma.
"They must also be coordinated with Transnet in maximising the capability of the Port of Saldanha and also with Eskom and other state authorities and government departments such as the Departments of Public Works and Transport."
Education and skills development will be central to the success of this IDZ, according to Zuma.
"The number of unemployed [in the country] still remains too high, which is why we are exploring all sorts of job creating interventions including this IDZ programme, within the National Development Plan ambit," said Zuma.
