Investment into North West Province is set to take off further with the budget of Invest North West, the provincial investment promotion agency, boosted by R5.2-million. While the province had an average growth rate of below 3% before 2005, since then the platinum province has increased investment confidence, economic growth and job creation.

Mining, one of the key economic sectors in the province, has increased in dominance since 1996, growing from 20.1% of the provincial economy to 24.7% percent today.

Economic growth climbed to 5.1% in 2005. The province is targeting an economic growth rate of 6.6% annually according to Invest North West CEO Gaba Tabane. Invest North West is hoping to attract into the province investment of R6.3-billion per year from the public and private sectors. Tabane said that the extra R5.2-million would ensure the agency has the resources to garner more investment and to position the province as an investment destination.

The provincial capital, Mafikeng, has recently seen a R3-billion investment by Egyptian-based Orascom Construction to build a state-of-the-art cement plant.