The 2016/17 edition of Limpopo Business is the eighth issue of this highly successful publication that, since its launch in 2007, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to the Limpopo province.
Limpopo is unique in terms of its abundant natural and human resources, and is also one of the key drivers behind the South African economy.
This edition of Limpopo Business is officially endorsed by the Office of the Premier of Limpopo.
The
The Limpopo Development Plan The Provincial Government of Limpopo’s Development Plan aims to carry through the spirit of South Africa’s development plans on a provincial basis. In these difficult economic times, hope is what people cling to, and the South African government’s National Development Plan (NDP) has provided a source of great possibility and hope for South African businesses as well as its citizens. Each of South Africa’s provinces have since adopted and planned their own strategies, taking the NDP as their guide and tailoring it for their own specific needs. The Limpopo Development Plan (LDP) has been designed to address the economic poverty and infrastructural issues that are currently being faced in Limpopo. The province has endeavoured to ensure that the plan is a reflection of their shared vision and strategic imperatives towards poverty reduction, and the elimination of social inequality in addition to the creation of sustainable jobs in the province. The LDP cuts across three areas that need extensive improvement, notably socio-economic, infrastructural and institutional development. These areas are essential to Limpopo, being a mainly rural province. The economic strategy required entails concentrating on the mining, agricultural and tourism sectors. The industrialisation of Limpopo is going to be concentrated around (but not limited to) Polokwane, Lephalale, Tubatse, Tzaneen and the Makhado-Musina corridor, which have been identified as the areas of priority in terms of integrated human settlements and economic development The entire strategy outline is, therefore, designed on the floorplan of the 14 development outcomes contained in the National Medium-Term Strategic Framework for 2015-2019. Development is defined as broad-based improvements in the standard and quality of life for the people living throughout the province, to which all institutions (including government, business, labour and citizens) contribute. Increasing the annual improvements in job-creation production, income, access to good public services and environmental management are the instruments or means to reach the goals of this development plan. LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2016/17 20
SPECIAL FEATURE This vision statement encapsulates the expectation that, by 2030, Limpopo will have a public service that meets the best standards of governance, citizens that are educated, skilled, healthy and self-reliant, and that there is a labour force that is fully productive and gainfully employed, with an infrastructure that is capable of promoting and sustaining an innovative local and regional economy for the benefit of all the province’s diversified communities in a responsible and sustainable manner. The LDP also acknowledges that a critical condition for job creation is improved levels of education and skills development, and human resource development has therefore been identified as one of the key priorities. The aim is to reduce the unemployment rate to 14% (down from 16.9% in 2016). Education is seen as an opportunity for the future generations to enjoy access to economic mobility and success. The LDP aims to achieve this by improving the educational quality in order to be globally competitive and to provide high-quality early childhood education by 2030. During the 2015 State of the Province Address (SOPA), Premier Mathabatha announced that the LDP would underpin 10 High Level Development Targets to be attained by 2020. These targets are: • The achievement of an economic growth rate of 3% revised in the light of the current performance of the global economy • The creation of 429 000 jobs • Increased access to basic water from 83% in 2014 to 90% • Increased access to electricity supply from 83% in 2014 to 90% • Increased access to sanitation from 43% in 2014 to 50% • Increased Matric Pass Rate from 72% in 2014 to at least 80% • Increased Geographic Gross Product contribution to the national GDP from 7.15% in 2014 to 9% • Reduction of the unemployment rate from 16.9% in 2014 to 14% 21 LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2016/17
