South African Business 2018 edition

A REGIONAL OVERVIEW OF
NORTH WEST
The North West Province is also known as the
“Platinum Province” and the “Texas of South
Africa”. Platinum mines, cattle ranches, game
reserves and the entertainment complex at
Sun City are the province’s best-known features.
North West shares a border with the Republic of
Botswana (and the Kalahari desert), Gauteng and
the Free State.
South Africa’s nuclear-research centre is located
at Pelindaba near Hartbeespoort Dam, and is run
by the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation.
A provincial priority is to improve the link between
rural and urban economies, something which
a strong focus on agri-processing could achieve. As
one of the country’s biggest producers of livestock,
North West’s automotive industry could profitably
source hides for car seats locally. The Industrial
Development Corporation (IDC) is one of the bodies
that is helping the province to expand (and maintain)
the diversity of its manufacturing sector.
Key sectors
The North West Province is aligned with the Western
Limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex, a remarkably
rich minerals formation. Mines in the province
produce 50% of the platinum produced in the world,
and 65% of South Africa’s platinum group metals.
Chromite is the other major mineral mined
throughout the province, and there are several ferrochrome
smelters and other processing plants.
Gold and uranium is found along the border
of the province with Gauteng and the Free State
(Klerksdorp and Orkney). Diamonds are mined at
Christiana, Bloemhof and Lichtenburg. Lichtenburg
is also the centre of the cement industry. Chromite
is the other major mineral mined throughout the
province, and there are several ferrochrome smelters
and other processing plants.
Other minerals found in the North West include
fluorspar, vanadium, rhodium, uranium, copper, limestone,
slate, phosphate, manganese, coal and nickel.
Platinum is found in the Rustenburg and Brits
regions. Employment along the Platinum Corridor,
from Pretoria to eastern Botswana, accounts for over
a third of total employment in North West, but the
depressed platinum price in global markets has led
to a reduction in production volumes, and many
workers being laid off.
The North West Province has a strong agricultural
sector with several very large companies
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