Gauteng Business 2016 edition

SPECIAL FEATURE
Metropolitan and District
Municipalities
Renamed after the first democratic election in 1994, Gauteng (the name means gold in
English) is one of nine provinces in South Africa. Gauteng was formed from part of
the old Transvaal Province following South Africa’s first all-race elections,
blossoming into rich democracy thereafter.
City of Tshwane
Gauteng is governed by the Gauteng Provincial Legislature,
a 73-person unicameral legislature elected by party-list
proportional representation. The provincial government
is responsible for the topics allocated to it in the national
constitution, including such fields as basic education, health, housing,
social services, agriculture and environmental protection.
Gauteng contains three metropolitan municipalities (City of
Johannesburg, City of Tshwane and Ekurhuleni) and two district munici
palities (Sedibeng and West Rand). A further seven local municipalities
– Emfuleni, Lesedi, Midvaal, Mogale City, Randfontein, Westonaria
and Merafong City – fall within the jurisdiction of the two district
municipalities.
The metropolitan area of Tshwane
boasts a total population of
2.9-million and a combined
budget of R24.9-billion for the
2012/13 financial year. In 2011, the
Metsweding District Municipality
was added to the City of Tshwane
metropolitan area. The services
sector, which is dominated by
government services, is the largest
economic sector in the City of
Tshwane, followed by the finance,
manufacturing and trade sectors,
respectively.
One of three of South Africa’s
capital cities, Pretoria, is located in
the City of Tshwane. Interestingly,
every foreign country is represented
by an embassy in Pretoria.
Tshwane contributes approximately
27 percent to provincial
GDP in Gauteng, and 9 percent
to national output.
City of Johannesburg
The City of Johannesburg is one
of the 50 largest metropolitan areas
in the world. Johannesburg’s
total GDP amounted to US$76-
billion (PPP adjusted) in 2011,
GAUTENG BUSINESS 2016
22