KEY SECTORS
KEY SECTORS AGRICULTUREAgriculture in Mpumalanga is responsible for 4% of theprovince’s gross value added by region (GVA-R) and canbe divided into the following categories (see map, right).AGRICULTURESUMMER CEREALS &LEGUMESMAIZE Maize mealSOYA Meal, Edible oilCANOLA Edible oilSUNFLOWER Edible oilTROPICAL &SUBTROPICAL FRUITCANE SUGAR Sugar /confectioneryCITRUS Juice & concentrateMANGOES Dried, frozen,juice & concentratesLITCHIS Dried, frozen,juice & concentratesAVOCADOES Avocado oilGUAVA Dried, frozen,juice & concentratesMACADAMIA NUTSProcessed & confectioneryMpumalanga Province is one of South Africa’s mostproductive and important agricultural regions and plays akey role in the export profile of South Africa, primarily infruit and nuts. The province’s economic diversity extendsinto the agriculture sector where the natural topography ofthe province divides this sector between the Highveld andLowveld Regions.The Highveld Region in the west of the province is at anelevation of between 4 000 and 6 000 feet above sea level.This allows for the large-scale and commercial production ofcereals and legumes like maize, soya, canola and sunflower.The subtropical region of the Mpumalanga Lowveld playsa key role in the agricultural export profile of the province,primarily in fruit and nuts.Mpumalanga Province is one of the world’s largestproducers and exporters of citrus fruit. Mpumalanga'smajor citrus fruit markets are in Europe, the Middle East,Asia and North America. Specifically, key export destinationsinclude the United Arab Emirates, China, Hong Kong, SaudiArabia and Malaysia. Additionally, South Africa citrus is soldlocally and exported to neighbouring countries.KEY SECTORS FORESTRYForestry is a key driver for the development of Mpumalanga’srural economy and a major provider of job opportunities.About 40% of SA’s sustainable forests are located inMpumalanga Province.The industry comprises logging, saw-milling, wood products, wood board, pulp and paper aswell as specialised cellulose. Specialised cellulose is a sought-after natural, renewable fibrewith a wide range of uses in the textile, consumer goods, foodstuff and pharmaceuticalindustries and is produced in large quantities at Sappi Ngodwana.PG Bison has invested R560-million in a newfront-end dryer for its particle board plant inMkhondo (Piet Retief). The company is alsobuilding a new medium-density fibreboard (MDF)plant at its Mpumalanga plant.R9.5billionAmount invested inthe foresty industryHIGHVELD: Summer cereals and legumes: maize, soya,canola, sunflower.Animal products: bovine meat, swine, sheep and poultry.LOWVELD: Subtropical and citrus fruits, nuts and cane sugar.Mpumalanga Province is the world’s largest producerand exporter of macadamia nuts. The province earned8-million in exports in 2024 with the majority of theIn-Shell product going to the Asian market and the Shelledproduction going to the US and Europe.Mpumalanga’s rich agricultural produce is utilised bycompanies such as McCain, Nestlé and PepsiCo.ratio of commercialfarmers tosmall-scale9:1Mpumalanga’sfarmersSAFCOL/Komatiland is the state forestrycompany with commercial and non-commercialoperations covering a land area of 187 320ha.Sonae Arauco is an established investorand a local BEE company, the FX Group, hasestablished a greenfield particle board plant inLothair in the Gert Sibande District.20REGIONAL PRODUCEHighveldLowveldMpumalanga hasprocessing39out of 148 in South AfricaplantsMAIN EXPORTSPULPPAPERSPECIALISED CELLULOSESAWN LUMBERWOOD CHIPSWATTLE EXTRACTMAJOR COMPANIESSAPPISAFCOLSONAE ARAUCOPG BISONYORK TIMBERSFX GROUP
KEY SECTORS MINING, MINERALS AND ENERGYMining is the province’s largest single sector, providing employment to 8% of the province’sworkforce and making up 19% of gross value added by region (GVA-R).83%of SouthAfrica’scoalproductionMpumalanga is the third-largest coal-exporting region in the world with 83% of SouthAfrica’s coal production and 50% of national coal reserves. Coal is the lifeblood of theprovincial economy, fuelling nine Eskom power plants, which produce 80% of SouthAfrica’s electricity. Both coking coal and thermal coal are major export products, shippingmainly to India and Pakistan.Other minerals: Gold mining takes place in Evander, Pilgrim’s Rest and Barberton. Gold is thesecond-largest export from the province. Platinum and chrome ore mining are located in theSteelpoort and Burgersfort areas in the north of the province and make up part of the BushveldIgneous Complex.The mining services and technology industry is an important subsector in Mpumalanga. Withover a century of commercial mining operations in the province, homegrown technologies are nowexported around the globe.National utility Eskom will spend R3.3-billion on the revival of the Matla coal mine. ExxaroResources will manage the project and do the mining while major companies such as DRA, Worley,Sandvik and WBHO will also be involved.Other companies engaged in expansion of life-of-mine projects are Pan African Resources andEvander (Elikhulu tailings), Exxaro Resources (Leeuwpan) and South32, which is spending aboutR4.3-billion at Klipspruit.Platinum is an important mineral for the modern economy. Two Rivers is a joint venture betweenImplats (46%) and African Rainbow Minerals which is located on the southern part of the easternlimb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex, 35km south-west of Burgersfort in Mpumalanga.Lydenburg is home to the Lion ferrochrome smelter that is a joint venture between Glencoreand Merafe Resources.MINERALSCOAL Waste briquettesGOLD JewelleryCHROMEPLATINUMIRON OREVANADIUMMANGANESEGRANITE Building cladding& tombstoneCLAY Porcelain & ceramicsElectrical insulators50%of South Africa’snational coalreservesKEY SECTORS GREEN ECONOMY AND JETMpumalanga has historically been at the heart of the SouthAfrican energy and industrial complex and is still heavilyreliant on the mining and burning of fossil fuels.Mpumalanga has9ESKOM POWERThe Mpumalanga Provincial Government has been proactive in exploring opportunities inthe Green Economy and pursuing a just transition to a low-carbon economy which secures plantsthe future and livelihoods of workers and their communities.Achieving such a just transition would require an integration of economic opportunitiesin sectors outside of energy and mining. The Green Energy Cluster has been established to drive the province's transition to a greeneconomy. The primary goal is to facilitate investment and job creation in green technologies and sectors, while promoting sustainablepractices and resource management. The Mpumalanga Green Cluster Agency works at the interface between business, government andacademia in order to identify and remove barriers to an economically viable green economy catalysing their uptake to enable the region andits citizens to prosper.A Just Energy Transition (JET) to a Green Economy presents the following opportunities:• Renewable energy: solar, biomass, natural products• Gas and associated industries• Sustainable smart agriculture: environmentally friendly agriculture and agriculturalprocessing• Circular Green Economy: waste recycling, water reclamation, land rehabilitation• Soft infrastructure: reskilling and institutional capacity-building for a carbon-neutralfuture• Hard infrastructure: investment and expertise are needed in urban planning, water andwaste management21Specific opportunities include:•There are plans for the decommissioning of11 000MW of Eskom’s coal-fired capacity by 2030.Opportunities are presented by repurposing land.• The vast new fields of natural gas found off thecoast of Mozambique could have a big impact onthe Mpumalanga economy.• A Renewable Energy Development Zone (REDZ) isplanned for eMalahleni / Witbank where coal jobsare at risk.
