Frances Baard District Municipality Investment Prospectus

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INTRODUCTION
FRANCES BAARD DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY
An attractive destination for investment in multiple sectors.
Towns: Barkly West, Delportshoop, Hartswater, Jan Kempdorp,
Kimberley, Pampierstat, Ritchie, Warrenton, Windsorton.This district
accounts for 40.3% of the province’s economic activity. Strategically
located and with good infrastructure, Kimberley is the leading centre
in the province for retail, financial services, education, commerce
and light industry. The Mittah Seperepere Convention Centre is the
largest convention centre in the province and can host up to 2
500 people in the main auditorium. A number of hotels and lodges
support a thriving tourism sector, including Sun International’s
Flamingo Casino, pictured, Protea Hotel by Marriott Kimberley, the
Horseshoe Inn and Conference Centre and the Kimberley Club
Boutique Hotel. Southern Sun offers a Garden Court and a SUN1. A
major attraction in the provincial capital is the Big Hole, scene of the
earliest diamond diggings in South Africa.
Kimberley also hosts the Sol Plaatje University and two campuses
of the Northern Cape Urban TVET College. Mining and agriculture are
found in rural municipalities. Afrisam runs a large mining operation
in the centre of the district. Agriculture in the region comprises crop
cultivation and stock and game farming. The Vaalharts Irrigation
Scheme, the largest irrigation project of its kind in the southern
hemisphere, allows for the large-scale cultivation of fruit, nuts,
cotton, olives and maize. Pecan nuts are a strong growth subsector.
INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES COVERED IN GREATER
DETAIL IN THIS PROSPECTUS INCLUDE:
• Big Hole Precinct upgrade and expansion
• Mayibuye Precinct upgrade and expansion
• Several major housing projects
Further opportunities can be found in renewable energy (establishing
new plants, servicing existing plants and component manufacturing),
agri-processing, construction, property and accommodation (Sol
Plaatje University recently celebrated 10 years of operations and
continues to grow, creating a demand for student accommodation),
hotels and logistics (for example, trucks stops). The international
market for pecan nuts is growing every year, and more hectares are
being planted to the nut to cope with demand.
LOCATION AND GEOGRAPHY
Frances Baard District Municipality is the smallest district in the
Northern Cape and has a geographical area of 13 518km². It is also
the most densely populated part of the province, containing as does
several urban settlements, including the provincial capital, Kimberley.
The municipality is located in the far eastern portion of the province.
It shares its northern borders with the North West Province and
its eastern border with Free State Province. Kimberley is less than
500km away from Johannesburg in the north, less than 1 000km
away from Cape Town in the south and the port of Durban in the
east. The N12 national highway is the main north-south arterial and
runs up the eastern boundary of the district. The N8 runs through
Kimberley on an east-west axis, connecting the town to Bloemfontein
to the east and Upington to the west. It compromises the four local
municipalities of Dikgatlong, Magareng, Phokwane and Sol Plaatje.
Population: 439 000
DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY INFORMATION
The Frances Baard District Municipality is a Category C municipality.
Postal address: Private Bag X6088, Kimberley 8300
Physical address: 51 Drakensberg Avenue, Carters Glen,
Kimberley 8301
Tel: +27 53 838 0911
Website: www.francesbaard.gov.za