South Africa is a country where various sisting of the Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele and Swazi; cultures merge to form a unique nation, the Sotho-Tswana people, who include the proud of its heritage.
The country boasts some of the world's (Tswana); the Tsonga; the Venda; Afrikaners; most breathtaking scenery and features an the English; coloureds; Indians, and those who amazing display of bird and wildlife species, have immigrated to South Africa from the which include the well-known Big Five (lion, rest of Africa, Europe and Asia and maintain leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino). a strong cultural identity.
South Africa's biggest asset is its people; a the Khoi and the San also live in South Africa. rainbow nation with rich and diverse cultures. South Africa is often called the cradle of Languages humankind, for this is where archaeologists The South African Constitution, 1996 (Act 108 discovered 2,5-million-year-old fossils of our of 1996), states that everyone has the right to earliest ancestors, as well as 100 000-year-use the language and to participate in the old remains of modern man. cultural life of his or her choice, but no one may do so in a manner inconsistent with any The people provision of the Bill of Rights. Each person also has the right to instruction in the lan-The results of the second democratic Census guage of his or her choice where this is rea(Census 2001) were released in July 2003. sonably practicable.
On the night of 10 October 2001, there were 44 819 778 people in South Africa. Of Official languages these, 79% classified themselves as African; To cater for South Africa's diverse peoples, 9,6% as white; 8,9% as coloured; and 2,5% as the Constitution provides for 11 official lanIndian/Asian.
A total of 21 685 415 people in South isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Africa are male, and 23 662 839 female. siSwati, Tshivenda and Xitsonga.
Although South Africans come from many and advance the use of these languages.
According to Census 2001, isiZulu is the a dynamic blend of age-old customs and modern ways, building a South African mother tongue of 23,8% of the population, society to create a better life for all.
followed by isiXhosa (17,6%), Afrikaans (13,3%), Sepedi (9,4%), and English and Setswana (8,2% each).
The least spoken indigenous language in South Africa is isiNdebele, which is spoken by 1,6% of the population.
African languages. The National Language Service (NLS) will lay the basis for the South African Languages Bill. Despite the fact that some groundwork has already been done by the NLS relating to the language provisions set out in the Constitution, the NLPF calls for more radical implementation strategies.
The NLPF is a national framework which will have to be implemented by provincial and local governments. It is critical that these levels of governance align their language policies with the NLPF. They will also have to take into account regional circumstances and the needs and preferences of local communities.
South Africa has 12 public holidays: New Year's Day - 1 January Human Rights Day - 21 March Good Friday - Friday before Easter Sunday Family Day - Monday after Easter Sunday Freedom Day - 27 April Workers' Day - 1 May Youth Day - 16 June National Women's Day - 9 August Heritage Day - 24 September Day of Reconciliation - 16 December Christmas Day - 25 December Day of Goodwill - 26 December If any of these days falls on a Sunday, the following Monday becomes a public holiday.
Considering the nature and the history of the previously marginalised languages, more effort will have to be put into the development of these languages.
There is a need to identify priority areas with a view of supporting existing structures for the development of these languages. It is important to note that the implementation of the NLPF will increase the demand for translation and editing work and interpreting services, especially in the African languages.
The growing need for the services of professional language practitioners will create a demand for further training and educational resources. This will result in job opportunities for people who are linguistically skilled and will contribute to poverty alleviation in South Africa.
The Department of Arts and Culture has taken steps to promote the indigenous languages of South Africa.
One of the projects viewed critically by the Department in terms of bringing services to the people, is the Telephone Interpreting Service of South Africa (TISSA).
The NLS has also produced a multilingual AIDS Manual containing substantial terminology that should help to bridge the gap between different language communities and the primary healthcare providers who serve them.
The NLS has also focused on education-terminology projects, particularly for the natural sciences and technology, the economic and management sciences, and the human and social sciences.
The NLS is committed to preventing the country's languages, specifically the African languages, from losing their functionality and becoming redundant. The NLS regards the development of human language technologies as imperative if online dictionaries, terminology lists and other products are to be provided in all 11 official languages of South Africa, including spellcheckers for the 10 indigenous languages.
The TISSA was launched in March 2002. This is a ground-breaking project to facilitate access to public services in South Africans' languages of choice.
In this project, interpreters bridge language barriers via telephone. It is the first project of its kind in South Africa.
The TISSA is a project of the Department of Arts and Culture and is jointly funded by the Pan South African Language Board (PaNSALB).
With TISSA, the Department is on par with international standards of well-known telephone interpreting services in other multilingual countries such as Australia, the United States of America and many European countries. TISSA caters for the needs of the speakers of the 11 official languages of South Africa, thus promoting the use of indigenous languages. By April 2003, TISSA was operational in about 40 police stations countrywide.
A videophone facility for sign-language interpreting was launched in August 2002.
National and provincial governments may use any two or more official languages for the purposes of government, taking into account usage, practicality, expense, regional circumstances and the needs and preferences of the population. The Constitution states that all official languages should enjoy parity of esteem and be treated equitably.
A national Multilingualism Consultative Conference, entitled The Future of Multilingualism in South Africa: From Policy to Practice, was held in Johannesburg in June 2003.
The aim of the Conference was to discuss and consult stakeholders on whether the South African Languages Bill captures the spirit of the Constitution's provisions on language, and whether it appropriately reflects the content of the National Language Policy Framework.
with the public (information brochures, annual reports, letters, and to a lesser extent, government notices and bills). For internal communication purposes, documents are mainly created in English. Internal newsletters are often produced in more than one language.
Hansard, a verbatim record of the Parliamentary debate, contains all speeches in the language(s) in which they were delivered, followed by an English translation where necessary.
The NLPF provides for multilingual Hansard publications which, in the case of provincial legislatures, will use languages as determined by regional circumstances.
creating conditions for the development and equal use of all official languages fostering respect for and encouraging the use of other languages in the country encouraging the best use of the country's linguistic resources to enable South Africans to free themselves from all forms of linguistic discrimination, domination and division.
advising on the co-ordination of language planning in South Africa. PaNSALB may on its own initiative, or upon receipt of a written complaint, investigate the alleged violation of any language right, policy or practice. It may also summon any person, body or state organ to give evidence.
The PaNSALB Amendment Act, 1999 (Act 10 of 1999), provided the Board with a progressive shift from being a watchdog State organ to addressing the language-development needs of South Africans.
PaNSALB's explicit role is to create conditions for the development and equal use of all official languages. It must initiate, facilitate and empower agencies within both State structures and civil society to contribute towards the development of all official languages.
The Amendment Act provides for the establishment of National Lexicography Units (NLUs) for all official languages. The purpose of these Units is to compile monolingual explanatory, and other, dictionaries to satisfy the needs of the different linguistic communities.
Xitsonga: Xitsonga NLU.
The Government supports the development and preservation of languages within a bilingual or multilingual policy. In the past, the country had a bilingual policy and the Government supported two dictionary offices, namely WAT in Stellenbosch, Western Cape and DSAE in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape. With 11 official languages, 11 national dictionary offices need government support.
The NLUs are financed on a monthly basis by PaNSALB.
PaNSALB established the 11 official NLUs at tertiary institutions within the boundaries of the geolinguistic area where most of the language users of the particular language are situated. The existing official dictionary offices (WAT and DSAE) remained where they were.
National language bodies have been established for all 11 official languages.
The Khoi and San national language bodies were officially launched in October 1999 in Upington, Northern Cape, to promote and develop the Khoi and San languages. In addition, they assist PaNSALB in its endeavours to promote multilingualism as a national resource. They conduct surveys in communities where the Khoi and San languages are spoken, to record and standardise new terminology and words. They also liaise closely with other professional bodies that can help to enrich and expand the Khoi and San languages.
These advisory bodies assist PaNSALB to take meaningful decisions regarding the standardisation, orthography, terminology and literature issues of each language.
Section 11 of the PaNSALB Act, 1995 (Act 59 of 1995), requires the Board to investigate any alleged violation of any language right, policy or practice. It is imperative to conduct such an investigation in order to determine whether there is any substance to the complaint lodged. Should it be found that the complaint is valid, the next process would be mediation, conciliation or negotiation. In the event of these failing, a hearing would follow.
The Section does not require a formal investigation procedure. The initial stages of the investigation procedure are informal. PaNSALB is furthermore empowered by Section 11(5) to negotiate or mediate in language conflict and attempt conciliation. Mediation, consultation and conciliation form part of the 'jurisdictional requirements' of the Act. Section 12(2) obliges PaNSALB to report and alert Parliament to problems.
From its inception to the end of March 2003, 317 written complaints had been lodged with PaNSALB.
During the 2002/03 financial year, 83 complaints were lodged compared with 67 complaints in the previous year. Some 55,4% of complaints lodged during 2002/03 targeted government departments, particularly the Department of Labour's Compensation Commissioner. This is significantly higher than the 28% recorded during 2001/02. Some 10,8% of complaints targeted local authorities compared with 16% of complaints recorded during 2001/02.
