KwaZulu-Natal Business 2016-17 edition
The 2016-17 edition of KwaZulu-Natal Business is the eighth issue of this highly successful publication that, since its launch in 2008, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. The province is unique in terms of its abundant natural and human resources, and is also one of the key drivers behind the South African economy. To complement the extensive local, national and international distribution of the print edition of the magazine (15 000 copies), the full content can also be viewed online at www.kwazulunatalbusiness.co.za. Updated information on KwaZulu-Natal is also available through our monthly e-newsletter, which you can subscribe to online at www.globalafricanetwork.com, in addition to our other business-to-business titles that cover all nine provinces, complemented by our flagship publication, South African Business.
The 2016-17 edition of KwaZulu-Natal Business is the eighth issue of this highly successful publication that, since its launch in 2008, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa.
The province is unique in terms of its abundant natural and human resources, and is also one of the key drivers behind the South African economy.
To complement the extensive local, national and international distribution of the print edition of the magazine (15 000 copies), the full content can also be viewed online at www.kwazulunatalbusiness.co.za.
Updated information on KwaZulu-Natal is also available through our monthly e-newsletter, which you can subscribe to online at www.globalafricanetwork.com, in addition to our other business-to-business titles that cover all nine provinces, complemented by our flagship publication, South African Business.
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SPECIAL FEATURE<br />
The Oceans Economy is one of the focus areas<br />
that has been chosen by national government to<br />
be part of Operation Phakisa, a focused, goal-driven<br />
attempt to jump-start a specific economic sector.<br />
Overall, Phakisa intends creating a million jobs by<br />
2033 and injecting R<strong>17</strong>7-billion into national GDP.<br />
The decision to build a cruise-ship terminal at<br />
the Port of Durban is a good example of the kind<br />
of decision that is nicely in line with an 'Oceans<br />
Economy' approach.<br />
By mid-<strong>2016</strong> a bill will be put before the provincial<br />
legislature to bring into existence the <strong>KwaZulu</strong>-<strong>Natal</strong><br />
Maritime Institute. This will be run out of the restructured<br />
Sharks Board and training programmes will be<br />
coordinated with Transnet to make sure that relevant<br />
courses are offered. Since 2012, 800 students have<br />
been studying maritime-related courses.<br />
The other big potential growth area in <strong>KwaZulu</strong>-<br />
<strong>Natal</strong> is energy. Several licences have been granted<br />
for offshore exploration and the hope exists that<br />
something will be found – the vast gas fields off the<br />
coast of Mozambique are so close after all!<br />
However, if energy does not come from the sea<br />
through offshore drilling for oil or gas, there remains<br />
plenty of potential on land. So far <strong>KwaZulu</strong>-<strong>Natal</strong><br />
has trailed the rest of South Africa when it comes<br />
to the innovative and exciting Renewable Energy<br />
Independent Power Producers Programme (REIPPP).<br />
Tens of billions of rands and hundreds of megawatt<br />
hours have been allocated to dozens of projects<br />
(some of which are already connected to the grid)<br />
but these have mostly been solar in the Northern<br />
Cape and wind in the Eastern Cape.<br />
<strong>KwaZulu</strong>-<strong>Natal</strong> is anxious to get with the programme<br />
and is targeting the forestry sector (waste<br />
and pulp) and sugar sector (cane and beet) to provide<br />
feedstock for bio-mass energy generation. One<br />
project that is part of the national programme is<br />
under way using these materials, but many more<br />
are planned.<br />
The forestry and sugar sectors in the province<br />
actually generate enough of their own power that<br />
they could be selling power to the grid, but the<br />
framework does not yet exist for that to happen. The<br />
creation of that legislation or regulation must be a<br />
priority. The Mondi Group are leading the way with<br />
58% of the fuel consumption of their operations<br />
being derived from renewable sources.<br />
Although the forestry and paper sector and the<br />
sugar sector are grounded in the agricultural sector,<br />
the leading companies' processing plants and<br />
downstream beneficiation also make them major<br />
components of the manufacturing sector and big<br />
contributors to the province's export basket.<br />
In addition, Tongaat-Hulett is a major property<br />
company and Illovo is a continent leader in sugar<br />
production. Sappi's export of dissolving wood pulp<br />
makes it a world leader in its field.<br />
Tourism<br />
Tourism plays a vital role in the economy of the<br />
region, with the conference and events sector<br />
supported by excellent facilities. The jewel in the<br />
crown is the huge Albert Luthuli International<br />
NAMIBIA<br />
Northern Cape<br />
Western Cape<br />
BOTSWANA<br />
North West<br />
Free State<br />
Eastern Cape<br />
Limpopo<br />
ZIMBABWE<br />
LESOTHO<br />
Mpumalanga<br />
Gauteng<br />
SWAZI-<br />
LAND<br />
<strong>KwaZulu</strong>-<br />
<strong>Natal</strong><br />
MOZAMBIQUE<br />
13 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS <strong>2016</strong>/<strong>17</strong>
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