South African Business 2018 edition
Welcome to the sixth edition of the South African Business journal. First published in 2011, the publication has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to South Africa, supported by an e-book edition at www.southafricanbusiness.co.za. Regular pages cover all the main economic sectors of the South African economy and give a snapshot of each of the country’s provincial economies. Feature articles on topical issues such as sustainability and African trade provide unique insights, together with an interview with the newly elected chairman of the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers, Mr Thomas Schaefer. Another special feature focusses on an exciting project to transform South Africa’s small harbours and coastal properties. South African Business is complemented by nine regional publications covering the business and investment environment in each of South Africa’s provinces. The e-book editions can be viewed online at www.globalafricanetwork.com. First published in 2011, the publication has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to South Africa, supported by an e-book edition at www.southafricanbusiness.co.za Regular pages cover all the main economic sectors of the South African economy and give a snapshot of each of the country’s provincial economies. Feature articles on topical issues such as sustainability and African trade provide unique insights, together with an interview with the newly elected chairman of the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers, Mr Thomas Schaefer. Another special feature focusses on an exciting project to transform South Africa’s small harbours and coastal properties. South African Business is complemented by nine regional publications covering the business and investment environment in each of South Africa’s provinces. Visit www.globalafricanetwork.com for more business and investment news, opportunities and events.
Welcome to the sixth edition of the South African Business journal. First published in 2011, the publication has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to South Africa, supported by an e-book edition at www.southafricanbusiness.co.za.
Regular pages cover all the main economic sectors of the South African economy and give a snapshot of each of the country’s provincial economies. Feature articles on topical issues such as sustainability and African trade provide unique insights, together with an interview with the newly elected chairman of the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers, Mr Thomas Schaefer. Another special feature focusses on an exciting project to transform South Africa’s small harbours and coastal properties.
South African Business is complemented by nine regional publications covering the business and investment environment in each of South Africa’s provinces. The e-book editions can be viewed online at www.globalafricanetwork.com.
First published in 2011, the publication has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to South Africa, supported by an e-book edition at www.southafricanbusiness.co.za
Regular pages cover all the main economic sectors of the South African economy and give a snapshot of each of the country’s provincial economies. Feature articles on topical issues such as sustainability and African trade provide unique insights, together with an interview with the newly elected chairman of the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers, Mr Thomas Schaefer. Another special feature focusses on an exciting project to transform South Africa’s small harbours and coastal properties.
South African Business is complemented by nine regional publications covering the business and investment environment in each of South Africa’s provinces. Visit www.globalafricanetwork.com for more business and investment news, opportunities and events.
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Nedbank, Standard Bank and Capitec Bank are among<br />
several big finance groups which have a strong presence<br />
in the Eastern Cape.<br />
The automotive industry provides 30% of the<br />
jobs in the province’s manufacturing sector and accounts<br />
for 32% of gross added value. Half of <strong>South</strong><br />
Africa’s passenger vehicles are made in the Eastern<br />
Cape and 51% of the country’s motor exports<br />
originate here.<br />
Ford makes engines in Port Elizabeth. General<br />
Motors <strong>South</strong> Africa (GMSA) manufactures and assembles<br />
vehicles and is a leader in producing catalytic<br />
converters. The Eastern Cape supplies 14% of the world<br />
market in catalytic converters. Among the other products<br />
exported by GMSA to Mexico, the US, Europe and<br />
Australia are seat belts and aluminium heat shields. The<br />
Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) has identified<br />
the automotive-parts sector as a target sector to<br />
grow exports.<br />
The largest mall to be constructed in <strong>South</strong><br />
Africa since 2004 has opened in Port Elizabeth. The<br />
Bay West Mall is a sign of confidence in the Eastern<br />
Cape economy.<br />
Tourism<br />
The Eastern Cape has some unique natural advantages<br />
as a tourist destination. For example, the province covers<br />
seven different biomes (communities of plants and<br />
animals coexisting in a particular place), of which the<br />
grassland, Nama Karoo, thicket and savanna biomes are<br />
the most extensive. The Eastern Cape has three areas of<br />
endemism: Albany, the Drakensberg and Pondoland.<br />
The National Arts Festival in Grahamstown is a key<br />
national festival.<br />
The Addo Elephant National Park is a 164 000ha<br />
facility that attracts more visitors than East Africa’s<br />
Serengeti National Park. Other national parks in the<br />
province are the Camdeboo National Park (around<br />
Graaff-Reinet and now home to some lions), the<br />
Mountain Zebra Park (near Cradock) and the Garden<br />
Route Park, a marine reserve.<br />
The Eastern Cape Provincial Government is responsible<br />
for 21 nature reserves and is planning<br />
to commercialise the administration of many of<br />
these facilities.<br />
Economic future<br />
REGION<br />
More than 6 000 international athletes will line up on<br />
a beach in Port Elizabeth in September <strong>2018</strong> for the<br />
first <strong>African</strong> staging of the <strong>2018</strong> IRONMAN 70.3 World<br />
Championship. This event illustrates the Eastern<br />
Cape’s striving to be a world-class events destination.<br />
International conferences on the Oceans Economy<br />
have also been held in recent months, indicative of<br />
this coastal province’s determination to make the<br />
most of its 800km coastline, with three ports and two<br />
associated industrial development zones geared to<br />
attracting investments in new sectors. Programmes<br />
are in place to promote ship-building and repair,<br />
aquaculture, offshore oil and gas, marine protection<br />
and governance, and marine transport and<br />
manufacturing. The Nelson Mandela University<br />
(NMU) launched an Oceans Campus in 2017 and<br />
already has several research chairs studying this<br />
potentially very lucrative field.<br />
The Eastern Cape’s long coastline is an asset in the<br />
national Oceans Economy strategy. With three major<br />
ports, two of which house industrial development<br />
zones (IDZs), the province is well placed to leverage<br />
the advantages that will come with the promotion<br />
of maritime sectors.<br />
National government aims for the Oceans<br />
Economy to contribute R29-billion to the national<br />
gross domestic product (GDP) by 2019 and a possible<br />
R177-billion by 2033. This is part of the broader<br />
National Development Plan (NDP).<br />
Another new area of interest is renewable energy.<br />
The Eastern Cape is a favourite destination for<br />
wind power investors. Of the 17 projects approved<br />
in the province in terms of the national independent<br />
producers’ programme, fully 16 are on-shore wind<br />
projects. More than 1 500MW has so far been procured<br />
within the borders of the province, and there<br />
is potential for much more.<br />
Capital Bhisho<br />
Population 6 916 200<br />
Area 168 966km 2<br />
Premier Phumulo Masualle (ANC)<br />
Languages Afrikaans, English, Xhosa<br />
141 SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS <strong>2018</strong>