This Bill was published to give effect to Section 185 of the Constitution and was approved by Cabinet in 2001. The Commission's main purpose will be to promote respect for the rights and interests of the various cultural, religious and linguistic communities in South Africa.
promote and develop peace, friendship, humanity, tolerance and national unity among cultural, religious and linguistic communities on the basis of equality, nondiscrimination and free association recommend the establishment or recognition of other councils for a community or communities in South Africa.
monitor, investigate, research, educate, lobby, advise and report on any issue concerning the rights of cultural, religious and linguistic communities facilitate the resolution of conflict or friction between any such community and an organ of State receive and deal with complaints and requests by cultural, religious or linguistic communities convene an annual national conference of delegates from various cultural, religious and linguistic communities in South Africa and governmental and non-governmental roleplayers.
The names of 53 short-listed candidates for the Commission were released on 31 July 2003. The candidates were interviewed in August and September 2003 with a view to selecting the final 26 names which will be submitted to the President.
Almost 80% of South Africa's population follows the Christian faith. Other major religious groups are the Hindus, Muslims and Jews. A minority of South Africa's population do not belong to any of the major religions, but regard themselves as traditionalists or of no specific religious affiliation.
Freedom of worship is guaranteed by the Constitution, and the official policy is one of non-interference in religious practices.
There are many official and unofficial ecumenical relations between the various churches.
The most important of these is perhaps the South African Council of Churches (SACC), even though it is not representative of the full spectrum of churches.
The major African indigenous churches, most of the Afrikaans churches, and the Pentecostal and charismatic churches are, as a rule, not members of the SACC, and usually have their own co-ordinating liaison bodies.
Church attendance in South Africa is favourable in both rural and urban areas, and the churches are well served by a large number of clerics and officials.
On the whole, training for the ministry is thorough and intensive, and based on a variety of models. Patterns of ministry vary greatly.
Apart from the work of the churches, a number of Christian organisations operate in South Africa, doing missionary work, giving aid and providing training. (A comprehensive register appears in the South African Christian Handbook 2003/04.
The broadcasting of religious radio and television programmes underlines the importance of religion in South Africa. Many newspapers carry a daily scriptural message, and various religious magazines and newspapers are produced.
The largest grouping of Christian churches is the AICs, and one of the most dramatic aspects of religious affiliation has been the rise of this movement.
Although these churches originally resulted from a number of breakaways from various mission churches (the so-called 'Ethiopian' churches), the AICs have developed their own dynamics and momentum and continue to flourish. The majority are no longer regarded as Ethiopian churches, but rather Zionist or Apostolic churches. The Pentecostal movement also has its independent offshoots in this group.
The Zion Christian Church is the largest of these churches in South Africa and the largest church overall. More than a million members gather twice a year at Zion City, Moria, near Polokwane in Limpopo, at Easter and for the September festival. Traditionally, Easter is the religious highlight of the year. Church members, estimated to number four million, are not obliged to make the pilgrimage, but have loyally observed the tradition for more than 80 years.
The 4 000 or more independent churches have a membership of more than 10 million, making this movement the single most important religious group in South Africa.
The independent churches attract people from rural and urban areas. There are, for example, hundreds of separate churches in rural KwaZulu-Natal and at least 900 from all ethnic groups in the urban complex of Soweto alone. In the northern KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga areas, these churches serve more than half the population.
The Nederduitsch Gereformeerde (NG) family of churches in South Africa - the Dutch Reformed churches - represents some 3,5 million people. The NG Kerk is the largest of the three churches with a total of about 1 200 congregations countrywide. The other churches are the United Reformed Church of South Africa and the smaller Reformed Church in Africa, with predominantly Indian members. The Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk and the Gereformeerde Kerk are regarded as sister churches. There are several other churches with Afrikaans-speaking adherents, some with very large memberships. The NG Kerk also has six fully fledged Englishlanguage congregations, one congregation for Dutch-speaking people and four for Portuguese-speaking people. In total, there are about 2 000 members in each of these congregations.
In recent years, the Roman Catholic Church has grown strongly in number and influence, even though South Africa is predominantly Protestant. It works closely with other churches on the socio-political front.
Other established churches in South Africa include the Methodist Church, the Church of the Province of Southern Africa (Anglican Church), various Lutheran and Presbyterian churches and the Congregational Church.
Although the different Baptist groups are not large, they represent a strong church tradition. Together these churches form the nucleus of the SACC.
The largest traditional Pentecostal churches are the Apostolic Faith Mission, the Assemblies of God and the Full Gospel Church, but there are numerous others. Many of them enjoy fellowship in groups such as the Church Alliance of South Africa, and operate in all communities.
A number of charismatic churches have been established in recent years, such as His People Christian Church. The sister churches of the charismatic churches, together with those of the Hatfield Christian Church in Pretoria, are grouped under the International Fellowship of Christian Churches.
Also active in South Africa, among the smaller groups, are the Greek Orthodox and Seventh Day Adventist churches.
Because the traditional religion of the African people has a strong cultural base, the various groups have different rituals, but there are certain common features.
A Supreme Being is generally recognised, but ancestors are of far greater importance, being the deceased elders of the group. They are regarded as part of the community, indispensable links with the spirit world and the powers that control everyday affairs. These ancestors are not gods, but because they play a key part in bringing about either good or ill fortune, maintaining good relations with them is vital and they have to be appeased regularly by a variety of ritual offerings.
While an intimate knowledge of herbs and other therapeutic techniques, as well as the use of supernatural powers, can be applied to the benefit of the individual and the community, some practitioners are masters of black magic, creating fear among people. As a result of close contact with Christianity, many people find themselves in a transitional phase somewhere between traditional African religion and Christianity.
Most Indians retained their Hindu religion when they originally came to South Africa. Today, some two-thirds of South Africa's Indians are Hindus.
The Muslim community in South Africa is small, but growing strongly. The major components of this community are the Cape Malays, who are mainly descendants of Indonesian slaves, as well as 20% of people of Indian descent.
The Jewish population is less than 100 000. Of these, the majority are Orthodox Jews.
Buddhism is barely organised in South Africa. The number of Parsees has decreased, while there is a small group of Jains in Durban. The Baha'i faith is establishing groups and temples in various parts of the country.
The Republic of South Africa occupies the southernmost part of the African continent, stretching latitudinally from 22° to 35° S and longitudinally from 17° to 33° E.
Its surface area is 1 219 090 km2. It has common boundaries with the republics of Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, while the Republic of Mozambique and the Kingdom of Swaziland lie to the north-east. Completely enclosed by South African territory in the south-east is the mountain Kingdom of Lesotho.
To the west, south and east, South Africa borders on the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Isolated, 1 920 km south-east of Cape Town in the Atlantic, lie Prince Edward and Marion islands, annexed by South Africa in 1947.
South Africa is surrounded by the ocean on three sides - to the west, south and east - and has a long coastline of about 3 000 km. This coastline is swept by two major ocean currents - the warm south-flowing Mozambique-Agulhas Current and the cold Benguela. The former skirts the east and south coasts as far as Cape Agulhas, while the Benguela Current flows northwards along the west coast as far as southern Angola.
The contrast in temperature between these two currents partly accounts for important differences in climate and vegetation between the east and west coasts of South Africa. It also accounts for the differences in marine life. The cold waters of the west coast are much richer in oxygen, nitrates, phosphates and plankton than those of the east coast. Consequently, the South African fishing industry is centred on the west coast.
The coastline itself is an even, closed one with few bays or indentations naturally suitable for harbours. The only ideal natural harbour along the coastline is Saldanha Bay on the west coast. However, the area lacks fresh water and offers no natural lines of penetration to the interior.
Most river-mouths are unsuitable as harbours because large sandbars block entry for most of the year. These bars are formed by the action of waves and currents, and by the intermittent flow, heavy sediment load and steep gradients of most South African rivers. Only the largest rivers, such as the Orange and Limpopo, maintain narrow permanent channels through the bars. For these reasons, the country has no navigable rivers.
The surface area of South Africa falls into two major physiographic categories: the interior plateau, and the land between the plateau and the coast. Forming the boundary between these two areas is the Great Escarpment, the most prominent and continuous relief feature of the country. Its height above sea level varies from approximately 1 500 m in the doleritecapped Roggeveld scarp in the south-west, to a height of 3 482 m in the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg.
Inland from the Escarpment lies the interior plateau, which is the southern continuation of the great African plateau stretching north to the Sahara Desert.
The plateau itself is characterised by wide plains with an average height of 1 200 m above sea level.
Surmounting the plateau in places are a number of well-defined upland blocks. The dissected Lesotho plateau, which is more than 3 000 m above sea level, is the most prominent. In general, the Escarpment forms the highest parts of the plateau.
Between the Great Escarpment and the coast lies an area which varies in width from 80 to 240 km in the east and south, to a mere 60 to 80 km in the west. At least three major subdivisions can be recognised: the eastern plateau slopes, the Cape folded belt and adjacent regions, and the western plateau slopes.
The subtropical location, on either side of 30Ë S, accounts for the warm temperate conditions so typical of South Africa, making it a popular destination for foreign tourists.
