North West Business 2023-24

of that green economy. Large solar farms are now
being built at an increasing rate in the North West.
This development is covered in detail elsewhere
in this journal, but it is significant for the regional
economy that it is not only large organisations
putting solar panels on roofs (although Sun City’s
project is huge), but rather the involvement of the
likes of AMEA Power and the Sola Group in rolling
out big projects that is shifting the landscape.
Solar panel manufacturing is one of the areas
which national government, through Infrastructure
South Africa (ISA), is looking at as a way of growing
the economy and creating jobs. The North West
Provincial Government, through its agency, the
North West Development Corporation (NWDC),
will communicate with ISA with a view to bringing
solar panel manufacturing to Stilfontein, a town in
the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality which
is strategically placed on the N12 and near to more
than one solar farm. A feasibility study is to be done.
A Panel of Experts on Mega Infrastructure
Projects has been appointed by the provincial
government. This is part of a concerted drive to
change the way infrastructure is delivered in the
province. The panel has identified 185 projects,
with eight being prioritised based on a number of
factors, including bankability and potential impact.
These projects include the Smart City
development, the Bojanala Special Economic
Zone (SEZ), agro-processing and agro-hubs, water
and bulkwater supply, health and large urban
precinct developments, renewable energy and
solar component production and broadband
connectivity. It is hoped that these projects will
contribute to being able to process more of the raw
products that are produced by the agriculture and
mining sectors.
Tenders for construction of Phase 2 of the
heavy-industrial area within the Bojanala SEZ have
gone out. The development will cover 486ha. The
trade markets at Mamusa and Mahikeng have been
allocated R10-million and R8-million respectively.
As part of the infrastructure drive, a Routine
Roads Maintenance Plan has been drafted, covering
roads in all four districts of the province. ISA has
set aside R13-billion rand for the maintenance
and upgrading of 39 roads in the province for
Executive Mayor of Bojanala Platinum District
Municipality, Councillor M Nondzaba, at the
launch of The Pothole Patrol work being done
on the R556.
implementation in the 2023/24 financial year. The
bulk of the money will be spent on rural roads
projects, most of which will be labour-intensive
paved roads in order to create jobs.
A public-private partnership has started to
tackle the problem of potholes. In the first year of
its existence, The Pothole Patrol fixed more than
100 000 potholes in Johannesburg. The concept has
been extended to the North West Province.
Discovery Insure, Dialdirect Insurance and Sun
City Resort are the private companies involved in
the programme to repair potholes on the R556, the
road that links Sun City to the N4 highway. Leisure
travellers and conference delegates play a big role
in the provincial economy and so making their
journeys easier and safer is a good investment.
As the North West MEC for Public Works and
Transport, MEC Gaoage Oageng Molapisi, said at the
launch of the project: “Good roads attract business
to an area. Gauteng is a very important market
source for our province, but travellers want to know
that they can reach their destination safely. Similarly,
conference and event organisers are disinclined to
plan workshops and conferences at venues with
poor road infrastructure. The province is therefore
extremely thankful for the work carried out.
“We appreciate the collaboration between the
private sector and government. The government
cannot do it alone,” he concluded.
Sun City is expanding its Vacation Club by
building accommodation for an extra 400 guests
PHOTO: Sun City
5 NORTH WEST BUSINESS 2023/24