Program Director, Premier of the Eastern Cape, Mr Phumulo Masualle,  Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies,  Minister of Finance, Mr Nhlanhla Nene, Executive Mayor of Bufallo City, Cllr Xola Phakathi,  Representative of the Daimler AG Board, Mr Markus Schaefer,  Executive Director of Mercedes-Benz SA, Mr Andreas Engling,

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honour and privilege to have been invited by Mercedes-Benz to witness the announcement of this major new investment.

This is an investment in the company’s productive capacity.

It is an investment in the economy of the Eastern Cape.

It is an investment in Mercedes-Benz’s future in South Africa.

But most importantly, it is an investment in people.

In the six decades that Mercedes-Benz has been in South Africa, it has done much more than build cars.

It has built livelihoods, developed skills and created opportunities.

Now, with this investment, the company will touch the lives of more people and its work will have more impact.

We say this is an investment in people because it creates and sustains employment.

We know that employment is the most direct and sustainable way to tackle poverty and inequality.

It empowers people, improves the quality of their lives and increases the prospects for their children.

It is for this reason that South Africa has placed the creation of jobs, especially for young people, at the centre of its economic policy.

It is for this reason too that South Africa has embarked on an ambitious investment drive to encourage companies like Mercedes-Benz to see the country as an attractive investment destination.

In all our efforts, we are focusing on investment which – like this announced here today – expands the country’s manufacturing sector, increases our export capacity and contributes to job creation.

We say this is an investment in people because it deepens the commitment that Mercedes-Benz has to developing skills and nurturing talent.

Our visit earlier today to the Mercedes-Benz Learning Academy confirms that this company places great value on apprenticeship and learnership programmes.

It understands that for its business to grow, for it to keep pace with rapid changes in production methods, it needs to train new entrants and continuously upgrade the skills of existing employees.

It understands also that many of the skills that are required in the workplace are best developed in the workplace.

In prioritising the development of the technical and vocational education and training sector, government has emphasised the need for greater collaboration between TVET colleges and the companies in the industries that they are meant to serve.

The skills that these colleges develop must be informed by the real-world needs of industry.

We are proud of the role that the Jobs Fund continues to play in supporting the Mercedes-Benz Learning Academy, demonstrating the value of partnership and shared responsibility.

This should serve as a guide and an inspiration as we work to build a social compact among government, business, labour and civil society for job creation and skills development.