The country also falls squarely within the subtropical belt of high pressure, making it dry, with an abundance of sunshine.
The wide expanses of ocean on three sides of South Africa have a moderating influence on its climate. More apparent, however, are the effects of the warm Agulhas and the cold Benguela Currents along the east and west coasts respectively. While Durban (east coast) and Port Nolloth (west coast) lie more or less on the same latitude, there is a difference of at least 6Ë C in their mean annual temperatures.
Gale-force winds are frequent on the coasts, especially in the south-western and southern coastal areas.
South Africa has an average annual rainfall of 464 mm, compared with a world average of 860 mm. About 20% of the country has a total annual rainfall of less than 200 mm, 48% between 200 and 600 mm, while only about 30% records more than 600 mm. In total, 65% of the country has an annual rainfall of less than 500 mm - usually regarded as the absolute minimum for successful dry-land farming.
In Cape Town, the capital city of the Western Cape, the average rainfall is highest in the winter months, while in the capital cities of the other eight provinces, the average rainfall is highest during summer.
South Africa's rainfall is unreliable and unpredictable. Large fluctuations in the average annual rainfall are the rule rather than the exception in most areas of the country. Belowaverage annual rainfall is more commonly recorded than above-average total annual rainfall. South Africa is periodically afflicted by drastic and prolonged droughts, which often end in severe floods.
Temperature conditions in South Africa are characterised by three main features. Firstly, temperatures tend to be lower than in other regions at similar latitudes, for example, Australia. This is due primarily to the greater elevation of the subcontinent above sea level.
Secondly, despite a latitudinal span of 13 degrees, average annual temperatures are remarkably uniform throughout the country. Owing to the increase in the height of the plateau towards the north-east, there is hardly any increase in temperature from south to north as might be expected.
The third feature is the striking contrast between temperatures on the east and west coasts.
Temperatures above 32° C are fairly common in summer, and frequently exceed 38° C in the lower Orange River valley and the Mpumalanga Lowveld.
Frost often occurs on the interior plateau during cold, clear winter nights, with ice forming on still pools and in water pipes. The frost season is longest (from April to October) over the eastern and southern plateau areas bordering on the Escarpment. Frost decreases to the north, while the coast is virtually frost-free. Average annual relative humidity readings show that, in general, the air is driest over the western interior and the plateau. Along the coast, the humidity is much higher and at times may rise to 85%. Low stratus clouds and fog frequently occur over the cool west coast, particularly during summer. The only other area that commonly experiences fog is the 'mist belt' along the eastern foothills of the Escarpment.
South Africa is famous for its sunshine. Generally speaking, April and May are the most pleasant months when the rainy season over the summer-rainfall region has ended, and before the rainy season in the winter-rainfall area has begun. At this time of year, the hot summer weather has abated and the winds are lighter than during the rest of the year.
In certain areas, however, notably the hot, humid KwaZulu-Natal coast, Mpumalanga and Limpopo, June and July are the ideal holiday months.
In terms of the Constitution of South Africa, the country is divided into nine provinces, each with its own Legislature, Premier and executive councils. The provinces with their own distinctive landscapes, vegetation and climate, are the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, the Northern Cape, Free State, North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. (See Chapter 21: Tourism.
The Western Cape is situated on the southwestern tip of the African continent. It is a region of majestic mountains, well-watered valleys, wide, sandy beaches and breathtaking scenery.
The cold Atlantic Ocean along the west coast is a rich fishing area, while the warmer Indian Ocean skirts the province's southern beaches.
Visitors to the Western Cape can disembark at Cape Town International Airport or at the Port of Cape Town in the shadow of Table Mountain. A network of roads also leads to Cape Town, the capital, also known as the Mother City.
Other important towns in the province include Vredenburg-Saldanha, an important harbour for iron exports and the fishing industry; Worcester and Stellenbosch in the heart of the winelands; George, renowned for indigenous timber and vegetable produce; Oudtshoorn, known for its ostrich products and the worldfamous Cango Caves, and Beaufort West on the dry, sheep-farming plains of the Great Karoo.
The Western Cape boasts one of the six accepted floral kingdoms of the world.
Although the smallest of them all, the Western Cape floral kingdom, locally called fynbos, contains more plant species than the whole of Europe. These include the famous proteas and heathers.
The Knysna-Tsitsikamma region has the country's biggest indigenous forests. This is a fairyland of ancient forest giants, ferns and colourful birdlife. Products of the forests include sought-after furniture made from the indigenous yellowwood, stinkwood and white pear.
The tourism sector is perceived as the most important growth force in the Western Cape.
More than 4,5 million people live in the Western Cape on 129 370 km2 of land. The majority of them are Afrikaans-speaking, while the other main languages are isiXhosa and English. The Western Cape has the highest adult-education level in the country, with only 5,7% of people aged 20 years or older having undergone no schooling (Census 2001). The province has a strong network of highereducation institutions.
The official unemployment figure for the province, 12,1%, is the lowest in the country according to the Labour Force Survey 2001.
The Western Cape is rich in agriculture and fisheries.
Primary industries, i.e. agriculture, forestry and fishing, and mining and quarrying contributed 5,4% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the province in 2001, which translates to R7 287 million (Census 2001).
The agricultural sector plays a key role as an agent of growth, accounting for more than 9% of provincial employment, more than 55% of all South African agricultural exports, and 23% of the national agricultural contribution to GDP.
The sheltered valleys between the mountains provide ideal conditions for the cultivation of top-grade fruits, such as apples, table grapes, olives, peaches and oranges. In the eastern part of the Western Cape region, a great variety of vegetables is cultivated.
The province can be divided into three climatic regions. The area around the Cape Peninsula and the Boland, further inland, is a winter-rainfall region with sunny, dry summers.
Towards George, along the south coast, the climate gradually changes to year-round rainfall, while inland, towards the more arid Great Karoo, the climate changes to summer rainfall.
The Western Cape is known as one of the world's finest grape-growing regions. Many of its wines have received the highest accolades at international shows.
The Klein Karoo region around Oudtshoorn, besides being famous for its Cango Caves, is the centre of the ostrich-farming industry in South Africa. Fine leatherware, ostrich feathers and meat are exported to destinations all over the world. The Swartland district around Malmesbury and the Overberg around Caledon form the bread basket of the country.
The inland Karoo region around Beaufort West, and the Bredasdorp district produce wool and mutton, as well as pedigree merino breeding stock.
Other animal products include broiler chickens, eggs, dairy products, beef and pork. Racehorse-breeding is another important industry.
The west coast of the province is washed by the cold Benguela Current. The plankton-rich Current is considered to be one of the world's richest fishing grounds. This resource is protected against overfishing by foreign vessels, by means of a 200 km commercial-fishing zone and a strict quota system.
The province is well-known for the wide variety of seafood offered at restaurants along the scenic coastline. Snoek, Cape lobster, abalone, calamari, octopus, oysters and mussels are among the most sought-after piscatorial delights.
The Western Cape is the only province with the status of being free of African horsesickness. This means that the province is the only offset point for the export of horses, which brought the country millions of Rands in foreign revenue.
The province has also established itself as the leading facilitator in the export of ostrich meat to Europe, and boasts the most export abattoirs in the country from which products to the value of about R1 billion are exported.
The provincial Department of Agriculture's ostrich-breeding herd at Oudtshoorn is the only one in the world for which production data for several generations of ostriches can be connected to their pedigrees.
The White Paper on Preparing the Western Cape for the Knowledge Economy of the 21st Century was accepted by Parliament in 2001.
The province maintains economic growth rates slightly higher than national averages, resulting in its share of the national economy growing to about 14%. At the same time, unemployment rates have been significantly below the national average, despite significant immigration.
The finance, real estate and business services are the biggest money-makers for the province, contributing some 26,6% to the province's GDP (Census 2001). During 2001, this translated to R36 211 mlllion.
An exciting development for the province and South Africa is the emergence of the first information communications technology cluster.
The head offices of all but one of South Africa's petroleum companies are located in Cape Town.
The city also houses the head offices of many of South Africa's insurance giants and national retail chains. With over 170 000 people employed in the clothing and textile industry, it is the single most significant industrial source of employment in the Western Cape.
The biggest segment of South Africa's printing and publishing industry is also situated in Cape Town.
While Epping, Parow, Retreat and Montagu Gardens have been the core industrial areas in the past, new developments are arising in the Saldanha-Vredenburg area as a spin-off from the vast Saldanha Steel project.
The West Coast Investment Initiative, which forms part of the Government's Spatial Development Initiative (SDI) programme, was launched on 25 February 1998.
The Western Cape's natural beauty, complemented by a history of hospitality, excellent wine and colourful cuisine, truly makes the province one of the world's greatest tourist attractions.
The tourism industry in the Western Cape contributes 13,0% to the total GDP of the province (Census 2001).
Besides the upgrading of traditional sites like Cape Point and the National Botanical Gardens at Kirstenbosch, there have been a number of other significant improvements.
Robben Island is successfully run as a museum and heritage site, with ferry boats taking visitors to and from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront.
