The 2017 edition of Eastern Cape Business is the 10th issue of this highly successful publication that, since its launch in 2006, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to the Eastern Cape Province. The Eastern Cape enjoys an abundance of natural and human resources, as well as established industrial infrastructure that drives the economy of the province. This includes three ports and two industrial development zones which are home to a wide range of manufacturers and exporters.
The 2017 edition includes an in-depth look at the province’s two Industrial Development Zones, a focus on skills development and investment climate information from the Nelson Mandela Business Chamber and the Border-Kei Chamber of Business.
SPECIAL FEATURE Valley
SPECIAL FEATURE Valley in the southwest has enormous deciduous fruit orchards, the Alexandria and Grahamstown area produces pineapples, chicory and dairy products. It is the leading livestock province in terms of numbers and supplies a quarter of South Africa’s milk. Tourism is a major growth industry with a growing number of national and international events taking place in the province. Events such as the Ironman World Championship, to be held in Port Elizabeth in 2018, make a big economic impact. The Addo Elephant National Park is the largest of the province’s four national parks and there are more than a dozen provincial parks and a large number of upmarket private game farms, lodges and reserves. The province’s beaches and waves are very popular, with adventure tourism attracting tourists wanting to go on 4x4 trails, jump off bridges or fly micro-light aircraft. The National Arts Festival, held annually in Grahamstown, attracts huge crowds for 11 days, even in the midst of winter. PE plans The big new retail development in Port Elizabeth’s western suburbs has spurred a R300-million upgrade at Greenacres, the city’s first big mall development which attracted shoppers away from the central business district (CBD) in 1981. Even the CBD itself has received an overhaul. The old Main Street, renamed Govan Mbeki Avenue, was turned by the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) into a useful and pedestrian-friendly precinct. The MBDA is also behind the most recent change to the city’s landscape. There has been a total transformation of the Old Tramway building at the entrance to the Baakens Valley, near the yacht basin of the Port of Port Elizabeth. The MBDA has not only moved into new offices in the renovated building, but is letting it out as an events venue. Other retail property developments have happened in the valley (including a popular brewery), drawing attention to the potential of Port Elizabeth’s green lung to be even more useful in future. A scheme to restructure the yacht basin in the harbour has been on the books for some time. A key blockage is the location of manganese storage dumps on the edge of King’s Beach. When those are moved to the Port of Ngqura, as is planned, then the marina development can go ahead. A cruise liner terminal could also form part of this development. The Baakens River Valley is one of Port Elizabeth’s hidden gems and the MBDA has commissioned studies on how the valley might best be utilised for leisure and new housing without compromising its unique natural features. Alfred Nzo District Municipality Towns: Matatiele, Mount Frere, Mount Ayliff The smallest district is located in the mountainous north-east, with hiking trails for tourists. There is tremendous scope for expansion of tourist activities, and a transfrontier park between South Africa and Lesotho could boost the area’s economy. Subsistence agriculture and forestry are the major economic activities. Amathole District Municipality Towns: Cathcart, Stutterheim, Morgan’s Bay, Willowvale, Butterworth, Mazeppa Bay, Alice, Bedford The rural Amathole District surrounds the metropolitan area of Buffalo City. Pineapple and forestry are two of the most important agricultural activities. Popular resorts on the Wild Coast attract many tourists to the area. Hogsback and other towns near the Amatole Mountains offer beautiful scenery and popular beaches. The main campus of the University of Fort Hare is located at Alice. Sarah Baartman District Municipality Towns: Graaff-Reinet, Humansdorp, Jeffreys Bay, Grahamstown The western part of the province contains the biggest municipality and is one of the biggest contributors to provincial GDP. Large commercial farms in the Karoo produce high-quality meat, wool and mohair, while the coastal belt has dairy farming and some forestry. The Kouga Valley is a big deciduous fruit producer, while the Kirkwood/Addo area is known for its citrus. Sarah Baartman has three of the region’s national parks and several private game farms. Grahamstown hosts the National Arts Festival, Rhodes University and a number of fine schools. EASTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2017 10
SPECIAL FEATURE Chris Hani District Municipality Towns: Middelburg, Molteno, Dordrecht, Cradock, Queenstown, Lady Frere, Elliot Sheep farming is an important part of the economy. Some coal is found in the north and tourist activities include fly-fishing. The Foodcorp factory in Molteno manufactures Ouma rusks. Queenstown is a centre for cattle farming and has some manufacturing activities. The Mountain Zebra National Park is near Cradock. The Grootfontein Agricultural College and Research Station is in Middelburg, and the Marlow Agricultural College is near Cradock. OR Tambo District Municipality Towns: Mthatha, Coffee Bay, Port St Johns, Qumbu, Bizana, Flagstaff OR Tambo District Municipality encompasses some of the province’s least-developed areas, and contains one of South Africa’s most important ecological areas, the Pondoland Centre of Plant Endemism. Mining is already pursued in some areas, but plans for titanium mining on seaside dunes are being contested. A Wild Coast Spatial Development Initiative exists to plot further development. Forestry is a big employer. Joe Gqabi District Municipality Towns: Aliwal North, Burgersdorp, Lady Grey, Rhodes, Barkly East, Ugie Cattle and sheep farming make up 80% of land use, while commercial forestry is a big contributor to employment. There are large forestry plantations at Ugie and Mount Fletcher. Maize is grown along the Orange River and wheat in the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains. Tiffindell has been revived as a ski resort. EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE Free State LESOTHO KwaZulu- Natal Rouxville Zastron Matatiele Britstown Bethulie Ixopo R56 N12 De Aar Mount Aliwal North Colesburg Oviston Lady Grey Mount Kokstad Northern Cape R58 Fletcher Ayliff Burgersdorp Port Edward Hanover Jamestown Barkly R61 N10 East Maclear Mount Frere N1 Steynsburg N6 Dordrecht N2 Victoria West R56 Middelburg Molteno Elliot Lusikisiki Indwe Hofmeyr Mthatha Three Sisters Queenstown Port St Johns R61 Western Cape Tsomo Tarkastad Coffee Bay Beaufort West Graaff-Reinet Cradock Sada Cathcart N R61 R63 Somerset Aberdeen Stutterheim Butterworth Pearston East Adelaide Fort Komga N9 Beaufort Cookhouse Bhisho N2 Klipplaat Rietbron N10 King William's Town EAST LONDON Willowmore Kirkwood Grahamstown Steytlerville Paterson N2 Hamburg INDIAN OCEAN Uniondale R72 Joubertina N9 Uitenhage Port Alfred Motorway Knysna N2 Humansdorp Main Road Kareedouw PORT ELIZABETH Railway Plettenberg Bay Jeffreys Bay 11 EASTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2017
