A high-ranking delegation from the Northern Cape provincial government recently highlighted investment opportunities in the province. The delegation was led by Premier Dr Zamani Saul, and included Northern Cape Finance, Economic Development and Tourism MEC Venus Lorato Blennies-Magage. They addressed a workshop being held in Sandton, northern Johannesburg, as part of the preparation for the upcoming Northern Cape Investment and Jobs Conference, to be held in Kimberley from April 13 to 15.

“Our investment offer rests on six pillars: green energy, minerals and mining, agriculture, industrialisation, infrastructure and logistics, and tourism,” highlighted Saul. “In mining, the Northern Cape is home to the world’s largest known manganese resource and a leading exporter of diamonds, iron-ore and zinc. We are now moving up the value chain to a new greener smelting capacity for zinc, manganese, iron-ore, copper and lime. Key investors are already deeply invested in the Northern Cape.”

The province also hosted an important agricultural sector, he pointed out. It served as a local and Southern African regional food basket. Further, farms along the Orange and Vaal rivers, and those in the Vaalharts and Vanerkloof irrigation schemes, supplied Europe with high-quality foodstuffs during the northern winter. These included highest grade beef, mutton and venison, with internationally competitive and recognised speciality teas, dates, pecan nuts and raisins. And the province’s brandies, gins and wines were steadily establishing export markets.

“On renewable energy, the fundamentals are compelling: with solar capacity factors of around 26% and wind at 37% the province offers performance metrics that continue to attract independent power producers and energy investors from around the world, with early analysis indicating the potential of roughly 11 400 GW of solar power and 846 GW of wind power,” he cited. “This resource base supports the development of a large-scale green hydrogen and derivatives industry. The province is already central to the country’s independent power producer (IPP) landscape – roughly 60% of all South Africa’s IPPs are based in the Northern Cape, giving the province a critical role in transforming the national grid under the new Integrated Resource and Transmission Development plans.”

The province also enjoyed good railway and power connections with the rest of the country, and beyond. Saul further highlighted the R122.9-billion greenfield Boegoebaai Port Development project, which would create a deep-water harbour, a connecting railway, and a green hydrogen industrial hub.   

“For many years, the Northern Cape has been described through the language of distance and vastness,” noted Blennies-Magage. “However, in a rapidly changing global economy, these very characteristics are being redefined as strategic advantages. The province is increasingly positioned at the centre of emerging economic shifts, particularly in relation to the global energy transition, critical minerals and the large-scale industrial development.”