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 agro-processing.

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 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 agro-processing projects.

Promoting opportunities for goat meat production and processing in the north west province
High levels of global and local demand for goat meat and the popularity of other value-added products derived from goats suggest that there are potentially lucrative opportunities for investment within the goat production and processing value chain in the North West. There are nearly 750 000 goats in the province, and goat farming is already taking place. 

The labour-intensive nature of goat farming and processing and combined with its relatively low skill requirements and barriers to entry means that investment in goat meat production and processing projects is likely to provide significant opportunities for job creation and investment in the province.

For more information, please contact Elijah Sedumedi at 014 594 2570.

Opportunities for dimension stone mining, processing and beneficiation in the greater taung local municipality
The Greater Taung Local Municipality (GTLM) in the North West province is endowed with considerable natural and mineral resources, including rare dimension stone deposits. NWDC has identified the beneficiation of dimension stone within the GTLM as a potentially lucrative investment opportunity, as well as a significant driver of job creation, technology transfer and skills development, both in the municipality and the province as a whole.

The mining of dimension stone involves the quarrying of various igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks (such as granite, limestone, marble, sandstone and slate) for the purpose of obtaining blocks or slabs that meet specifications regarding size (width, length and thickness) and shape. Dimension stone is one of the oldest resources used in the construction of buildings, bridges, monuments, statues and tombstones, and is commonly used for the cladding of buildings, curbing, paving, flagging and riveting.

For more information, please contact Connie Burger at 014 594 2570.

Mafikeng Head Office
James Watt Crescent, Industrial Site,
Mahikeng, 2745, SA
Tel: +27 (0)18 381 3663/4/5
[email protected]
www.nwdc.co.za