Motheo District Municipality and its constituent local municipalities of Mangaung, Mantsopa and Naledi offer a number of opportunities to suit property development and infrastructure investment needs.
Industrial development
The Mangaung, Botshabelo and Thaba'Nchu regions lend themselves to great investment opportunities in the agriculture, transportation, agro-processing, textile and plasticware industries. Land for industrial use is also widely available.
The industrial areas in and around Mangaung – Bloemdustria, Hilton, Hamilton, East End and Old Industrial – have fully established infrastructure with all the necessary amenities such as power, water and sewerage supply lines.
Botshabelo Industrial Area is the manufacturing hub of the Free State and has 90% occupancy. These areas offer:
The local municipalities offer a number of attractive investment incentives for all types of businesses. In the final analysis, it is Motheo District's already existing infrastructure which makes it an excellent launching pad. Together with its virtually untapped water and skilled labour resources, it is ideal for new industrial development on a grand scale.
Property development
Plenty of prime land is still available in three local municipalities for commercial and residential property development. For the past few years the property
market has grown tremendously in the region. Bloemfontein in Mangaung Local Municipality and Ladybrand in Mantsopa Local Municipality are currently the hot spots for investors.
Transport
Land transport
Transport is a strong local sector as Bloemfontein is an ideal transport link to all national roads. The Transwerk goodsshed and warehouse in Bloemfontein is believed to be the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, thereby providing a strategic point for distribution of goods. Warehouse and storage capacity at Estoire in Bloemfontein is currently expanding at a fast and competitive pace. Furthermore, Mangaung Local Municipality's Mangaung Intermodal Transport Facility plan has just been completed.
Air transport
Daily flights connect to OR Tambo and Cape Town International Airports. In preparation for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, the Airports Company of South Africa has earmarked Bloemfontein Airport for a facelift expansion at a cost of R37-million rand. This money will be used to improve passenger and taxi parking bays, the VIP lounges and arrival points.
Agriculture
In the Motheo region commercial livestock farming is the backbone of the rural areas, particularly in Mantsopa and Naledi. Motheo produces potatoes and sunflower in the eastern parts of the district. A biodiesel plant has just been completed and is operational 10km outside Bloemfontein.
Motheo District Municipality (MDM) is at the crossroads of South Africa's major transport routes. Its position as the economic seat of the Free State has led to the district being named 'the Heartbeat of the Free State'. Mangaung (Bloemfontein), the judicial capital of South Africa and the capital of the province, was the scene of the founding of two major South African political parties: the ANC and the NP – and stands at the centre of Motheo.
Local Municipality Information
Mantsopa Local Municipality
The municipality consists of the towns of Ladybrand, Hobhouse, Excelsior, Tweespruit and Thaba Patchoa. The area is also traversed by the Maluti Route on the R26 from Kwazulu-Natal via the eastern Free State, up to the Eastern Cape highlands and Lesotho.
Ladybrand especially is an economically bustling town with high property prices and is sometimes referred to as the 'capital' of Lesotho.
Naledi Local Municipality
The municipality consists of the towns of Dewetsdorp, Wepener and Vanstadensrus and stretches along the Highlands of the Maluti Route. The R26 Route links together the Naledi area.
