Eastern Cape Business 2018 edition

SPECIAL FEATURE World

SPECIAL FEATURE World Championship event is evidence that the strategy of attracting events to the Eastern Cape is working. There will be significant financial spin-offs from this international event. Assets The Eastern Cape extends over 169 580 square kilometres, representing 13.9% of South Africa’s land mass. The dry western interior is one of the country’s premier sheep-rearing destinations. The mountainous regions of the north and east of the province support timber plantations while the coastal belt in the south-west is well-watered and is good for dairy farming. The province has spectacular beaches stretching from the surfer’s paradise at Jeffreys Bay all the way to the famed Wild Coast. Two major airports at Port Elizabeth and East London provide good air links and smaller towns such as Mthatha and Bhisho have airports. Mthatha has recently received upgrades and SA Express has added five direct flights per week to and from Cape Town. The Umzimvubu Multipurpose Development Project is a large development plan that incorporates a multi-purpose dam to supply water for new irrigation, hydropower generation and domestic water supply. The Eastern Cape Development Corporation is a development financier and it is supporting enterprises in the growing ICT and film sectors through the Eastern Cape Information Technology Initiative (ECITI). Alfred Nzo District Municipality Towns: Matatiele, Mount Frere, Mount Ayliff The smallest district is in the mountainous northeast, with hiking trails for tourists. There is scope for expansion of tourist activities, and a transfrontier park between South Africa and Lesotho could boost the area’s economy. Subsistence agriculture and forestry are the major economic activities. There have been several investments in forestry in recent years. Amathole District Municipality Towns: Cathcart, Stutterheim, Morgan Bay, Willowvale, Butterworth, Mazeppa Bay, Alice, Bedford The rural Amathole District surrounds the metropolitan area of Buffalo City. Pineapple and forestry are two of the most important agricultural activities. Popular resorts on the Wild Coast attract many tourists to the area. Hogsback and other towns near the Amatole Mountains offer beautiful scenery and popular beaches. The main campus of the University of Fort Hare is located at Alice. Sarah Baartman District Municipality Towns: Graaff-Reinet, Humansdorp, Jeffreys Bay, Grahamstown The western part of the province contains the biggest municipality and is one of the biggest contributors to provincial GDP. Large commercial farms in the Karoo produce high-quality meat, wool and mohair, while the coastal belt has dairy farming and some forestry. The Kouga Valley is a big deciduous fruit producer, while the Kirkwood/Addo area is known for its citrus. Sarah Baartman has three of the region’s national parks and several private game farms. Grahamstown hosts the National Arts Festival, Rhodes University and several fine schools. Chris Hani District Municipality Towns: Middelburg, Molteno, Dordrecht, Cradock, Queenstown, Lady Frere, Elliot Sheep farming is an important part of the economy. Some coal is found in the north and tourist activities include fly-fishing. The Foodcorp factory in Molteno manufactures Ouma rusks. Queenstown is a centre for cattle farming and has some manufacturing activities. The Mountain Zebra National Park is near Cradock. The Grootfontein Agricultural College and Research Station is in Middelburg, and the Marlow Agricultural College is near Cradock. OR Tambo District Municipality Towns: Mthatha, Coffee Bay, Port St Johns, Qumbu, Bizana, Flagstaff OR Tambo District Municipality encompasses some of the province’s least-developed areas and EASTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2018 10

SPECIAL FEATURE contains one of South Africa’s most important ecological areas, the Pondoland Centre of Plant Endemism. Mining is already pursued in some areas but plans for titanium mining on seaside dunes are being contested. A Wild Coast Spatial Development Initiative exists to plot further development. Forestry is a big employer. Joe Gqabi District Municipality Towns: Aliwal North, Burgersdorp, Lady Grey, Rhodes, Barkly East, Ugie Cattle and sheep farming make up 80% of land use, while commercial forestry is a big contributor to employment. There are large forestry plantations at Ugie and Mount Fletcher. Maize is grown along the Orange River and wheat in the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains. Tiffindell has been revived as a ski resort. Quick facts: Capital: Bhisho Major cities: Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (Bhisho, East London and King William’s Town) and Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, (Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage) Languages: 78.8% isiXhosa, 10.6% Afrikaans, 5.6% English Population: 6.9-million Share of total South African population: 12.7% The province’s population of 6.9-million makes it the country’s third most populous province, with about 15% of the national population. EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE Free State LESOTHO KwaZulu- Natal Rouxville Zastron Matatiele Britstown Bethulie Ixopo R56 N12 De Aar Mount Aliwal North Colesburg Oviston Lady Grey Mount Kokstad Northern Cape R58 Fletcher Ayliff Burgersdorp Port Edward Hanover Jamestown Barkly R61 N10 East Maclear Mount Frere N1 Steynsburg N6 Dordrecht N2 Victoria West R56 Middelburg Molteno Elliot Lusikisiki Indwe Hofmeyr Mthatha Three Sisters Queenstown Port St Johns R61 Western Cape Tsomo Tarkastad Coffee Bay Beaufort West Graaff-Reinet Cradock Sada Cathcart N R61 R63 Somerset Aberdeen Stutterheim Butterworth Pearston East Adelaide Fort Komga N9 Beaufort Cookhouse Bhisho N2 Klipplaat Rietbron N10 King William's Town EAST LONDON Willowmore Kirkwood Grahamstown Steytlerville Paterson N2 Hamburg INDIAN OCEAN Uniondale R72 Joubertina N9 Uitenhage Port Alfred Motorway Knysna N2 Humansdorp Main Road Kareedouw PORT ELIZABETH Railway Plettenberg Bay Jeffreys Bay 11 EASTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2018