Where the sun rises

Wednesday, 26 May 2010 09:07

The Mpumalanga Province offers great prosperity for interested investors

It has been said that “when the sun rises, it rises for everyone”.

Mpumalanga is one of the country’s most diverse and beautiful provinces. Incidentally, Mpumalanga also means “Place where the sun rises”. It goes without saying that the drive to showcase trade and investment opportunities within the province will mean prosperity for the greater South Africa.

Mpumalanga is not only rich in natural resources; it also has a solid infrastructure in place to support economic growth and investment in the region.

Strategically located in close proximity to Gauteng and export locations in KwaZulu-Natal and Mozambique, the opportunities to invest in the province are numerous, supported by the availability of telecommunications, energy and transport.

Previously plagued by corruption and maladministration, local government in recent years has made a commitment to economic sustainability within the province. Making it all the more attractive to potential investors, Mpumalanga’s current economy is based primarily on manufacturing, mining, agriculture and tourism.

Recognising the enormous potential for both large and small investments, the Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA) was established to promote economic development in the province. With a focus on sustainable enterprises, MEGA offers a complete service, including administrative and logistical support to encourage potential investors to see the true value of investing in one of the country’s fastest growing economies.

Mpumalanga’s natural environment is its greatest asset. Natural resources are abundant; and with a diverse climate and landscape, it makes the province the perfect location for a burgeoning tourism industry.

Home to the Big Five, nine game and nature reserves including the world-renowned Kruger National Park, the Mpumalanga Lowveld region has not only steadily been welcoming local and international visitors to the province, but also highlighting the myriad opportunities for investment potential in the tourism sector.

Always room for one more, growth in the number of private game reserves, lodges, outdoor adventure and eco tour companies is testimony to the fact that with enough support, Mpumalanga could become one of the country’s most sought-after destinations.

Capitalising on the local environment also presents the opportunity to invest in the cultural sector. With a focus on sustainability and community empowerment, products of the cultural sector include African silk, beadwork, basket ware and grass weaving, pottery, sculpture, woodwork as well as cultural furniture.

Investors wanting to explore the opportunities within Mpumalanga’s agricultural sector will not be short of options. It is South Africa’s largest producer in the agricultural industry. The province’s Highveld grasslands and subtropical Lowveld are the ideal platform to invest in farming, manufacturing and exporting.

Crops coming out of Mpumalanga include maize, wheat, barley, sunflower seeds, soybeans, sugar cane, tea, coffee, tobacco, cotton and a variety of citrus and subtropical fruits, to name a few.

More than 68% of the region is utilised by agriculture and 14% used as natural grazing land, resulting in products such as beef, mutton, poultry, wool and dairy.

In total, the prospects for investors range from manufacturing textiles and garments to producing fruit juices, canned fruit and vegetables, concentrates and much more.

The province is also the site of one of South Africa’s largest sugar mills, the raw materials of which could result in full-scale production of soft drinks, confectionary, and the like.

Increasing the economic potential of Mpumalanga is spurred by the Maputo Development Corridor. As the first international toll road in Africa, the Corridor connects Gauteng to the deep-water port of Maputo in Mozambique and creates a channel for previously landlocked parts of the region to become economically active.

Roads, well-connected railway networks and the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport provide the vehicle for investors to maximise their return on investment in the province.

Mpumalanga is rich in coal reserves and produces more than 80% of South Africa’s coal. Used mostly for electricity generation and the synthetic fuel industry, the province is home to some of South Africa’s major coal-fired power stations.

The abundance of energy and byproducts of petrochemical manufacture results in the resources to manufacture synthetic rubber and plastics.

The mining sector in Mpumalanga extends beyond coal and yields minerals such as gold, platinum group metals, silica, tin, asbestos, talc, limestone and shale, among others. Coupled with a strong production and supply of stainless steel, investors will not be short of options when it comes to investing in the manufacturing sector.

Staying with the natural environment, Mpumalanga has a sizeable forestry industry and the largest paper mill in Africa. Opportunities exist for investors to produce paper, timber, furniture, building and packaging materials.

The sum total for any potential investor is that the opportunities in Mpumalanga are just short of endless. A leader in its own right, the province is an example of how to couple the natural environment with responsible economic sustainability – an equation that could result in profitability for both people and province.

In addition, investing in a region already so rich in natural wealth will ensure that the sun never sets in Mpumalanga nor the rest of South Africa.

Taryn Springhall

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