SPECIAL FEATURE The
SPECIAL FEATURE The Northern Cape is home to six national parks and five provincial parks and nature reserves. The Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape is a World Heritage Site and the Namaqualand spring flower display draws many visitors. Most of the province is semi-arid (with a coastal strip) and it receives relatively little rainfall. Summers are hot and winters are cold. Quiver trees in the Richtersveld. Municipalities The Northern Cape has five district municipalities. Frances Baard District Municipality Towns: Kimberley, Barkly West, Warrenton, Hartswater, Jan Kempdorp This district accounts for 40.3% of the province’s economic activity. It is the smallest but with a population of approximately 325 500, it is the most densely populated. Although Kimberley is historically renowned for diamond mining, its economy is now driven by its role as the administrative headquarters of the province. 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 and the Sol Plaatje University are in Kimberley. Mining and agriculture are found in rural municipalities. Agriculture in the region comprises crop cultivation and stock and game farming. The Vaalharts Water Scheme is the largest irrigation project of its kind in the southern hemisphere. Investment opportunities: • Sol Plaatje University • Kimberley International Diamond and Jewellery Academy (KIDJA) • Mining: diamonds and precious stones • Manufacturing: textiles, agri-processing. John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality Towns: Kuruman, Kathu, Hotazel Kuruman is the headquarters of local government in this region and contributes 19.7% to the province’s economy. The local spring produces 20-million litres of water every day. Most of the district is situated on the Ghaap Plateau, over 1 000 metres above sea level and can experience extreme temperatures. Most agricultural activity is limited to grazing and boer goats are a popular breed among farmers, although game hunting is growing. Kathu has a well-developed CBD with shopping malls that arose when iron demand was high. The Sishen iron ore mine outside Kathu is a vast undertaking, providing employment for thousands of people. Samancor’s Mamatwan and Wessels manganese mines and plants are situated at Hotazel. Investment opportunities: • Kathu Industrial Park (IDC involvement) • Eco-tourism and hunting • Boesmansput diving resort • Gamagara Mining Corridor (housing, infrastructure) • Goat commercialisation • Agri-processing: olives, grains, pecan nuts, medicinal plants. Namakwa District Municipality Towns: Springbok, Calvinia, Niewoudtville, Garies, Williston, Fraserburg, Sutherland, Pofadder, Okiep, Port Nolloth, Alexander Bay The Namakwa district stretches from the northwestern corner of the province, and the country, bordering Namibia and the Atlantic Ocean to the southern border of the province with the Western Cape Province. It includes the famous star-gazing town of Sutherland on its southern edge. The district is sparsely populated, and predominantly rural. It contributes 11.1% to economic activity in the province. A major new investment has been undertaken in zinc at the Gamsberg project. The mining and agricultural sectors provide most employment, while tourism and small-scale manufacturing are also present. There are plans to upgrade the harbour at Port Nolloth. NORTHERN CAPE BUSINESS 2020/21 10
SPECIAL FEATURE The region’s economy gets a boost every spring when tourists flock to see the veld in bloom. The climate and soil support certain niche crops, and the sites and sights are unique to the region, offering opportunities in agriculture and tourism. Niewoudtville is the site of a rooibos tea factory. The /Ai/Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, the Namakwa National Park and the Tankwa Karoo National Park have the potential to grow as travel destinations, as does the western coastline. Investment opportunities: • Development of Port Nolloth and smaller harbours • Hondeklip fish factories • Abalone and hake • Kelp processing and export • Game and nature reserve infrastructure • Rooibos tea • Calvinia: sheep and goat processing. Pixley Ka Seme District Municipality Towns: De Aar, Hanover, Carnarvon, Douglas, Marydale, Prieska, Hopetown, Richmond, Noupoort, Norvalspont, Colesberg The district covers 102 000 square kilometres in the central Karoo and contributes 11.3% of the economic activity of the province. It has four national roads passing through it. De Aar, the site of the municipal headquarters, has national significance as a railway junction. The provincial government has published plans to create a logistics hub at De Aar. The area around the town has several new solar farms. Star gazing is Carnarvon’s great claim to fame, and it is host to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope project. The district is home to three of South Africa’s major dams. Agricultural production includes wheat, maize, peanuts, grapes, beans, potatoes, nuts and sheep farming. Pixley Ka Seme is the largest wool-producing district in South Africa, but most of what is produced is processed in the Eastern Cape, so opportunities exist for the establishment of a cotton mill, a tannery and a facility to add value to semi-precious stones. Horse breeding is a valuable contributor to the regional economy. Investment opportunities: • De Aar rail cargo hub and workshops • SKA engineering, science, logistics support and education • Douglas holiday resort • Booktown Richmond festivals • Wool, pistachio nuts and venison processing • Water tourism activities on dams. ZF Mgcawu District Municipality Towns: Upington, Groblershoop, Kenhardt, Kakamas, Postmasberg The Orange River supports a thriving agricultural sector and a growing tourism sector. The investment climate is ripe for tourism along the Orange River and around unique physical attractions such as the Augrabies Falls. Upington is already a busy town with processing facilities for agricultural products. The planned development of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the town and next to Upington International Airport will boost manufacturing. The main targeted sectors at this stage are in the renewable energy sector, for example, solar panels. Most of the population of the //Khara Hais Local Municipality lives in Upington. Agriculture is a prominent feature of the local economy, as well as wholesale and retail services in and around the town. Various kinds of high-speed car racing and testing takes place on the roads, tracks and airport runway in or near the town. The processing of wine and dried fruit is one of the biggest manufacturing activities in the province. Mining activities take place in Kgatelopele, where diamonds and lime are found. Together with sheep and cattle farming, mining provides most of the employment to be found in Siyanda. Investment opportunities: • Upington Special Economic Zone • Upington Cargo and Electronics hub: SKA, renewable energy and aircraft storage • Upington International Airport • Orange River Smallholder Farmer Settlement and Development Programme • Tourism: wine tours, adventure and hunting • Upington vehicle testing site • Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). ■ 11 NORTHERN CAPE BUSINESS 2020/21
