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KwaZulu-Natal Business 2016-17 edition

The 2016-17 edition of KwaZulu-Natal Business is the eighth issue of this highly successful publication that, since its launch in 2008, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. The province is unique in terms of its abundant natural and human resources, and is also one of the key drivers behind the South African economy. To complement the extensive local, national and international distribution of the print edition of the magazine (15 000 copies), the full content can also be viewed online at www.kwazulunatalbusiness.co.za. Updated information on KwaZulu-Natal is also available through our monthly e-newsletter, which you can subscribe to online at www.globalafricanetwork.com, in addition to our other business-to-business titles that cover all nine provinces, complemented by our flagship publication, South African Business.

The 2016-17 edition of KwaZulu-Natal Business is the eighth issue of this highly successful publication that, since its launch in 2008, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa.

The province is unique in terms of its abundant natural and human resources, and is also one of the key drivers behind the South African economy.

To complement the extensive local, national and international distribution of the print edition of the magazine (15 000 copies), the full content can also be viewed online at www.kwazulunatalbusiness.co.za.

Updated information on KwaZulu-Natal is also available through our monthly e-newsletter, which you can subscribe to online at www.globalafricanetwork.com, in addition to our other business-to-business titles that cover all nine provinces, complemented by our flagship publication, South African Business.

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Renewable energy<br />

Globally, the case for the green economy is being<br />

made abundantly clear. Renewable energy is the only<br />

electricity-generation technology whose price has<br />

decreased dramatically, solar PV module prices have<br />

fallen by 80% over the last five years while wind turbines<br />

have become 30% less expensive. South Africa’s<br />

wind resource is regarded as among the top five in<br />

the world and could sustain 25% of our grid’s capacity.<br />

The province’s renewable energy sector incorporates<br />

a whole host of sustainable solutions and<br />

includes the installation and supply of solar water<br />

heaters and heat pumps, solar energy, biomass, biogas,<br />

biofuels, wind, hydro, and energy-efficiency<br />

measures. This is further stimulated by publicsector<br />

initiatives and research services that incentivise<br />

investment in the renewable sector. Major solar,<br />

biogas and hydropower projects are also paving<br />

the way for future development and investment<br />

and currently, the net cumulative value of potential<br />

renewable energy investments in KZN stands at<br />

R3.2-billion.<br />

Possibly the biggest competitive advantage that<br />

the province possesses is that which emanates from<br />

the sugar and timber industries, which are among<br />

the largest in the country. The South African Sugar<br />

Association (SASA) is ready to engineer an investment<br />

of R20bn-R30bn that would not only maintain<br />

sugar production but result in two major new energy<br />

industries: electricity cogeneration and fuel-ethanol<br />

production and would lead to the creation of numerous<br />

jobs in the rural community.<br />

Water<br />

Water is now regarded as the highest global risk<br />

in terms of devastation, ahead of nuclear war or<br />

a global pandemic. South Africa, the 30th-driest<br />

country in the world, not only experiences extreme<br />

climate and rainfall fluctuations but its average annual<br />

rainfall is half the global average. This rainfall is<br />

unevenly distributed throughout a country which<br />

currently has access to surface water (77% of total<br />

use), groundwater (9% of total use) and recycled<br />

water (14% of total use). Water is not only a crucial<br />

component for food production, but is also integral<br />

to the country’s industrial, mining and powergeneration<br />

sectors.<br />

It is predicted that over the next five years there<br />

will be significant growth in the water infrastructure,<br />

wastewater treatment and water recycling<br />

sectors. This will become particularly prevalent as<br />

the debilitating effects of climate change become<br />

more pronounced and the global water industry<br />

changes. Consequently the KZN province is investing<br />

more in water technologies and infrastructure.<br />

Similarly, smart water meters will replace existing<br />

ones and huge investments to be made in water<br />

infrastructure that includes pumps, pipes, valves,<br />

23 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS <strong>2016</strong>/<strong>17</strong>

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