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The North West Province [from the S o u t h A f r i c a Y e a r B o o k 2 0 0 4 / 0 5] Capital: Mafikeng Principal languages: Setswana 65,4% Afrikaans: 7,5% isiXhosa: 5,8% Population: 3 791 984 ( Mid-Year Estimates, 2003) Area (km2): 116 320 % of total area: 9,5% GDPR at current prices (2002): R73 520 million % of total GDP: 6,6% North West is centrally located in the subcontinent with direct road and rail links to all of the southern African countries, and its own airport. The province borders on Botswana and is fringed by the Kalahari desert in the west and the Witwatersrand area in the east. The province is divided into five regions, namely the Central, Bophirima (towards the west), Southern, Rustenburg and Eastern regions. Most economic activity is concentrated in the Southern Region (between Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp), Rustenburg, and the Eastern Region, where more than 83,3% of GGP of the province is produced. The People Of the 3 791 984 people in the North West, 65% live in the rural areas (Mid-Year Estimates, 2003). The official unemployment rate is 29,4% (Labour Force Survey,September 2003). The province has the lowest number of people aged 20 years and older (5,9%) who have received higher education. The literacy rate is in the region of 57%. Mining Mining contributes 25,6% to the economy at current prices and 17,8% of total employment in the North West. It makes up 15,5% of the mining GDP in South Africa. North West is also the dominant province in mineral sales with a contribution of 17,8% to the South African mining sector (Provincial Economies, 2003). Diamonds are mined at Lichtenburg, Koster, Christiana and Bloemhof, while Orkney and Klerksdorp have gold mines. The area surrounding Rustenburg and Brits boasts the largest single platinum-production area in the world. Marble is also mined here. Fluorspar is exploited at Zeerust. Manufacturing Manufacturing contributes 7% of the province's GDP and 9% of its employment opportunities. It provides 6% of the South African manufacturing sector's contribution to GDP. Manufacturing is almost exclusively dependent on the performance of a few sectors in which the province enjoys a competitive advantage. These are fabricated metals (51%), the food sector (18%) and non-metallic metals (21%) (Provincial Economies, 2003). Industrial activity is centred around the towns of Brits, Klerksdorp, Vryburg and Rustenburg. The Brits industries concentrate mostly on manufacturing and construction, while those at Klerksdorp are geared towards the mining industry, and those at Vryburg and Rustenburg towards agriculture. The Platinum SDI will unlock further development. It is situated on the Coast-to-Coast highway that links the Port of Maputo in Mozambique to Walvis Bay in Namibia. Approximately 200 potential project opportunities in tourism, manufacturing, agriculture and mining have been identified. Five anchor projects within the Platinum SDI have been identified with an estimated R4,3-billion capital investment component, around which there are dozens of other development and investment opportunities. Employment along the Platinum Corridor, from Pretoria to eastern Botswana, accounts for over a third of total employment in North West. The aim of the Mafikeng IDZ is to create jobs and enhance the economic potential of the Central Region, the entire North West and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. In June 2004, the provincial Department of Transport and Roads, together with the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, the North West Parks and Tourism Board, and Invest North West concluded a feasibility analysis on air-transport service between Johannesburg and Mafikeng. The Department also submitted an application to the Cabinet to consider awarding Mafikeng Airport international status, specifically for air cargo, which is a prerequisite for the development of the Mafikeng IDZ. Agriculture Agriculture is of extreme importance to the North West. It contributes about 6,2% of the total GDPR and 19% to formal employment. Some 5,3% of the South African GDP in agriculture and 16,96% of total labour in agriculture are based in the North West (Provincial Economies, 2003). The province is an important food basket in South Africa. Maize and sunflowers are the most important crops and the North West is the biggest producer of white maize in the country. Some of the largest cattle herds in the world are found at Stellaland near Vryburg, which explains why this area is often referred to as the Texas of South Africa. Marico is also cattle-country. The areas around Rustenburg and Brits are fertile, mixed-crop farming land. |