Table Mountain's cableway has been revamped. The carts now revolve while travelling up and down the Mountain, providing visitors with 360 degrees of breathtaking views.
The District Six and Bo-Kaap Museums continue to host new and exciting material on these two historical residential areas.
The Cape Town International Convention Centre was opened by President Thabo Mbeki on 28 June 2003. This world-class facility boasts 10 000 m2 of exhibition- and trade-show space and two auditoriums with seating for 1 500 and 620 people respectively, as well as spacious and deluxe banqueting and function rooms of varying sizes, including a magnificent 2 000 m2 ballroom with majestic views.
A study conducted by the University of Cape Town's Graduate School of Business, projects that the Convention Centre will create about 47 000 new jobs and bring in about R25 billion to the province over a period of 10 years.
The Eastern Cape, a land of undulating hills, endless, sweeping sandy beaches, majestic mountain ranges and emerald green forests, is in surface area the second largest of the nine provinces.
The region boasts a remarkable natural diversity, ranging from the dry, desolate Great Karoo to the lush forests of the Wild Coast and the Keiskamma Valley, the fertile Langkloof, renowned for its rich apple harvests, and the mountainous southern Drakensberg region at Elliot.
The main feature of the Eastern Cape is its astonishing coastline lapped by the Indian Ocean. With its long stretches of undisturbed sandy beaches, rocky coves, secluded lagoons and towering cliffs, the coastline provides the province with a rich natural tourist attraction.
The graceful curve of Algoa Bay provides an ideal setting for the Port of Port Elizabeth while there are also good harbour facilities at East London. The province is serviced by three airports situated in Port Elizabeth, East London and Umtata.
The architecture of many of the cities and towns reflects the rich heritage of the people. The capital is Bisho. Other important towns in the province include Uitenhage, which has important motor vehicle-manufacturing and related industries; King William's Town, rich in early settler and military history; Grahamstown, also known as the City of Saints because of its more than 40 churches; Graaff-Reinet, with its interesting collection of historic buildings; Cradock, the hub of the Central Karoo; Stutterheim, the forestry centre of the province; Aliwal North, famous for its hot sulphur springs; and Port St Johns, the largest town on the Wild Coast.
In the Eastern Cape, various floral habitats meet. Along the coast, the northern tropical forests intermingle with the more temperate woods of the south. This makes for an interesting forest habitat of various species endemic to this region.
Age-old forests occur at Keiskammahoek, Dwesa, Port St Johns and Bathurst; dune forests are found at Alexandria; and mangroves along the Wild Coast.
Rolling grasslands dominate the eastern interior of the province, while the western central plateau is savanna bushveld. The northern inland is home to the aromatic, succulent Karoo.
The Eastern Cape has 6 436 763 people living on about 169 600 km2 of land.
The language most spoken is isiXhosa, followed by Afrikaans and English.
The province has a number of tertiary institutions. Despite the high quality of education facilities, 22,8% of the population aged 20 years or older have never received any schooling, and 6,3% have completed some form of higher education (Census 2001).
In 2001, the unemployment rate of the province stood at 14,8% (Labour Force Survey 2001).
The Eastern Cape has excellent agricultural and forestry potential. The fertile Langkloof Valley in the south-west has enormous deciduous fruit orchards, while the Karoo interior is an important sheep-farming area. Angora wool is also produced here.
The Alexandria-Grahamstown area produces pineapples, chicory and dairy products, while coffee and tea are cultivated at Magwa. People in the former Transkei region are dependent on cattle, maize and sorghum-farming. An olive nursery has been developed in conjunction with the University of Fort Hare to form a nucleus of olive production in the Eastern Cape.
Extensive exotic forestry plantations in the high rainfall areas of Keiskammahoek provide employment for large numbers of the population. The province is a summer-rainfall region with high rainfall along the coast, becoming gradually drier behind the mountain ranges into the Great Karoo.
The basis of the province's fishing industry is squid, some recreational and commercial fishing for line fish, some collection of marine resources, and access to line-catches of hake.
Ostrich exports are doing very well. The provincial Department of Africulture has been hailed for the support it is giving this industry. Each ostrich-export establishment has a resident official veterinarian, which is a requirement for exporting ostrich products to the European Union. This industry earns the province some R94,4 million per year in foreign revenues.
The game industry is enjoying unprecedented demand in the international market. The health-conscious consumer is increasingly demanding lean organic game meat. The gross foreign earnings from this industry amount to R23,5 million.
The metropolitan economies of Port Elizabeth and East London are based primarily on manufacturing, the most important being motor manufacturing. The province is the hub of South Africa's automotive industry.
With two harbours and three airports offering direct flights to the main centres, and an excellent road and rail infrastructure, the province has been earmarked as a key area for growth and economic development.
To facilitate integrated planning, sensitive to the environment, the province is implementing a consultative process involving community participation. It includes the Fish River SDI, the Wild Coast SDI and two Industrial Development Zones (IDZs), namely the West Bank (East London) and the Coega IDZs. The latter, 20 km east of the Port Elizabeth-Uitenhage metropoles, was the first IDZ to be earmarked and is one of the biggest initiatives ever undertaken in South Africa. Plans for the development of the area as an exportorientated zone include the building of a deepwater port.
The IDZs at Coega (Ngqura) and East London, and the West Coast SDI, continue to be the province's economic flagships.
The final commitment by the French investment and industrial company Pechiney was to invest R18,6 billion in an aluminium smelter at Coega. The R40-million contract for building the IDZ village was awarded largely to emerging small, medium and micro enterprises, and includes female contractors.
The East London IDZ has been awarded an operator's licence.
The forestry developments and the construction of the N1 toll road as part of the Wild Coast SDI is expected to create more than 20 000 jobs. An additional 5 000 jobs are expected to be created in the mining sector through upstream and downstream investment.
Aptly called South Africa's garden province, this verdant region forms the east coast of South Africa, stretching from Port Edward in the south, northwards to the Mozambique boundary. It is a province with a subtropical coastline, sweeping savanna in the east, and the magnificent Drakensberg mountain range in the west. The warm Indian Ocean washing its beaches makes it one of the country's most popular holiday destinations.
Visitors to KwaZulu-Natal can either disembark at Durban International Airport or the Durban Harbour, or make use of the extensive national road network.
Durban is one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the world. Its port is the busiest in South Africa and is one of the 10 largest in the world.
KwaZulu-Natal is the only province with a monarchy specifically provided for in its Constitution.
Pietermaritzburg and Ulundi are joint capitals of the province.
Other important towns include Richards Bay, an important coal-export harbour, and many coastal holiday resorts, such as Port Shepstone, Umhlanga Rocks and Margate. In the interior, Newcastle is well-known for steel production and coal-mining, Estcourt for meat processing, and Ladysmith and Richmond for mixed agriculture. The KwaZulu-Natal coastal belt yields sugar cane, wood, oranges, bananas, mangoes and other tropical fruit.
Some of South Africa's best-protected indigenous coastal forests are found along the subtropical coastline of KwaZulu-Natal, for example, at Dukuduku and Kosi Bay. It is also along this coast that the magnificent St Lucia Estuary and Kosi Bay lakes are located. In 1999, the Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park was declared a World Heritage Site.
Separating KwaZulu-Natal from the mountain Kingdom of Lesotho, the Drakensberg runs 200 km along the western boundary of the province.
The northern part of the province, south of the Swaziland border, is typical African savanna, providing a natural backdrop for its rich wildlife, protected in several game parks.
KwaZulu-Natal has 9 426 017 people living on 92 100 km2 of land. The principal language spoken is isiZulu, followed by English and Afrikaans.
together with Zulu, Indian and Afrikaans traditions make for an interesting cultural mix in the province.
The province counts several universities, technikons and various other educational institutions among its assets.
A total of 21,9% of the population of the province aged 20 and above have received no form of education (Census 2001).
KwaZulu-Natal has a relatively poorly skilled labour force. The economy therefore experiences a shortage of skilled human resources.
KwaZulu-Natal was the second highest contributor to the South African economy during 2001, at 15,5% (Census 2001) of GDP.
However, the province recorded the second highest unemployment rate in the country at 17,7%. (Labour Force Survey 2001).
The Port of Durban handles the greatest volume of sea-going traffic in southern Africa.
As this Port plays such a crucial role in the South African economy, it will be the first concession for a container terminal in the country.
Heavy minerals are mined at Richards Bay. In recent times, the province has undergone rapid industrialisation owing to its abundant water supply and labour resources. Industries are found at Newcastle, Ladysmith, Dundee, Richards Bay, Durban, Hammarsdale, Richmond, Pietermaritzburg and Mandeni.
The sugar-cane plantations along the Indian Ocean coastal belt form the mainstay of the economy and agriculture of the region. The coastal belt is also a large producer of subtropical fruit, while the farmers in the hinterland concentrate on vegetable, dairy and stock-farming. Another major source of income is forestry, in the areas around Vryheid, Eshowe, Richmond, Harding and Ngome. Ngome also has tea plantations.
