Frances Baard District Municipality Investment Prospectus

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6 MESSAGE WELCOME TO FRANCES BAARD DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY Key projects and strategies to stimulate economic growth in the District have been identified, writes Municipal Manager, Mamikie Bogatsu. I wish to take this opportunity to welcome you to the “Home of the Diamond Fields” and invite you to explore the many tourism attractions we have on offer. During your stay I am certain that you will find an opportunity to experience the warmness and hospitality of our people. The main economic activities of the district are agriculture, mining and tourism which, together with the availability of the Harts and Vaal rivers which run through the district, enhance the tourism potential of the area. The Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme is the biggest in the southern hemisphere and the district also lends itself to other industrial developments like leather and cotton production. Aside from that the region produces high-quality export fruit, vegetables and olives. We are known worldwide for the Kimberley “Big Hole” and we boast one of the best off-the-beaten-track opportunities for nature tourism. Frances Baard District Municipality is the hub of development in the Northern Cape Province as we are ranked highest in terms of total contribution to the Northern Cape Province GDP. We have identified key projects and strategies to stimulate economic growth, including investments in infrastructure, energy security, tourism and the green economy. We aim to support existing businesses, collect local business intelligence, promote industry cluster development and attract investment through relationship building and promotion. To retain and attract talent, the district will focus on quality of place and unique career opportunities, aligning skills and training programmes with target clusters. We invite you to explore our beautiful district and the many investment opportunities we have on offer. Enjoy your visit to our district and the riches and resources of the Diamond Fields. Municipal Manager, Mamikie Bogatsu The district hosts international events such as this cricket match featuring South Africa and Sri Lanka at the De Beers Diamond Oval.
7 DISTRICT ECONOMY MAIN SECTORS AND INFRASTRUCTURE Frances Baard District Municipality supports a diverse economy, ranging from primary to tertiary sectors. Frances Baard District Municipality is the strongest economic region in the province, accounting for 36% of the provincial gross domestic product. The economy of the district comprises primary (agriculture and mining), secondary (manufacturing, electricity and construction) and tertiary (trade, transport, financial and social services) sectors. Kimberley is the primary driver of the secondary sectors but in agriculture and mining, the district’s rural areas and smaller towns play important roles. MAIN ECONOMIC SECTORS With Kimberley being the provincial capital, and with a long history of trading and commercial activity dating back to the discovery of diamonds in the area in the late 19th century, it is no surprise that community and financial services and trade comprise a significant proportion of economic activity. The town’s and the district’s strategic position in the centre of the country explain the relatively high proportion of GDP which is derived from transport. Limestone is quarried in the district and Ekapa Mining is continuing to extract diamonds, mostly from the tailings of dumps, using modern technology to get to material that previous generations were not able to. The company’s operations are pictured on this page. Agriculture is a diverse sector because the soil conditions and water availability within the district varies greatly. Game and cattle farming occur the western section whereas the eastern and central parts of the region are watered by the Vaal and Harts rivers, and the Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme. Large commercial enterprises coexist with small-scale farmers. Beefmaster Group, which has an abattoir and processing facility in Kimberley, processes and exports tons of meat to the Middle East and the Far East and has retail operations in other South African provinces. Wildeklawer cultivates vegetables and crops on a large scale on the banks of the Vaal River near Barkly West. INFRASTRUCTURE The Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme mentioned above represents one of the most consequential pieces of infrastructure in the region. A plan that had long been in the minds of engineers finally was put into action in 1933 and the system now irrigates 39 820ha of land, supported by more than 1 000km of canals. The Vaalharts Water User Association administers the system out of Jan Kempdorp. Two national highways cross the district: the N12 is a north-south road that connects to the N1 at Three Sisters junction in the south; the N18 runs from Bloemfontein in the east to Upington and beyond in the west. Airlink and Cemair fly to Kimberley Airport, which is an Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) facility. Sol Plaatje University in Kimberley celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023. The building of one of South Africa’s newest tertiary institutions provided a boost for the construction sector and continued expansion will continue to do so. In addition, the demand for student accommodation and the holding of events and conferences has an effect on other sectors of the economy. Many of the university’s buildings won awards. The main courtyard is shown here.
Page 1 and 2: 1 FRANCES BAARD DISTRICT MUNICIPALI
Page 3 and 4: 1 FOREWORD IMPROVING THE LIVES OF C
Page 5 and 6: NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE SOUTH AFRICA
Page 7: STATISTICS FRANCES BAARD DISTRICT M
Page 11 and 12: 9 LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES The story of
Page 13 and 14: 11 • Vaalharts Dam is a popular f
Page 15 and 16: 13 TOURISM GO! GHAAP ROUTE Barkly W
Page 17 and 18: 15 INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES FRANCES
Page 19 and 20: 17 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT Furth
Page 21 and 22: 19 INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY HOUSING S
Page 23 and 24: NATIONAL INCENTIVE SCHEMES The nati

Frances Baard District Municipality Investment Prospectus

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