South African Business 2016 edition

OVERVIEW Regional

OVERVIEW Regional overview: North West North West is perhaps one of South Africa’s least known provinces, but it is, nevertheless, a place packed with interesting attractions, beautiful open spaces and welcoming people wherever you go. Situated in the north of South Africa on the Botswana border and fringed by the Kalahari desert in the west, Gauteng province to the east and the Free State to the south, it is known as the Platinum Province for the wealth of the metal it has underground. The capital is Mahikeng (previously Mafeking) a town best known for the famous siege during the Boer War, which ended in a decisive victory for the British and made a hero of Robert Baden-Powell. Mining Mining contributes 23.3% to the North West economy. Ninety-four percent of the SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS 2016 186

OVERVIEW PERSONAL & GENERAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES 20% FINANCE, REAL ESTATE & BUSINESS SERVICES 13% TRANSPORT, STORAGE & COMMUNICATION 7% WHOLESALE, RETAIL, MOTOR TRADE, CATERING & ACCOMMODATION 11% CONSTRUCTION 2% ELECTRICITY, GAS & WATER 1% MANUFACTURING 5% MINING & QUARRYING 39% AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY & FISHING 2% North West sector contribution. SOURCE: INVEST NORTH WEST. country’s platinum is found in the Rustenburg and Brits districts, which produce more platinum than any other single area in the world. North West also produces a quarter of South Africa’s gold, as well as granite, marble, fluorspar and diamonds. Employment along the Platinum Corridor, from Pretoria to eastern Botswana, accounts for over a third of total employment in North West. The North West is responsible for 64% of platinum, 46% of the granite and 25% of the gold produced in the country. Platinum is found in the Rustenburg and Brits regions, which produce more platinum than any other area in the world. Granite, marble and diamonds are also mined in the province. The Bushveld Igneous Complex is found in the region and is rich in PGMs as well as minerals like iron, tin, chromium, titanium and vanadium. South Africa produces 70% of the world’s chrome, and most of it is sourced in the North West where there are 20 chromite mines. The manufacturing sector comprises mostly fabricated metals, food and beverages and non-metallic minerals such as cement and stone. Food and beverages is the biggest subsector contributing to the manufacturing industry. Major companies with manufacturing capacity in the North West like Nestlé, Rainbow Chickens, Tydstroom and Clover have all taken advantage of the province’s strategic location adjacent to the business hub of Gauteng. Agriculture North West is sometimes referred to as the Texas of South Africa, with some of the largest cattle herds in the world found at Stellaland near Vryburg. The Marico region is also cattle country, while the areas around Rustenburg and Brits are fertile, mixed- crop farming land. The province is an important food basket in South Africa. Maize and sunflowers are the most important crops and the North West is the major producer of white maize in the country. NORTH WEST www.nwpg.gov.za Capital Population Area Premier Mahikeng 3 707 000 (2015) 104 882km 2 Supra Mahumapelo (ANC) Languages Tswana, Afrikaans, Sotho, Xhosa, Tsonga 187 SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS 2016