The summer-rainfall coastal regions of this province are hot and humid with a subtropical climate. The KwaZulu-Natal Midlands between the coastal strip and the southern Drakensberg Escarpment are drier, with extremely cold conditions in winter and snow on the high-lying ground. In the north, the subtropical strip extends further around the Kingdom of Swaziland, to the edge of the Escarpment.
For the past three years, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs has been gearing itself to launch a programme of Unlocking Agricultural Potential, often termed the Green Revolution, which aims at virtually quadrupling the overall provincial agricultural production over the next 20 years. The Green Revolution has three main elements. The first is the intensification of agricultural production. To this end, the Department has made a start with a R10-million Mechanisation Programme, which will for the first time put tractors and modern farm machinery within reach of previously disadvantaged farmers. The second is land reform, where the Department has already settled new farmers on 30 000 hectares (ha) of former State land. The last is the Xoshindlala (chase away hunger) Programme, a food-security programme that has more than a 1 000 small food-production projects running in various parts in the province.
The Department has managed to win the full support of national government for the early relocation of the Durban International Airport to La Mercy. The Department has further strengthened the Dube Trade Port project, incorporating the King Shaka International Airport, thus making it an economic and logistics hub that will be the first of its kind in Africa. The province has committed R50 million per annum over five years to this project.
Since 2001, local business has invested over R15 billion in new investment in the province. Exports are on the increase in key economic sectors with good prospects for even greater achievements through the Toyota expansion and growth in aluminium production and the textile sector.
The Northern Cape lies to the south of its most important asset, the mighty Orange River, which provides the basis for a healthy agricultural industry. The landscape is characterised by vast arid plains with outcroppings of haphazard rock piles. The cold Atlantic Ocean forms the western boundary.
This region covers the largest area of all the provinces and has the smallest population. Its major airports are situated at Kimberley, the capital, and Upington. The Northern Cape is serviced by an excellent road network, which makes its interior easily accessible from South Africa's major cities, harbours and airports.
Important towns are Upington, centre of the karakul sheep and dried-fruit industries, and the most northerly wine-making region of South Africa; Springbok, in the heart of the Namaqualand spring-flower country; Kuruman, founded by the missionary Moffat; De Aar, hub of the South African railway network; Sutherland, the coldest town in the country; and the sheep-farming towns of Carnarvon, Colesberg, Kenhardt and Prieska.
Apart from a narrow strip of winter-rainfall area along the coast, the Northern Cape is a semi-arid region with little rainfall in summer. The weather conditions are extreme - cold and frosty in winter, with extremely high temperatures in summer.
The largest part of the province falls within the Nama-Karoo biome, with a vegetation of low shrubland and grass, and trees limited to water courses. The area is known worldwide for its spectacular display of spring flowers which, for a short period every year, attracts thousands of tourists.
This biome is home to many wonderful plant species, such as the elephant's trunk (halfmens), tree aloe (kokerboom) and a variety of succulents.
The province has several national parks and conservation areas. The Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, together with the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana, is Africa's first transfrontier game park, known as the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. It is one of the largest nature-conservation areas in southern Africa and one of the largest remaining protected natural ecosystems in the world. The Park provides unfenced access to a variety of game between South Africa and Botswana and has a surface area of more than two million ha.
The Ai-Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Conservation Park spans some of the most spectacular scenery of the arid and desert environments in southern Africa. Bisected by the Orange River, which forms the border between South Africa and Namibia, it comprises the Ai-Ais Hot Springs Game Park in Namibia and the Richtersveld National Park in South Africa. Some of the distinctive features in the area include the Fish River Canyon (often likened to the Grand Canyon in the United States of America) and the Ai-Ais Hot springs. This arid zone is further characterised by a unique and impressive variety of succulent plant species.
Nowhere is the Orange River more impressive than at the Augrabies Falls, which ranks among the world's greatest cataracts on a major river. The Augrabies Falls National Park was established to preserve this natural wonder.
The Northern Cape is sparsely populated and houses some 822 727 people on 361 830 km2 of land. About 68% of the people speak Afrikaans. Other languages spoken are Setswana, isiXhosa and English.
The official unemployment rate of the Northern Cape is 14,4% (Labour Force Survey).
The last remaining true San (Bushman) people live in the Kalahari area of the Northern Cape. The whole area, especially along the Orange and Vaal Rivers, is rich in San rock engravings. A good collection can be seen at the McGregor Museum in Kimberley. The province is also rich in fossils.
The Northern Cape is an important contributor to South Africa's primary production and has considerable potential for the beneficiation of these primary commodities.
However, the province only contributed 2,0% to the economy of South Africa in 2001, making it the smallest contributor among all the nine provinces (Census 2001).
The province is displaying a tremendous growth in value-added activities, including game farming.
Food production and processing for the local and export market is growing significantly.
Underpinning the growth and development plan of the province are the investment projects that link up with the existing plans of the Namaqua Development Corridor. The focus is on the beneficiation and export of sea products.
The economy of a large part of the Northern Cape, the interior Karoo, depends on sheepfarming, while the karakul-pelt industry is one of the most important in the Gordonia district of Upington.
The province has fertile agricultural land. In the Orange River Valley, especially at Upington, Kakamas and Keimoes, grapes and fruit are intensively cultivated.
Some 14 million crates of table grapes were produced in 2001/02, mainly for the export market. In line with grape production being higher than expected, raisins also showed a significant increase with the South African Dried Fruit Co-op paying out more than R200 million to some 200 producers.
Wheat, fruit, peanuts, maize and cotton are produced at the Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme near Warrenton.
The Northern Cape is rich in minerals. The country's chief diamond pipes are found in the Kimberley district. In 1888, the diamond industry was formally established with the creation of De Beers Consolidated Mines. Alluvial diamonds are also extracted from the beaches and sea between Alexander Bay and Port Nolloth.
The Sishen Mine near Kathu is the biggest source of iron ore in South Africa, and the copper mine at Okiep is one of the oldest mines in the country. Copper is also mined at Springbok and Aggenys. The province is also rich in asbestos, manganese, fluorspar, semiprecious stones and marble.
Until recently, the majority of small-to medium-scale alluvial operations were concentrated along or near the current Vaal River system. With the rapidly depleting deposits available for mining, there has been a gradual shift towards the Orange River system, with Trans-Hex holding 50% of concessions issued along the Orange River. Two recent larger scale investments also show continued prospects in this sector.
The Free State lies in the heart of South Africa, with the Kingdom of Lesotho nestling in the hollow of its bean-like shape. Between the Vaal River in the north and the Orange River in the south, this immense rolling prairie stretches as far as the eye can see.
The capital, Bloemfontein, has a wellestablished institutional, educational and administrative infrastructure and houses the Supreme Court of Appeal. The province has a well-known university and many other training institutions.
Important towns include Welkom, the heart of the goldfields and one of the few completely pre-planned cities in the world; Odendaalsrus, another gold-mining town; Sasolburg, which owes its existence to the petrol-from-coal installation established there; Kroonstad, an important agricultural, administrative and educational centre; Parys, on the banks of the Vaal River; Phuthaditjhaba, well-known for the beautiful handcrafted items produced by the local people, and Bethlehem, gateway to the Eastern Highlands of the Free State.
The national road, which is the artery between Gauteng and the Western and Eastern Cape, passes through the middle of the Free State.
The Free State is the third-largest province in South Africa.
It houses some 2 766 775 people on about 129 480 km2 of land. The main languages spoken are Sesotho and Afrikaans. Some 16% of people aged 20 years or older have received no schooling (Census 2001). The official unemployment rate according to the Labour Force Survey of September 2001 is 17,6%.
Many of the towns display a cultural mix clearly evident in street names, public buildings, monuments and museums. Dressedsandstone buildings abound on the Eastern Highlands, while beautifully decorated Sotho houses dot the grasslands. Some of South Africa's most valued San rock art is found in the Free State. The districts of Bethlehem, Ficksburg, Ladybrand and Wepener have remarkable collections of this art form.
This summer-rainfall region can be extremely cold during the winter months, especially towards the eastern mountainous regions where temperatures can drop as low as 9,5 ËC.
The western and southern areas are semidesert.
Known as the 'granary of the country', the Free State has cultivated land covering 3,2 million ha, while natural veld and grazing cover 8,7 million ha.
Field crops yield almost two-thirds of the gross agricultural income of the province. Animal products contribute a further 30%, with the balance coming from horticulture.
Ninety per cent of the country's cherry crop is produced in the Ficksburg district, while the two largest asparagus canning factories are also situated in this district. Soya, sorghum, sunflowers and wheat are cultivated, especially in the eastern Free State, where farmers specialise in seed production. About 40% of the country's potato yield comes from the high-lying areas of the Free State.
The mining industry is the biggest employer in the Free State. Investment opportunities are substantial in productivity-improvement areas for mining and related products and services.
South Africa is the world's largest producer of gold. A gold reef of over 400 km long, known as the Goldfields, stretches across Gauteng and the Free State, the largest gold-mining complex being Free State Consolidated Goldfields with a mining area of 32 918 ha.
