The Tshwane metropolitan council would cut turnaround time on development applications, especially from a town planning perspective, from between 18 and 24 months, to 34 days, member of the mayoral committee for economic development Subesh Pillay said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the Automotive Industry Conference held in Ekurhuleni, he invited the private sector, especially the automotive industry, to "test us on this".

He added that the Rosslyn node, which housed a high concentration of vehicle and component manufacturers, had also been earmarked for development as a city improvement district.

Pillay also noted that the council had committed to partner with the automotive industry in the city to engage national government and State-owned enterprises on high freight costs.

He described South Africa's port costs as the highest in the world, inhibiting growth in the automotive industry.

"If we want to continue to be competitive, we seriously need to look at these issues."

Pillay said the council had identified the automotive industry as one of nine sectors targeted for growth in the metro area.

He said the automotive sector in Gauteng was bigger than in Ireland or Malaysia, recording yearly revenue of R30-billion. It was also responsible for 35% of all vehicle exports from South Africa, as well as 25% of value-add in the city, while employing 30 000 people.