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Limpopo Business 2016-17 edition

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  • Tourism
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  • Limpopo
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  • Province
  • Polokwane
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  • Pretoria
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The 2016/17 edition of Limpopo Business is the eighth issue of this highly successful publication that, since its launch in 2007, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to the Limpopo province. Limpopo is unique in terms of its abundant natural and human resources, and is also one of the key drivers behind the South African economy. This edition of Limpopo Business is officially endorsed by the Office of the Premier of Limpopo.

SPECIAL FEATURE taken in

SPECIAL FEATURE taken in South Africa. When complete, it will provide an additional 4 764 megawatts, which will massively enhance the country’s generation capacity. Medupi is located in Lephalale in the far west of Limpopo, and next to an existing power station where coal is abundant. Unit 5 is expected to come on stream in the first half of 2017. The De Hoop Dam across the Steelpoort River in the east of Limpopo has started supplying water to rural communities who previously had to walk to rivers to fetch water. These communities in the Waterberg, Capricorn and Sekhukhune districts are beneficiaries of a vast project that will also deliver water to towns and mining operations in the area. More than a million people will get water from the dam, which cost approximately R3.4-billion to build and has a capacity of 347 600 000m³. In terms of the broader scheme under which the De Hoop Dam falls, some 23 platinum mines stand to benefit. Water and sanitation In order to come up with a coordinated strategy in a time of drought, the Provincial Government of Limpopo convened a Provincial Water and Sanitation Summit in 2015. A technical team from the national Department of Public Works is assisting the provincial entity in providing clean water in the Sekhukhune District Municipality, Polokwane City and Mogalakwena Local Municipality. These are seen as priority projects in response to the drought and to ensure that the economies of these municipalities can thrive. A vital project for schools is the Accelerated School Infrastructure Programme (ASIDI), which is run by the Mvula Trust on behalf of the national departments of Basic Education and Water and Sanitation and the Limpopo Department of Education. The Mvula Trust arose out of an initiative of the Independent Development Trust and the Kagiso Trust, and is the NGO responsible for rolling out various water and sanitation programmes for national government. The programme reached a total of 115 schools in all five of the province’s district municipalities: Capricorn District Municipality: (20 schools); Mopani (23 schools); Sekhukhune (46 schools); Vhembe (23 schools); Waterberg (three schools). The governing bodies of all the schools were consulted, 17 contractors were hired to do the work, and various professionals such as a geohydrologist and occupational health and safety consultants were employed to roll out the project. New water supplies were created for 64 schools and 37 got new sanitation facilities. A total of 661 temporary jobs were created in the process of drilling boreholes, excavating, laying pipes and cables, installing tanks and building new structures. A health and hygiene educational component was also included in the programme. Community and co-operatives Makotse is a small village in the Capricorn District about 40km from the provincial capital of Polokwane. Many people in the areas are unemployed but the Makotse Women’s Club is making a difference through a range of projects that are not only serving the community but providing income. The club has won several awards, including one awarded by the Independent Development Trust and the Department of Health and Social Development for exemplary management (of the Makotse Bakery). An off-shoot of the bakery business provides catering services from a menu that includes mealie-meal (bogobe), samp, chicken (kgogo) and beetroot. LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2016/17 26

SPECIAL FEATURE The Independent Development Trust delivers social infrastructure and manages social development programmes for the state. The Bakone Gardening Project (of the Makotse Women’s Club) provides vegetables such as onions, spinach and beetroot to local schools, a Drop-In Centre and a Day-Care Centre. Hydroponics have been a feature of the garden since the Department of Agriculture, the US Embassy and the Peace Corps combined to help install a system designed to improve efficiency. The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) has an agreement with the Limpopo Department of Agriculture to promote and create co-operatives in the province. A number of these co-operatives have been launched since the partnership was founded. In Thohoyandou the Marula Co-operative uses the extract from the Marula plant to make beauty products such as lotions and soaps and cooking oil. This co-operative is a collaboration between members of six smaller groups. A similar alliance led to the establishment of the Nwanedi Co-operative in the far north of the province, east of Musina. The group received close to R500 000 from the NYDA to help them rent a tractor, to meet the costs of running the farm, but mostly to assist with transport of the butternuts they were producing to market. For small farmers, access to market is a huge challenge and the support of the NYDA will not be the end of the process: the Department of Agriculture will help them pool their resources at market. The department will also assist with further training. 27 LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2016/17

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