Some 82% of the region's mineral production value is derived from this activity, primarily in the Goldfields region, which comprises the districts of Odendaalsrus, Virginia and Welkom. Roughly 30% of South Africa's gold is obtained from this region, and the province qualifies for fifth position as a global producer.
The Harmony Gold Refinery, situated in Virginia, is allowed to sell one-third of its total annual gold production to jewellery manufacturers, and has the facilities to ensure that the correct quality is maintained at all times. Harmony Gold Refinery and Rand Refinery are the only two gold refineries in South Africa.
Gold mines in the Free State also supply a substantial portion of the total silver produced in the country, while considerable concentrations of uranium occurring in the gold-bearing conglomerates of the goldfields are extracted as a by-product.
Bituminous coal is mined in the province and converted to petrochemicals at Sasolburg.
Diamonds from this region, extracted from kimberlite pipes and fissures, are of a high quality.
The largest deposit of bentonite in the country occurs in the Koppies district.
The Free State, best known for its maize production has, in the last decade, reduced its dependency on the primary sector and become a manufacturing economy.
In 2001, the manufacturing industry contributed 13,2% to the total value added at basic prices.
Some 14% of the province's manufacturing is classified as being in high-technology industries, which is the highest percentage of all the provincial economies.
This growth in high-tech industries is significant in the context of the changing contribution of the gold-mining industry to Gross Geographic Product (GGP).
The province's three-tier development strategy centres on competitiveness, empowerment, capacity-building and beneficiation.
Manufacturing is the second-largest sector in the regional economy. Among the most important activities are the chemical products manufactured by Sasol and the further beneficiation of agricultural products. A wide variety of industries have developed around the production of basic chemicals from coal.
North West is centrally located in the subcontinent with direct road and rail links to all of the southern African countries, and its own airport. The province borders on Botswana and is fringed by the Kalahari desert in the west and the Witwatersrand area in the east.
The province is divided into five regions, namely the Central, Bophirima (towards the west), Southern, Rustenburg and Eastern Regions.
Most economic activity is concentrated in the Southern Region (between Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp), Rustenburg, and the Eastern Region, where more than 83,3% of GGP of the province is produced.
The Klerksdorp and Rustenburg Regions together produce about 67% of the province's GGP while covering 33% of the surface area. Forty-eight per cent of the province's population reside here.
Of the 3 669 349 people in the North West, 65% live in the rural areas. In spite of its small population, it is estimated that 9% of all the poor people in the country live in the North West. The poverty rate is estimated at 57%. As far as educational attainment and skills availability are concerned, the North West lags behind the South African average.
The province has the lowest number of people aged 20 years and older (5,9%) who have received higher education. The literacy rate is in the region of 57%. As part of the Department of Education's proposed plans for higher education, the existing four higher learning institutions will be merged to form two.
During 2003, as part of the Year of Further Education and Training project, three mega institutions, Taletso, ORBIT and Vuselela, were established to provide technical and vocational training to the youth. These institutions have been incorporated into many of the former education and technical colleges and manpower centres.
Although the 'platinum province' is the thirdslowest contributor to South Africa's GDP, it is the dominant province in mineral sales.
Mining contributes 33,2% to the economy and 17,8% of total employment in the North West. Diamonds are mined at Lichtenburg, Koster, Christiana and Bloemhof, while Orkney and Klerksdorp have gold mines.
Between February 2002 and February 2003, additional investments in the mining industry created more than 3 000 jobs, at an investment value of more than R4 billion.
The area surrounding Rustenburg and Brits boasts the largest single platinum-production area in the world. Marble is also mined here. Fluorspar is exploited at Zeerust.
Manufacturing is almost exclusively dependent on the performance of a few sectors in which the province enjoys a competitive advantage. These are fabricated metals, food, and non-metallic metals.
According to figures from Statistics South Africa and Global Insight, it is estimated that North West's manufacturing sector grew by 1,7% in 2002.
Much of this growth was driven by the manufacturing sector's links with agriculture and mining.
Industrial activity is centred around the towns of Brits, Klerksdorp, Vryburg and Rustenburg.
The Brits industries concentrate mostly on manufacturing and construction, while those at Klerksdorp are geared towards the mining industry, and those at Vryburg and Rustenburg towards agriculture.
The Platinum SDI can unlock further development. It is situated on the Coast-to-Coast highway that links the Port of Maputo in Mozambique to Walvis Bay in Namibia.
Approximately 200 potential project opportunities in tourism, manufacturing, agriculture and mining have been identified.
As a result of the Platinum SDI, more than R3 billion was injected into the South African economy. During its construction phase, the project created some 3 000 direct and 12 000 indirect and induced jobs.
By 2003, progress had been made regarding the Mafikeng IDZ around the Mafikeng Airport. The aim of the IDZ is to create jobs and enhance the economic potential of the Central Region, the entire North West and the Southern African Development Community Region.
Efforts are under way to secure international status for the Mafikeng Airport.
By February 2003, the province had completed a holistic North West Economic Development and Industrial Strategy which forms part of the wider North West 2012 Development Plan.
Agriculture is of extreme importance to the North West. It contributes about 13% of the total GGP and 19% to formal employment.
The province is an important food basket in South Africa. Maize and sunflowers are the most important crops; the North West is the biggest producer of white maize in the country.
Some of the largest cattle herds in the world are found at Stellaland near Vryburg, which explains why this area is often referred to as the 'Texas of South Africa'. Marico is also cattlecountry. The areas around Rustenburg and Brits are fertile, mixed-crop farming land.
Twenty-eight different types of projects of new household food-security projects were implemented throughout the North West during 2002. Participants in these projects included 1 500 women and 700 youths.
The provincial Department of Agriculture has also developed a comprehensive veterinary programme for evaluating and improving dairy facilities for export purposes.
Although the smallest of the nine provinces, Gauteng (Sotho word for the place of gold) is the powerhouse of South Africa and the heart of its commercial business and industrial sectors.
In 2001, the largest contribution to South Africa's economy was made by Gauteng, at 33,9% (Census 2001).
Gauteng was also recorded as having the highest unemployment rate (19,9%).
The three most important sectors contributing to GGP are financial and business services, logistics and communications, and mining.
The growth and development plans for the province are underpinned by the Blue IQ projects.
These consist of 11 different mega projects in economic infrastructure development, in the areas of technology, tourism, transport and high-value-added manufacturing.
The aim is to attract some R100 billion in direct investment over the next 10 years. In excess of R2 billion has already been allocated by the Gauteng Provincial Government to facilitate these investment projects.
Gauteng's main cities are Johannesburg, the largest city in southern Africa, and Pretoria, the administrative capital of the country.
The province blends cultures and colours and first- and third-world traditions into a spirited mix that is flavoured by many foreign influences.
Gauteng's primary attraction is business opportunity, but there is more to this province. There is a wealth of culture to be found in the museums, galleries, art routes and historical battlefields.
Most overseas visitors enter South Africa via Johannesburg International Airport.
Johannesburg, nicknamed Egoli (place of gold), is the capital of the province and is a city of contrasts. Mine-dumps and headgear stand proud as symbols of its rich past, while modern architecture rubs shoulders with examples of 19th-century engineering prowess. Gleaming skyscrapers contrast with Indian bazaars and African muti (medicine) shops, where traditional healers dispense advice and traditional medicine.
The busy streets ring out with the calls of fruit-sellers and street vendors. An exciting blend of ethnic and western art and cultural activities is reflected in theatres and open-air arenas throughout the city.
The 284 m-long Nelson Mandela Bridge, built in honour of the former President, was officially opened in July 2003.
The Bridge, which cost the Gauteng Government R85 million, forms part of the R300 million Blue IQ inner-city renewal project driven by the Provincial Government and the City of Johannesburg.
under the apartheid system. Most of the struggle against apartheid was fought in and from Soweto. Soweto is estimated to be inhabited by over two million people, their homes ranging from extravagant mansions to make-shift shacks. Soweto is a city of enterprise and cultural interaction. It is a popular tourist destination with sites such as Kliptown, where the Freedom Charter was drawn up, the home of former President Nelson Mandela, the Hector Petersen Memorial site, restaurants and shopping malls. It boasts one of the largest hospitals on the continent, the Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital.
Some 50 km north of Johannesburg lies Pretoria.
As administrative capital of South Africa, the city is dominated by government services and the diplomatic corps of foreign representatives in South Africa.
Pretoria is renowned for its colourful gardens, shrubs and trees, particularly beautiful in spring when some 50 000 jacarandas envelop the avenues in mauve. The city developed at a more sedate pace than Johannesburg, and town planners had the foresight to include an abundance of open spaces. Pretoria has more than 100 parks, including bird sanctuaries and nature reserves.
An air of history pervades much of central Pretoria, especially Church Square, around which the city has grown. Many buildings of historical and architectural importance have been retained or restored to their former splendour.
North of Pretoria is the industrial area of Rosslyn and the township of Soshanguve. To the east is Cullinan, known for its diamonds.
