The Economic Advantages of Kempton Park's Aerotropolis

As a result of economies becoming increasingly globalised, they have become more reliant on air commerce for trading goods and services. Roads and river ways no longer dictate the positioning of cities, because airports have shaped business location and urban development in the twenty-first century, just as highways did in the twentieth, railroads in the nineteenth, and seaports in the eighteenth. Principles of urban planning and sustainability are therefore essential to the creation of a successful aerotropolis, much like Africa‘s very first purpose-planned one in Kempton Park.

What is an Aerotropolis?

An aerotropolis is a relatively new urban development concept that is strategically coordinated as a metropolitan sub region, where the layout, infrastructure, and economy’s commercial core is centered on a major airport. It’s essentially a multi-nodal freight and passenger transportation multiplex that affords efficient, cost-effective and sustainable intermodal connectivity to a defined region of economic significance that is bordering the airport. It’s relatively similar in form to a traditional metropolis which comprises a central commercial core and commuter-linked suburbs, however, the driving force of the aerotropolis is the airport and its air routes that propose firms with quick and efficient connectivity to their distant suppliers, customers and enterprise partners, both nationally and internationally.

O.R. Tambo International Airport

South Africa’s busiest international airport, O.R. Tambo, is situated in Kempton Park near Johannesburg, and is one of the few airports in the world that offer scheduled passenger flights to all six inhabited continents, and it also serves as a gateway to many sub-Saharan countries. The airport is ideally situated in the heart of South Africa’s commercial and industrial hub and has excellent road infrastructure linking it to Johannesburg, Pretoria and the national road network. The Gautrain rapid rail system also links the airport with Sandton. O.R. Tambo International Airport services airlines from all continents and plays a vital role in serving the local, regional, intra- and inter-continental air transport needs of South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.

Kempton Park, the first African Aerotropolis

In September, 2011, the Ekurhuleni municipality officially announced their intention to transform the city into an operative aerotropolis, one of their first flagship projects which is set out to be the first of its kind on the continent. The city is confident in embracing their capabilities of making the node a super hub and transforming it into the ultimate airport city, an attempt to reposition themselves economically by leveraging the presence of the airport.

A quicker and more efficient method needed to be created for the commutes between the city’s businesses, cargo and the airport. The Gauteng province is projected as a mega hub region and the city of Ekurhuleni has greatly contributed to that due to the airport which has been identified as the centre of Gauteng’s economic programme. The municipality’s main objective is to grow the economy, create employment opportunities, and improve the overall quality of living in the South Africa.

Commercial and Industrial Activity in Kempton Park

From a business perspective, a large number of blue-chip companies and large corporations are attracted to this node due to its location, access to power, major arterial routes and the airport. Kempton Park’s industrial suburbs are home to: Barloworld; Bidvest Steiner; Bridgestone; DHL; Edcon Distribution; Globeflight; Hellman’s World Wide Logistics; RAM Couriers; Sasfin Logistics; Simba; and South African Breweries (to name a few).

As a result, an influx of both young and seasoned professionals are also attracted to the area based on its promising economic growth, job opportunities and convenient commutes for those traveling on a regular basis.

Most people think of air travel as an annual vacation, however it’s evolved over the past few decades into the mechanism that is globalisation. The air transport sector’s ability to connect South Africa to international markets is boosting economic growth and resulting in increasing human capital growth, making Kempton Park and ideal investment opportunity for professionals. De Lucia Group specialise in the Kempton Park and surrounding areas, and can help you find the ideal residential, commercial or industrial property that suits your needs in this thriving aerotropolis.