Limpopo Business 2016-17 edition

SPECIAL FEATURE
The Modjadji Cycad Reserve contains some of the
oldest and biggest cycad specimens in the world.
Limpopo has two World Heritage Sites: the
Mapungubwe National Park in the northern part of
the province is a hill site where a 12th-century ironage
civilisation settled and traded extensively in ivory,
iron ore, copper and beads with traders from far afield.
The Makapans Valley tells the story of the Ndebele
people and has fascinating palaeontological deposits
that tell an even older history.
Situated like many of the other golf estates near
the Great North Road (the N1 highway), Legend Golf
and Safari Resort is part of 22 000-hectare nature and
game conservancy and offers private homes, a hotel,
a wellness centre and a conference centre.
Regions
Limpopo has regions with distinct geographical features
and climatic conditions. The dry, cattle-rearing,
western areas contrast with the subtropical regions
of the east where forestry thrives and central regions
where vast plantations produce 60% of the country’s
tomatoes. The semi-arid regions to the north of the
Soutpansberg Mountains are home to the unique
baobab tree, the so-called upside-down tree because
it looks as though its roots are reaching skywards. The
Waterberg Mountains stretch over 14 500km² through
the northern reaches of the province.
Limpopo has five district municipalities:
Capricorn District
Capricorn is the economic centre of Limpopo, with
the provincial capital Polokwane contributing 13%
of the provincial GDP. The Zebediela Citrus Estate is
one of the biggest citrus estates in South Africa, and
the cultivation of potatoes and tomatoes is done on
a large scale in the district.
The capital city of Polokwane is the province’s
main centre for industry, commerce, education and
medical services.
The city is close to big concentrations of mineral
deposits and to fertile agricultural lands; its industries
reflect this diversity. Large industrial concerns such as
Silicon Smelters (one of the biggest of its kind in the
world) and a big brewery run alongside at least 600
industrial enterprises of a smaller scale. The range
is broad, thus helping to protect Polokwane from
downturns in the economic cycle: soft drink and fruit
juice manufacture; confectionery; bricks; clothing;
meat processing; packaging; jewellery.
The strong retail sector was strengthened even
more with the opening of the Mall of the North.
This major project cost approximately R1.2-billion to
complete. Covering more than 70 000 square metres,
the mall offers a more convenient alternative
to shoppers used to doing their monthly shopping
in Johannesburg.
Polokwane has good hotel and conferencing
facilities and is well situated as a starting point for
tourism trips into the province and beyond. Garden
Court Polokwane is an example of a hotel that forms
part of a national group, in this case, Tsogo Sun.
Nearby Moria attracts up to a million people
every year, when the Zion Christian Church
celebrates Easter.
Greater Sekhukhune District
Government is the largest employer in this southern
district, followed by agriculture and hunting. The
vast majority of households are rural (94%), with a
poverty rate of 69.9%.
Groblersdal is the district capital. The region’s
fertile lands produce maize, tobacco, peanuts, vegetables,
sunflower seeds and cotton on a large scale.
LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2016/17
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