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.
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
REGION<br />
Most of the province receives summer rainfall,<br />
often via thunderstorms. Frost is common on the<br />
Highveld, but is almost absent in the subtropical regions<br />
where fruit, nuts and citrus thrive. Crops include<br />
maize, wheat, sorghum, barley, sunflower seed, soya<br />
beans, groundnuts, sugarcane, vegetables, coffee, tea,<br />
cotton, tobacco, citrus, subtropical and deciduous<br />
fruit. A large proportion of <strong>South</strong> Africa’s grain, citrus,<br />
sugar and soft fruits come from Mpumalanga. The<br />
province is an exporter of macadamia nuts, a sector<br />
that is growing at a remarkably fast pace.<br />
The province’s rich agricultural produce is used<br />
by companies such as McCain, Nestlé and PepsiCo<br />
and there are also pulp and paper plants (Sappi and<br />
Mondi), fertiliser facilities and textile manufacturing<br />
concerns. The decision by Sappi to start producing<br />
dissolving wood pulp at its Ngodwana Mill has significantly<br />
increased the manufacturing capacity of the<br />
province. York Timbers is a leading forestry company<br />
and the sugar mills and refinery of RCL Foods are large<br />
contributors to the provincial economy. Forestry is<br />
extensive around Sabie.<br />
The province lies at the southern end of the eastern<br />
limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex. Chromite,<br />
magnetite and vanadium are found in significant<br />
quantities in the province. The ferro-alloy industry is<br />
centred on the town of Middelburg. Deposits of chromite,<br />
magnetite and vanadium in this area are the basis<br />
of the ferro-alloy complex in Witbank-Middelburg and<br />
Lydenburg. Nkomati Mine is <strong>South</strong> Africa’s only purenickel<br />
operation. The province’s coalfields are in the<br />
south and west of the province.<br />
The restarting of the Evraz Highveld steel mill<br />
in 2017 was good news for the regional economy,<br />
after the company went into business rescue two<br />
years before.<br />
The province also hosts large companies in the<br />
manufacturing sector, with internationally renowned<br />
firms such as Sasol (synthetic fuels and chemicals)<br />
and Xstrata (ferrochrome) having large operations<br />
in the province.<br />
Sasol, the integrated oil, gas and chemicals<br />
company, runs several plants at Secunda. Products<br />
manufactured at the complex include synthetic fuel,<br />
petroleum, paraffin, jet fuel, creosote, bitumen, diesel<br />
and lubricants. Sasol’s coal liquefaction plant is also<br />
located in the town of Secunda. The primary feedstock<br />
for synthetic-fuel production is coal, and the plant is<br />
located in the heart of Mpumalanga’s coalfields.<br />
Economic future<br />
A major goal of the provincial government’s<br />
Mpumalanga Economic Growth and Development<br />
Path (MEGDP) is to expand the industrial base of the<br />
provincial economy. The focus is on beneficiation,<br />
agri-processing and value chain development.<br />
The Provincial Government of Mpumalanga has<br />
been talking to several foreign countries about investments<br />
in the province. An assembly plant for Minsk<br />
Tractor Works is one of the outcomes of this activity,<br />
and several agreements relating to training and trading<br />
have been signed. Russia, Belarus, China and Oman<br />
are some of the countries with which Mpumalanga<br />
is engaged. The Mpumalanga Economic Growth<br />
Agency hosted a People’s Republic of China <strong>Business</strong><br />
Forum which was attended by 19 large Chinese<br />
companies.<br />
An ambitious plan to develop a Strategic Economic<br />
Zone (SEZ) at Nkomazi is under way. The area is close<br />
to both Mozambique and Swaziland and lies on the<br />
Maputo Development Corridor that links the economic<br />
powerhouse of <strong>South</strong> Africa (Gauteng) with<br />
the ports and gas supplies of Mozambique.<br />
There is relatively little agri-processing that takes<br />
place in the province, with most of the products being<br />
exported in their raw state. The Fresh Produce<br />
Market in Mbombela is planned to accommodate<br />
investors who want to start factories to manufacture<br />
products such as juice, or packaging firms. Land has<br />
been bought and registered for the required use in<br />
Mbombela as the Mpumalanga International Fresh<br />
Produce Market. Investors in fresh produce are invited<br />
to be take advantage of Mpumalanga’s superior fruit,<br />
vegetables and nuts.<br />
Capital Mbombela<br />
Population 4 283 900<br />
Area 76 495km 2<br />
Premier David Mabuza (ANC)<br />
Languages Ndebele, Swati, Zulu<br />
153 SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS <strong>2018</strong>
Change language