Region
Dr JS Moroka Municipality
Mpumalanga
South Africa

Sector
Agriculture & Agri-processing

Summary:

Rural Mpumalanga provides a fine location for not only agriculture but also manufacturing possibilities.

Contact
Ben Mabena - Dr JS Moroka Municipality

Email
mabenab@drjsmorokamun.co.za

Tel
+27 13 973 1101
Fax
+27 13 973 2463

Areas of potential
The introduction of new technological practices provides the potential to expand the agricultural sector in Dr JS Moroka Municipality. These new practices include organic farming, biotechnology, hydroponics and water harvesting techniques. The final goal of agricultural ventures should be to establish labour intensive, cost-effective and sustainable farming practices with goods of a quality for the export market.

Technological ventures such as these imply possible linkages with other sectors, such as manufacturing (agri-processing), which are vital for the diversification and growth of the local economy.

Some of the potential ventures identified in the agricultural sector in Dr JS Moroka Municipality include:

• Organic food and vegetarian niche products – teas, herbs, paprika, pecan nuts and nut by-products
• Essential oil extraction from herbal and indigenous plants
• Organic drought tolerant crops such as prickly pear and dates
• Growing of crops and herbs such as buchu through hydroponics, and grape seed oil as a by-product of grapes
• Expansion of the meat and exotic meat market – kudu, ostrich, lamb and springbok – for export and for local markets

Agriculture
Agriculture in Mpumalanga – which holds 17% of medium-potential arable land in South Africa – is characterised by a combination of commercialised farming, subsistence and livestock farming and emerging crop farming.

Higher demands for agricultural products due to continuing population growth in the country, increases in the export of agricultural goods via Maputo harbour and potential for increased agricultural production are expected to boost the sector in the province in the future.

Manufacturing
Most of the manufacturing production in Mpumalanga occurs in the southern Highveld region, especially in the Highveld Ridge where large petro-chemical industries such as Sasol II and III are located. Large-scale manufacturing occurs especially in the northern Highvweld area, in particular, chrome alloy and steel manufacturing.

In the Lowveld subregion industries are concentrated around the manufacturing of products from agricultural and forestry raw materials. The growth in demand for goods and services for export via Maputo will stimulate manufacturing in the province.

Industrial development and manufacturing have always been regarded as the mainstay of economic development as the sector has a significant multiplier effect due to backward linkages with agriculture and mining and forward linkages with trade, transport and communication. It has been calculated that for every job generated in the manufacturing sector, three to four jobs are generated in the economy as a whole.

Potential in this sector exists in the following areas:

• Expansion of agri-processing activities and the export market
• Expansion of agri-tourism products (arts and crafts)
• Introduction, and expansion of existing, niche products
• Identification of indigenous medicinal plants and the processing of by-products
• Biotechnology – manufacturing of micro-organisms
• Value adding and packaging
• Expansion of textile industries
• Establishment of a leather tannery
• Leather tannery – opportunity for linkages with motor manufacturing industries in Gauteng

Please contact the Dr JS Moroka Municipality for more information: