During 2013 an enlarged and improved North West Development Corporation (NWDC) was created after the incorporation of trade and investment promotion agency Invest North West into its ranks.

The improved and enlarged NWDC’s vision is to be the heartbeat of trade, investment, sustainable economic development and job creation in the North West province, which has become a hub for investment due to its range of valuable resources and business opportunities.

All services offered by the former Invest North West have been retained and are now offered by the NWDC. Furthermore, an extensive range of services including property rentals, SMME development and CIPC registrations remain at the heart of the NWDC’s 11 branches situated across the North West province and surrounding areas.

Among its basket of services, the NWDC is committed to assisting producers and manufacturers of exportable products to register on the NWDC database and grow to become export-ready.

In doing so, the NWDC assists these exporters to identify and secure export markets, and also facilitates international exposure through various platforms such as trade shows and international expos. Exporters can contact the NWDC to be listed on its provincial company database and get exposure to export markets, or gain advice for an export certificate at SARS (see sidebar for further information). Each branch offers a unique combination of the NWDC services.

Why invest in the North West province?
The North West province of SA, also known as the Platinum Province, is endowed with various mineral riches such as platinum group metals, dimension stone, fertile and vast agricultural soil, a strong manufacturing sector and abundant opportunities in renewable energy and agroprocessing.

For pioneers and first movers, the North West province offers ideal investment and business opportunities, many of which are still untapped and waiting to be explored. In addition to record high-levels of sunshine all year round, ideal for solar and green energy projects, the North West province offers outstanding quality of life in its smaller cities and towns. Three major trade routes cut across the region, namely the N4, N12 and N14, connecting the province to Botswana, Gauteng and the Northern Cape – ideal for trade and freight logistics.

The North West province is also home to the North West University with campuses in both the provincial capital of Mahikeng and Potchefstroom. The university has positioned itself as a leader in research and innovation, with a dedicated innovation support office widely supporting research and development as well as the commercialisation activities of prototypes.

Moreover, the North West province recently identified a number of key industrialisation projects, on which research and consultation have commenced, offering a range of investment and partnership opportunities. Industrialisation projects include establishing a number of special economic zones in key sectors, infrastructure projects, a mining supplier park and agroprocessing projects.

North West BRICS Expo & International Trade and Tourism Conference 2014
In 2013, the North West province hosted the successful inaugural North West BRICS Expo & International Trade and Tourism Conference in its capital of Mahikeng. Since the 2013 event, fruitful interactions and partnerships have been forged, positioning the North West province as a footprint for BRICS in SA, the SADC region and Africa.

Following the inaugural event, the province invites investors to attend the North West BRICS Expo & International Trade and Tourism Conference 2014 from 26–29 March at the Mmabatho Convention Centre in Mahikeng. The 2014 conference aims to provide insights into the BRICS economies and empower delegates to have first-hand knowledge of opportunities available in their respective markets, coupled with valuable networking exposure.

‘SA is well-positioned to benefit from the BRICS grouping due to increased global visibility’

The North West province embarked on its provincial industrialisation strategy aimed at stimulating and accelerating economic growth and capacity through ten key projects, which were presented to investors at the 2013 conference.

During the 2014 conference, investors can look forward to presentations on the outcomes of the pre-feasibility studies conducted on the first five industrialisation projects. This will highlight their market potential, viability and projected socio-economic impact.

The five projects are the cattle beneficiation industrial park, small-scale maize milling, automotive products and components sectors development zone, plastics and chemicals development zone as well as the business process services sector development zone. The province is also in the process of preparing pre-feasibility studies on the balance of the projects.

Who should attend?
Investors, exporters, importers, investment promotion agencies, tourism agencies, companies in transportation and air/road/sea/freight transport, road and rail operators, courier companies, finance service providers, banks and the SMME sectors will be able to engage in various networking and matchmaking opportunities through business-to-business meetings as well as an official dinner attended by diplomatic representatives from the BRICS countries.

The significance of BRICS
BRICS is the title of an association of leading emerging economies, arising from the inclusion of SA into the BRIC grouping in 2010.

The BRICS members are all developing or newly-industrialised countries, characterised by large, fast-growing economies and significant influence on regional and global affairs. As recorded in 2012, the five BRICS countries represented a market of almost 3 billion people with a combined nominal GDP of $13.7 trillion and an estimated $4 trillion in combined foreign reserves.

North West Premier Thandi Modise outlined the significance of BRICS in the special edition report published after the inaugural 2013 conference: ‘SA is well positioned to benefit from the BRICS grouping due to increased global visibility.

‘SA’s membership will also facilitate African countries to discover market opportunities in BRICS and vice versa. Increased trade and investment with the BRICS economies is forecast, given SA and Africa’s resource abundance.

‘It goes without saying that this strong economic grouping holds vast and untapped opportunities for Africa, SA and the North West Province.

‘I would therefore encourage businesses to aggressively gear themselves to meet the appetite of these growing markets.’

NWDC BRANCHES
Mafikeng head office
018 381 3663

Investment and exports
014 594 2570    

Rustenburg
014 597 3405

Lehurutshe
018 363 3325

Ganyesa
053 998 3333

Mogwase
014 555 7890

Taung
053 994 1709

Mothibistad
053 773 1052

Ga-Rankuwa
012 703 3371

Babelegi
012 719 8670

Klerksdorp
084 601 0442

Export advice and NWDC database registration
Connie Burger
014 594 2570
[email protected]

2014 Conference NWDC Trade and Investment office
Sam Mudramuthoo or Annemarie Marx
014 594 2570