Other important Gauteng towns include Krugersdorp and Roodepoort on the West Rand, and Germiston, Springs, Boksburg, Benoni, Brakpan and Kempton Park on the East Rand. The hominid sites at Swartkrans, Sterkfontein and Kromdraai (also known as the Cradle of Humankind) are a World Heritage Site.
Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging in the south of the province are major industrial centres, while Heidelberg, Nigel and Bronkhorstspruit to the east are important agricultural areas.
Although the province is highly urbanised and industrialised, it contains wetlands of international importance, such as Blesbokspruit near Springs.
Gauteng is the most densely populated province in South Africa. It houses almost nine million of the country's people. The level of urbanisation is 97%.
Gauteng has the most important educational and health centres in the country. Pretoria boasts the largest residential university in South Africa, the University of Pretoria, and what is believed to be the largest correspondence university in the world, the University of South Africa (UNISA).
Another attribute of Pretoria is the number of scientific institutes in and around the city, for example the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute and the South African Bureau of Standards.
According to the 2001 Census findings, only 8,4% of adults in the province have received no schooling.
Johannesburg has two residential universities.
technical colleges and technikons in the province. Many of the existing technikons, satellite university campuses and universities will merge, as part of the Department of Education's plan for higher education.
More than 60% of South Africa's research and development takes place in Gauteng.
The manufacturing sector in Gauteng has over 9 300 firms, employing more than 600 000 people. Industries that have contributed significantly to this output are basic iron and steel; fabricated and metal products; food; machinery, electrical machinery, appliances and electrical supplies; vehicle parts and accessories; and chemical products.
The economy of the province is being realigned to move away from traditional heavy industry markets and low value-added production towards sophisticated high valueadded production, particularly in information technology, telecommunications and other high-tech industries. The burgeoning 'hightech' corridor in Midrand (halfway between Pretoria and Johannesburg) is the most rapidly developing area in the country.
Gauteng's agricultural sector is geared to provide the cities and towns of the province with daily fresh produce, including dairy products, vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs and flowers.
A large area of the province falls within the so-called maize triangle. The districts of Bronkhorstspruit, Cullinan and Heidelberg hold important agricultural land, where ground-nuts, sunflowers, cotton and sorghum are produced.
This summer-rainfall area has hot summers and cold winters with frost. Hail is common during the summer thunderstorms.
Gauteng is an integrated industrial complex with major areas of economic activity in five subregional areas, namely the Vaal Triangle; the East, West and Central Rand; and Pretoria. The Vaal Triangle has a strong manufacturing sector; the West Rand concentrates on primary mining; and the Central Witwatersrand is dominated by the manufacturing and finance sectors, with mining-capital playing a major role. All sectors rely heavily on the Vaal Dam (on the Vaal River), from where water is piped across the province.
Gauteng has a greater proportion of its labour force in professional, technical, managerial and executive positions than any other province.
Johannesburg houses the JSE Securities Exchange, the largest in Africa.
The province's economic magnetism draws a large inflow of migrant labour from poorer regions in the country. It is the province with the highest per-capita income.
Mpumalanga means 'place where the sun rises'. It is bordered by Mozambique and Swaziland in the east, and Gauteng in the west. It is situated mainly on the high plateau grasslands of the Middleveld, which roll eastwards for hundreds of kilometres. In the northeast, it rises towards mountain peaks and then terminates in an immense escarpment. In some places, this escarpment plunges hundreds of metres down to the low-lying area known as the Lowveld.
The area has a network of excellent roads and railway connections, making it highly accessible. Because of its popularity as a tourist destination, Mpumalanga is also served by a number of small airports.
The Cabinet approved the designation of Kruger Mpumalanga Airport as an international airport in April 2003. This entailed the transfer of the status of Nelspruit International Airport to the Kruger Mpumalanga Airport, with the former downgraded to 'national airport' status.
Nelspruit is the capital of the province and the administrative and business centre of the Lowveld. Witbank is the centre of the local coalmining industry; Standerton, in the south, is renowned for its large dairy industry; Piet Retief in the south-east is a production area for tropical fruit and sugar, while a large sugar industry is also found at Malelane in the east; Ermelo is the district in South Africa that produces the most wool; Barberton is one of the oldest goldmining towns in South Africa; and Sabie is situated in the forestry heartland of the country.
The Maputo Corridor, which links the province with Gauteng and Maputo in Mozambique, heralds a new era in terms of economic development and growth for the region.
As the first international toll road in Africa, the Corridor aims to attract investment, unlock local economic potential of the landlocked parts of the country and thus generate sustainable economic growth that will lead to sustainable high-quality jobs.
The best-performing sectors in the province include mining, manufacturing and services. Tourism and agroprocessing are potential growth sectors in this province.
The province falls mainly within the grassland biome. The Escarpment and the Lowveld form a transitional zone between this grassland area and the savanna biome. Long sweeps of undulating grasslands abruptly change to the thickly forested ravines and thundering waterfalls of the Escarpment, only to change again to present the subtropical wildlife splendour of the Lowveld.
Sabie and Graskop provide a large part of the country's total requirement for forestry products. These forestry plantations are an ideal backdrop for ecotourism opportunities, with a variety of popular hiking trails, a myriad waterfalls, patches of indigenous forest, and a variety of nature reserves.
Lake Chrissie is the largest natural freshwater lake in South Africa, and is famous for its variety of aquatic birds, especially flamingos.
Even though it is one of the smaller provinces (some 79 490 km2 in surface area), Mpumalanga has a population of more than three million people.
According to the 2001 Census results, some 27,5% of those aged 20 years or older have not undergone any schooling, while the population growth rate is higher than the national average. The main languages spoken are siSwati, isiZulu and isiNdebele.
Mpumalanga's unemployment rate stood at 16,5% in September 2001 (Labour Force Survey 2001).
This is a summer-rainfall area divided by the Escarpment into the Highveld region with cold frosty winters and the Lowveld region with mild winters and a subtropical climate.
The Escarpment area sometimes experiences snow on high ground. Thick mist is common during the hot humid summers.
An abundance of citrus fruit and many other subtropical fruits - mangoes, avocados, litchis, bananas, pawpaws, granadillas, guavas - as well as nuts and a variety of vegetables are produced here.
Nelspruit is the second-largest citrusproducing area in South Africa. It is responsible for one-third of the country's export in oranges. The Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Crops is situated here.
The natural forests of the area could not supply enough timber for the burgeoning mining industry in the early days of gold-mining. Plantations of exotic trees, mainly pine, gum and Australian wattles, were established to supply wood for the mine props. These trees grew so well that the Sabie area became the biggest single region of forestry plantations in South Africa.
Groblersdal is an important irrigation area which yields a wide variety of products such as citrus fruit, cotton, tobacco, wheat and vegetables.
Carolina-Bethal-Ermelo is sheep area. Potatoes, sunflower seeds, maize and peanuts are also produced in this region.
Mpumalanga is very rich in coal reserves. The country's biggest power stations, three of which are the biggest in the southern hemisphere, are situated here. Unfortunately, these cause the highest levels of air pollution in the country. Secunda, where the country's second petroleum-from-coal installation is situated, is also located in this province.
One of the country's largest paper mills is situated at Ngodwana, close to its timber source. Middelburg produces steel and vanadium, while Witbank is the biggest coal producer in Africa.
Limpopo lies within the great elbow of the Limpopo River and is a province of dramatic contrasts - from true Bushveld country to majestic mountains, primeval indigenous forests, latter-day plantations, unspoilt wilderness areas and a patchwork of farming land.
Limpopo has a strong rural basis. Its growth strategy centres on addressing infrastructure backlogs, the alleviation of poverty and social development.
Underpinning the growth and development strategies in the province are the Phalaborwa SDI and the N1 Corridor, which encompasses agroprocessing and mining-beneficiation activities.
Regional economic integration takes the form of the 'Golden Horse Shoe', which aims to create a single reserve that will arch from the Kruger National Park in the east to Botswana in the west. The culturally and historically significant Mapungubwe site will be included in this development initiative.
Limpopo is the gateway to the rest of Africa. It is favourably situated for economic co-operation with other parts of southern Africa as it shares borders with Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
The highest average real-economic-growth rate recorded in South Africa between 1995 and 2001 was that of Limpopo, with an average growth rate of 3,8% (Census 2001).
Polokwane is the capital city and lies strategically in the centre of the province.
The Great North Road through the centre of the province strings together a series of interesting towns. Bela-Bela, with its popular mineral spa, is near the southern border of the province.
Further north lies Modimolle with its tablegrape industry and beautiful Waterberg range; Mokopane; Polokwane; Makhado (until recently known as Louis Trichardt) at the foot of the Soutpansberg mountain range; and Musina, with its thick-set baobab trees.
The crossing into Zimbabwe is at Beit Bridge, where the South African section of this important route north into Africa ends.
Other important Limpopo towns include the major mining centres of Phalaborwa and Thabazimbi, and Tzaneen, producer of tea, forestry products and tropical fruits.
The Maputo Corridor will link the province directly with Maputo Port, creating development and trade opportunities, particularly in the south-eastern part of the province.
