A REGIONAL OVERVIEW OF
MPUMALANGA Diversifying and growing the manufacturing sector are priorities. By John Young
M
pumalanga is at the centre of power generation in South Africa, through its coal-fired power stations. Despite concerns about fossil fuels and their effect on the environment, coal is going to be around for the foreseeable future. The provincial government is looking beyond coal towards a renewable energy future, especially where projects can be tackled by small businesses. There might be opportunities in micro-hydro or rooftop solar projects that will help to reduce dependence on the national grid while simultaneously promoting SMMEs. As it happens, a number of coal mines are receiving new investments and Sasol has just launched the third of its replacement mines. MPUMALANGA BUSINESS 2019/20
A major concern for provincial planners is to diversify the economy and to grow the manu f a c tur in g s e c to r. T h e Mp umalan ga Economic Growth and Development Path (MEGDP) identifies beneficiation, agri-processing and the development of value chains as priorities. Steel and associated manufacturing remains one of the province’s strong suits, but a number of initiatives are being pursued to promote beneficiation and other forms of manufacture through a clustering approach and through tax incentives in Special Economic Zones. These initiatives are covered in a separate article elsewhere in this publication. A R250-million Youth Development Fund is to be launched in Mpumalanga, aimed at township
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