Gauteng Business 2016 edition

SPECIAL FEATURE
South Africa’s currency unit is the rand (ZAR),
which is divided into 100 cents (c). Rands are available
as banknotes in R10, R20, R50, R100 and R200
denominations, while coins come in denominations
of R1, R2 and R5, as well as 5c, 10c, 20c and 50c.
Geography
The dynamic province offers investors
great opportunities through multiple
locations for industrial and commercial
business and well-developed infrastructure,
to maximise your investment spend.
The Gauteng economy is also a major player
in Africa, accounting for 10 percent of the GDP of
the entire African continent. With GDP valued at
R811-billion (US$112-billion), the province contributes
as much as 33.9% percent of South Africa’s
total national economic output.
Currency and the cost of living
Despite the large scale of economic activity within
the province, the cost of living is still relatively low
in major cities like Johannesburg in comparison
to first world cities such as London — with food,
luxury items, services and electronics as much as
50 percent cheaper.
There are no foreign currency restrictions for
people entering South Africa. Exchange rates fluctuate
daily, so it is best to check updated figures,
although travellers from the USA, Asia and Europe
enjoy favourable exchange rates.
The Vaal River forms a natural border with the Free
State, which lies south of Gauteng, while the North
West province is located to the west, Limpopo to the
north and Mpumalanga to the east. The geography
of Gauteng includes low parallel ridges, mountain
ranges and undulating hills.
Johannesburg is the capital of the Gauteng province,
while Pretoria (also situated in Gauteng) is the
administrative capital of South Africa. Other major
urban areas include Roodepoort and Krugersdorp to
the west of Johannesburg; and Germiston, Springs,
Benoni and Brakpan to the east. Soweto, renowned
as a focal point in the struggle against apartheid and
home to more than 2-million people, is situated south
of Johannesburg.
Gauteng is South Africa’s smallest province, occupying
just 1.4 percent of the total land area of South
Africa. The province is located in the Highveld region
of South Africa, approximately 1 700 metres above
sea-level. It is a landlocked province, surrounded by
four other provinces.
Language and people
The most widely spoken languages in Gauteng
are isiZulu, English, Afrikaans and Sesotho, with
19.8 percent, 13.3 percent, 12.4 percent and 11.6
percent of the provincial population speaking
these languages in their homes, respectively.
English is the main language of commerce. In
addition to the most prevalent languages, all of
South Africa’s remaining official languages are
spoken in Gauteng, together with a diverse range
of international languages including Mandarin,
Swahili, French, Portuguese and German.
The Gauteng province is home to a vibrant
and diverse population, reflected in a multitude
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