This province is in the savanna biome, an area of mixed grassland and trees, which is generally known as Bushveld. A trip through this summer-rainfall area soon convinces one that this is tree country.
The biggest section of the Kruger National Park is situated along the eastern boundary of Limpopo with Mozambique.
In Limpopo, 5 273 642 million people live on about 123 910 km2 of land. The main languages spoken are Sepedi, Xitsonga and, Tshivenda.
According to the Census 2001 results, more than a third of those in Limpopo aged 20 years and above have not received any form of eduation or schooling.
The official unemployment rate for Limpopo stood at 15,5% in September 2001 (Labour Force Survey 2001).
Several museums and national monuments bear testimony to ancient peoples and fearless pioneers who braved the unknown in days of yore. Living museums include the Bakone Malapa Museum near Polokwane, where Bapedi tribesmen practise age-old skills for the benefit of visitors, and the Tsonga Open-Air Museum near Tzaneen. Mapungubwe (place of the jackal) Hill, some 75 km from Musina, used to be a natural fortress for its inhabitants from about AD 950 to 1200.
Valuable archaeological discoveries, including many golden artefacts, have been made in this area, as well as in the northern part of the Kruger National Park.
The Bushveld is cattle country. Controlled hunting is often combined with ranching.
Sunflowers, cotton, maize and peanuts are cultivated in the Bela-Bela-Modimolle area. Modimolle is also known for its table-grape crops.
Tropical fruit, such as bananas, litchis, pineapples, mangoes and pawpaws, as well as a variety of nuts, are grown in the Tzaneen and Makhado areas. Extensive tea and coffee plantations create many employment opportunities in the Tzaneen area.
Zebediela, one of the largest citrus estates in the country, is situated south of Polokwane.
The largest tomato farm in South Africa lies between Tzaneen and Makhado.
Extensive forestry plantations are found in the Makhado and Tzaneen districts. Plantations of hard woods for furniture manufacturing have also been established.
Many of the rural people practise subsistence farming.
The northern and eastern parts of this summer-rainfall region are subtropical with hot, humid summers and mist in the mountainous parts. Winter throughout the province is mild and mostly frost-free.
Limpopo is rich in minerals, including copper, asbestos, coal, iron ore, platinum, chrome, diamonds, phosphates and gold.
The province is a typical developing area, exporting primary products and importing manufactured goods and services. It has a high potential and capacity with the right kind of economic development, and is an attractive location for investors. Resources such as tourism, rain-fed agriculture, minerals and an abundant labour force available in the province offer excellent investment opportunities.
Original text by Theuns and Heila van Rensburg Eastern Cape Provincial Government Free State Provincial Government Gauteng Provincial Government KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government Limpopo Provincial Government Mpumalanga Provincial Government Northern Cape Provincial Government North West Provincial Government Pan South African Language Board Statistics South Africa Western Cape Provincial Government www.gov.
Absalom, E. 'Previously called' Coloured People - Past and Present: 350 years. Rehoboth (Namibia): CBH Publishers, 2001.
Atlas of Southern Africa and the World. Halfway House: Southern Book Publishing, 1992.
Beall, J., Crankshaw, O. and Parnell, S. Uniting a Divided City: Governance and Social Exclusion in Johannesburg. London: Earthscan Publications, 2002.
Bekker, S. and others. Shifting African Identities. Pretoria: Human Sciences Research Council, 2001.
Bowes, B. and Pennington, S., eds. South Africa: The Good News. Johannesburg: Good News, 2002. Includes authors such as Kader Asmal, Cheryl Carolus, Tom Lodge, Trevor Manuel, Cyril Ramaphosa and Frederick van Zyl Slabbert.
Deacon, H.H. and Deacon, J. Human Beginnings in South Africa. Uncovering the Secrets of the Stone Age. Cape Town: David Philip, 1999.
De Gruchy, J.W. Christianity and Democracy. Cape Town: David Philip, 1995.
De Gruchy, J.W. The Church Struggle in South Africa. Cape Town: David Philip, 1992.
De Klerk, W. Afrikaners, Kroes, Kras, Kordaat. Cape Town: Human and Rousseau, 1999.
Du Toit, Z.B. Die Nuwe Toekoms: 'n Perspektief op die Afrikaner by die Eeuwisseling. Pretoria: JP van der Walt, 1999.
Elphick, R. and Davenport R., eds. Christianity in South Africa:A Political, Social and Cultural History. Cape Town: David Philip, 1997.
Erasmus, Z. Coloured by History, Shaped by Place: New Perspectives on Coloured Identity in Cape Town. Cape Town: Kwela Books, 2001.
Fodor's South Africa: The Complete Guide to the Cities, Winelands and Game Parks, with Zimbabwe and Botswana. 2nd new edition. Compiler:A. Barbour. New York: Fodor's Travel Publications,1998.
Fox, R. and Rowntree K., eds. The Geography of South Africa in a Changing World. Cape Town: Oxford University Press Southern Africa, 2000.
Free State, The Winning Province. Johannesburg: Chris van Rensburg Publications, 1997.
Freund, B. and Padayachee, V. Durban Vortex: South African City in Transition. Pietermaritzburg: University of Natal Press, 2002.
Gall, S. The Bushmen of Southern Africa: Slaughter of the Innocence. London: Chatto & Windus, 2001.
Germond, P. and de Gruchy, S. Homosexuality and Christian Faith in South Africa. Cape Town: David Philip, 1997.
Giliomee, H. The Afrikaners: Biography of a People. Cape Town: Tafelberg, 2003.
Haldenwang, B.B. A Socio-demographic Profile of the Southern African Development Community Region. Stellenbosch: Institute for Futures Research, University of Stellenbosch, 1997.
Illustrated Guide to the Game Parks and Nature Reserves of Southern Africa. 3rd ed. Cape Town: Reader's Digest Association, 1997.
James, W., Caliquire D. and Cullinan., K., eds. Now That We Are Free: Coloured Communities in Democratic South Africa. Cape Town: Institute for Democracy in South Africa, 1996.
Jenkins, E.R., Raper, P.E. and Moller, L.A. Changing Place Names. Durban: Indicator Press, 1996.
Johannesburg: Africa's World City. Johannesburg: Centre for Development and Enterprise, 2002.
Katz, R. and others. Healing Makes Our Hearts Happy: Spirituality and Cultural Transformation Among the Kalahari Jul'hoansi. Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions International,1997.
Knobel, J. The Magnificent Natural Heritage of South Africa. Llandudno, South Africa: Sunbird Publishing, 1999.
Kollenberg, A. et al., eds. Jewish Life in the South African Communities. Vol 1. The Northern Great Escarpment, The Lowveld, The Northern Highveld, The Bushveld. Johannesburg: South African Friends of Beth Hatefutsoth, 2002.
Lively, A. Masks: Bleakness, Race and the Imagination. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.
Magubane, P. Vanishing Cultures of South Africa: Changing Customs in a Changing World. Cape Town: Struik, 1998.
Majodina, Z., ed. The Challenge of Forced Migration in Southern Africa. Pretoria: Africa Institute of South Africa, 2001.
Moon, B.P. and Dardis, C.F. Geomorphology of Southern Africa. Halfway House: Southern Book Publishers, 1992.
Morrell, R. ed. Changing Man in Southern Africa. Pietermaritzburg: University of Natal Press, 2001.
Preston-Whyte, R.A. and Tyson, P.D. Atmosphere and Weather of Southern Africa. Cape Town: Oxford University Press, 1989.
Rogerson, C. and McCarthy, J., eds. Geography in a Changing South Africa: Progress and Prospects. Cape Town: Oxford University Press, 1992.
Schadeberg, J. Soweto Today. Pretoria: Protea Book House, 2002.
Schadeberg, J. The San of the Kalahari.
Shain, M. and Mendelsohn, R., eds. Memories, Dreams and Realities: Aspects of the South African Jewish Experience. Johannesburg: Jonathan Ball, 2002.
Shimoni, G. Community and Conscience: The Jews in Apartheid South Africa. Johannesburg: David Philip, 2003.
Simon, D., ed. South Africa in Southern Africa: Reconfiguring the Region. Oxford: James Currey; Cape Town: David Philip, 1998.
Smith, A. and others. The Bushmen of Southern Africa: A Foraging Society in Transition. Cape Town: David Philip, 2000.
Smith, A. and others. The Cape Herders:A History of the Khoikhoi of Southern Africa. Cape Town: David Philip, 2000.
Tyson, P. D. Climatic Change and Variability in Southern Africa. Cape Town: Oxford University Press, 1986.
Van Rooyen, J. The New Great Trek: The Story of South Africa's White Exodus. Pretoria: University of South Africa, 2000.
Van Zyl Slabbert, F. Afrikaner, Afrikaans. Cape Town: Tafelberg, 1999.
Venter, L. In the Shadow of the Rainbow. Sandton: Heineman, 2001.
Villa-Vicencio, C. Civil Disobedience and Beyond: Law, Resistance and Religion in South Africa. Cape Town: David Philip, 1990.