Overview
The Matjhabeng Industrial Park refurbishment is now fully completed and operational, with all major construction deliverables successfully implemented and the facility secured, serviced and functional.
Key infrastructure upgrades include 24-hour security with access control, full re-electrification of SMME blocks and the main building, upgraded municipal services and the installation of an electrified boundary wall, CCTV systems and high-mast lighting. In addition, a 380-meter pedestrian walkway has been constructed to improve access between Thabong township and the park.
Matjhabeng Enterprise Industrial Park is physically restored, security-enabled, and operational-ready. The only missing link is the Smart Place Centre, the digital engine that will transform this infrastructure into a living, revenue-generating innovation ecosystem for SMMEs and investors.
The Smart Place Centre is the final and most transformative component of the MEIP redevelopment, introducing a 4IR-enabled innovation hub within the industrial park. It will function as both a business incubation and acceleration hub for SMMEs, and a community digital empowerment centre for the broader Matjhabeng population.
What the Smart Place Centre contains
The centre contains 8 purpose-built room types — fully partitioned, lit and serviced — awaiting ICT equipment and furniture.
- ICT Labs (×3): Smart Lab, 3D Printing lab & AV/VR Room — the digital innovation core of the Centre.
- Incubation Rooms (×4): Dedicated SMME incubation spaces each requiring workstation fitout and connectivity.
- Boardrooms (×3): Professional meeting rooms rentable at R150/hour — already signed for use.
- Offices (×3): Private office spaces lettable at R750/week for resident entrepreneurs.
- Retreat / Event Area: Flexible open space for training, hackathons, workshops, and community digital literacy sessions.
- Canteen: On-site catering space to support extended training and business events.
- Green Room: Fully operational green room for social media and other recordings
- Information Centre: Public-facing intake point for SMME registration, programme enrolment and support.
Its core functions include ICT-enabled incubation, digital skills training, access to high-speed internet and cloud tools, e-commerce development support, innovation labs, ICT learning services and community digital literacy programmes.
Overall, the Smart Place Centre is a strategic intervention designed to bridge the digital divide and enable SMMEs to transition from survivalist enterprises to digitally integrated, scalable and competitive businesses.
A self-sustaining financial model
From day one, the Smart Place Centre generates revenue through multiple streams — covering operations and building a case for long-term self-sufficiency.
The Smart Space Centre will operate on a sustainable hybrid revenue model through rentals of incubation spaces (R3,700/month), boardrooms (R150/hour) and offices (R750/week), with a projected 4% annual tariff growth.
Call for investment
The Smart Place Centre building is complete. What remains is equipping it with the digital infrastructure needed to activate it as a living innovation hub.
We are seeking investment partners to fund the operationalization of the Smart Place Centre, specifically for:
- ICT infrastructure (servers, networking, connectivity systems)
- Computers, laptops and digital devices
- Furniture and workstation setups
- Multimedia and training equipment
- Smart learning systems and software platforms
- Innovation lab tools and incubation support infrastructure
The facility is ready to receive investment and go live. All investment is directed entirely to the Smart Place Centre fit-out — the building, security and services are already in place.
Why invest in the Smart Place Centre?
- De-risked infrastructure investment: R49-million already spent on physical rehabilitation
- Ready-to-operate facility: Security, electricity, and SMME occupancy systems already in place
- Strong developmental impact: Direct job creation and SMME empowerment already proven
- Revenue-generating model: Rental, training, ICT services, and innovation activities
- High-growth digital economy exposure: Positioned within the 4IR and ICT transformation agenda
- Township economic integration: Direct link to Thabong and surrounding communities
- Scalable innovation ecosystem: Potential to replicate across other district municipalities
The Smart Place Centre transforms Matjhabeng Enterprise Industrial Park from a rehabilitated industrial site into a future-ready digital economy hub.
Strategic Partners
- Department of Trade, Industry & Competition (dtic)
- Matjhabeng Local Municipality (Asset Owner)
- Lejweleputswa Development Agency (LDA)
- Ntiyiso Consulting Group (Implementing Agent)
Partner with us. Activate the future.
The Matjhabeng Enterprise Industrial Park is physically complete, legally certified, and operationally ready. The Smart Place Centre is built. What it needs now is the digital heart, the ICT equipment, furniture, and connectivity that will bring this facility to life.
Your investment goes directly into equipping an already-built, government-backed innovation hub — de-risked, revenue-generating, and positioned at the heart of township economic development in the Free State.
To express investment interest or request a prospectus, please contact the team via the secure contact form below:
Municipal investment profiling: A digital approach
In 2023, the South African Local Government Association (SALGA introduced the “Investment Profile Template Guide for Municipalities in South Africa” to help municipalities present their investment potential. Research showed only 15% of South African municipalities had investment profiles at the time.
However, limited financial and human resources have hindered digital promotion and investment attraction. SALGA has launched a programme to assist municipalities with digital initiatives, and the following municipalities are included in the first phase:
- City of Ekurhuleni (Gauteng)
- West Coast District Municipality (Western Cape)
- Mnquma Local Municipality (Eastern Cape)
- Matjhabeng Local Municipality (Free State)
The main objective of this project is to provide municipalities with a platform to market themselves as investment destinations to both domestic and foreign investors using an already existing platform and access to the Global Africa Network audience.
