There is an economic resource which South Africans could be ignoring – the oceans.
President Jacob Zuma said that the South Africa’s oceans, if exploited and managed properly, could add one million jobs to the economy and R177bn to the country’s gross domestic product by 2033.
Speaking in Durban during government’s recently launched Operation Phakisa open day, Zuma said the oceans had the potential to “contribute up to R177bn to GDP and create just over one million jobs by 2033″.
Further, he revealed: “Operation Phakisa has brought together teams from government, labour, business, academia and other sectors to work together in experimental laboratories, to explore all possibilities and further unlock the potential of our country’s vast coastline”.
The teams had identified a number of opportunities that the country could take advantage of because of its location. These ranged from shipbuilding to aquaculture, and oil and natural gas exploration.
