Region
Northern Cape
South Africa

Sector
Aquaculture & Mariculture
Call Centres & Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)
Manufacturing
Mining & Metals

Summary:

MEC for Economic Affairs in the Northern Cape, Mr PW Saaiman, stressed in his 2008 Budget Speech address how important it is that government strive to improve the living standards of its people, and he outlined the sectors that are playing a major role in doing just that.

Contact
Mr Darius Babuseng

Email
dbabuseng@perm.ncape.gov.za

Tel
+27 53 830 4800

Extracts from MEC for Economic Affairs PW Saaiman's 2008 Budget Speech

Government has to make a meaningful contribution towards improving the standards of living of our people, and the Department of Economic Affairs is striving to meet the following development objectives:

• Promoting economic growth
• Diversification and transformation of the provincial economy
• Developing social and human capital
• Improving efficiency and effectiveness of governance and development institutions
• Unemployment reduction through sustainable economic growth and social development

For too long now, the Northern Cape exported job opportunities by exporting raw materials to be beneficiated internationally and in other centres in our country, creating work for others that does not benefit our communities. In the process we have exported our educated youth, depriving our province of the strategic skills development we now so dearly need.

Plans for 2008/09

The Department of Economic Affairs aims to increase the levels of economic growth and to create jobs by implementing the following key strategic projects:

• Diamond and mineral beneficiation strategy
• Manufacturing centres
• BPO
• LED
• SMME Development
• Mariculture park

Manufacturing

Mining is still one of the key sectors in the Northern Cape economy. But the main concern in terms of the mining industry is the fact that the majority of inputs used in the production process are imported from other provinces. A strategic decision has been taken to implement the production of inputs (using reverse engineering) in the mining industry by establishing a manufacturing centre in Kgalagadi. The initiative fits perfectly into the strategic vision of revitalising neglected industrial parks in the region to the benefit of the provincial economy.

Business process outsourcing (BPO)

BPO is vital to the Northern Cape as a means to diversify the economy from its dependence on primary production, and to move more into the services sector. The province is proud to announce that the first BPO call centre has been launched in Kgalagadi. Planning to open a second centre in Sol Plaatjie municipality in Kimberley is also well advanced.

Mariculture

The mariculture industry has been identified as an opportunity to alleviate job losses created by the downscaling of mining activities in the Namakwa District. The main focus is on the development of a mariculture park in Port Nolloth and competitive mariculture industries in Alexander Bay, Kleinzee and Hondeklip Bay. Already, experimental projects growing oysters and abalone in Alexander Bay, Port Nolloth and Kleinzee have proven to be successful. The results prove that Namaqualand and its nutrient-rich waters are ideal for the viable commercial growth of abalone and other marine species. This positive and more advanced growth rate of marine species experienced through the test trials at Hondeklip Bay gives encouragement and security to investors that conditions in Namaqualand are ideal for this purpose.

For the full Budget Speech address, contact Mr Darius Babuseng at the department on +27 53 830 4800 or email dbabuseng@perm.ncape.gov.za

www.northern-cape.gov.za