Northern Cape Business 2019/20 edition

SPECIAL FEATURE
trains sometimes extend beyond 3 500 metres
and carry a load exceeding 41 000 tons.
The Northern Cape produces more than 84%
of South Africa’s iron ore. Kumba Iron Ore is the
country’s biggest iron-ore miner with two large
two mines (Sishen and Kolomela) in the province.
The Kalahari Basin contains 80% of the
world’s manganese reserve, but only 15% of
global production comes from this area so there
is enormous scope for development. Several new
black-owned manganese projects are underway.
The world receives 7% of its diamonds from the
Northern Cape, and exports of zinc and lead
from the province account for 13% of global
demand.
Vedanta Zinc International started work in
2015 on its huge new Gamsberg Zinc project.
The new mine is near to Vedanta’s existing Black
Mountain mine and is the biggest current new
project underway The flotation area of the mine
is shown here in a photograph by Kevin Wright.
The province also has copper, lead, zinc,
mineral sands, gypsum, granite, asbestos,
fluorspar, semi-precious stones and marble.
The Northern Cape is a big contributor to
the national basket of exports in minerals and
in agricultural products such as table grapes
and raisins. About 45 000 people are employed
in agriculture, which represents approximately
16% of employment. The province supports
livestock farming (mainly goats and sheep
with cattle in the north), table grapes, dates,
cotton and cereal crops and vineyards along
the banks of the Orange River, large varieties of
crops including cotton, groundnuts, wheat and
maize on irrigated lands. Pecan nuts are a major
new crop. Thoroughbred horses are bred in the
south-eastern parts of the province, especially
around Colesberg.
The Northern Cape is home to six national parks
and five provincial parks and nature reserves. The
Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape is
a World Heritage Site and the Namaqualand spring
flower display draws many visitors.
Most of the province falls into the category
of semi-arid (apart from the coastal strip) and it
receives relatively little rainfall. Summers are hot
and winters are cold.
District municipalities
Frances Baard District Municipality
Towns: Kimberley, Barkly West, Warrenton,
Hartswater, Jan Kempdorp.
This district accounts for 40.3% of the province’s
economic activity. It is the smallest but with a population
of approximately 325 500, it is the most
densely populated. Although Kimberley is historically
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NORTHERN CAPE BUSINESS 2019/20