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Capital: Johannesburg
Principal Languages: isiZulu (21.5%) Afrikaans (14.4%) Sesotho
(13.1%) English (12.5%)
Population: 9,526,200 (Mid-year Populations Estimates, 2006)
Area (km2): 17,010
Copyright: South African Tourism |
Although the smallest
of the nine provinces, Gauteng is the powerhouse of South Africa and
the heart of its commercial business and industrial sectors.
Gauteng continues to
strengthen its position as the economic engine of the country and
the continent. Continuing the trend of sustained growth over the
past 10 years, it reached a growth rate of 5.6% in the fourth
quarter of 2004.
The three most
important sectors contributing to Gross Domestic Product per Region
(GDPR) are finance, real estate and business services, manufacturing
and general-government services.
Sustained growth has
led to a steady reduction in joblessness. According to the Labor
Force Survey, unemployment in Gauteng declined from 28.2% in March
2001 to 23.3% in March 2006.
In line with the
strategy to build a smart province, the tertiary sector has expanded
significantly and contributes at least 60.8% to growth.
Gauteng accounts for
the bulk of all employees’ remuneration in the country, at 47.7%,
and is responsible for 50.4% of all company turnover.
According to the
Bureau of Market Research, in 2005 Gauteng’s 2.8 million households
were responsible for more than one-third (35%) of the country’s
household expenditure, spending R302 billion.
Gauteng continues to
attract over 52% of the seven million international tourists who
come to South Africa. Similarly, domestic tourism grew from 16,6% in
the first quarter of 2005 to 22.1% in the second quarter.
A pillar of Gauteng’s
economic success has been public investment in strategic economic
infrastructure, which has stimulated private-sector investment, as
well as growth and job creation in key projects and sectors such as
business tourism, logistics infrastructure, manufacturing and
information and communications technology.
The multi-billion Rand initiative of
the Gauteng Provincial Government, Blue IQ, invested over
R2.8 billion in various assets between 2001 and 2005. These
consisted of 11 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. This has
resulted in sustainable and successful economic infrastructure,
commercial enterprises and success stories comparable with the best
in the world.
Development at the
Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site is turning the area into
a world-class tourism destination. In September 2005, Deputy
President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka opened new facilities at the
Sterkfontein caves, and in December 2005, President Thabo Mbeki
opened the award-winning tourist attraction, Maropeng. In 2005,
Maropeng was voted the best new tourism project worldwide and also
won awards for construction and public-private partnerships.
The province is not
only an important contributor to the country’s GDP, it also plays a
critical role in the regional SADC and African economies. It
generates about 9% and 25% of the total African continent and SADC
gross national products, respectively.
Gauteng represents
the highest per-capita income level in the country.
It is also the
financial-services capital of Africa. More than 70 foreign banks
have their head offices here, as do at least the same number of
South African banks, stockbrokers and insurance giants. The
province blends cultures, colors and first-–and third-world
traditions in a spirited mix that is flavored by many foreign
influences. Most overseas visitors enter South Africa via OR Tambo
International Airport (formerly Johannesburg International Airport).
Johannesburg,
nicknamed "Egoli" (Place of Gold), is the capital of the province
and 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 fruitsellers 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.
Copyright: South African Tourism |
South of Johannesburg
is Soweto, developed as a township for black people under the
apartheid system. Most of the struggle against apartheid was fought
in and from Soweto, which is estimated to be inhabited by over two
million people. 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; and
restaurants and shopping malls. It boasts one of the largest
hospitals on the continent, the Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital.
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Copyright: South African Tourism |
Some 50 km. north of
Johannesburg lies Pretoria, dominated by government services and the
diplomatic corps of foreign representatives in the country.
Pretoria, also known
as the "Jacaranda City", is renowned for its colorful gardens,
shrubs and trees, particularly beautiful in spring when some 50,000
jacaranda trees 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 space. 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 splendor. The industrial area of Rosslyn
and the townships of Soshanguve and GaRankuwa are situated north of
Pretoria. Cullinan, known for its diamonds, lies to the east. 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. Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging in the
south of the province are major industrial centers, while
Heidelberg, Nigel and Bronkhorstspruit to the east are of
agricultural importance. Although the province is highly urbanized
and industrialized, it contains wetlands of international
importance, such as Blesbokspruit near Springs.
The
People
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Tourism |
Gauteng is the most
densely populated province in South Africa. It houses more than nine
million of the country’s people (Mid-Year Population Estimates,
2006). The level of urbanization is 97%. The province houses some of
the most important educational and health centers 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. In
addition, Gauteng is home to leading research institutions such as
the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the Agricultural
Research Council, Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute and various
universities. More than 60% of South Africa’s research and
development takes place in Gauteng. According to the 2001 Census
findings, only 8.4% of adults in the province has no formal
education.
Johannesburg has two
residential universities, namely the University of the Witwatersrand
and the University of Johannesburg. There are also several
teacher-training colleges, technical colleges and universities of
technology in the province.
Manufacturing
The manufacturing
sector in Gauteng includes 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 automotive parts
and components industry in Gauteng, with its 200 firms, employs
about 38,000 workers and contributes an estimated 4.3% to the
province’s GGP. This equates to an industry worth about R13 billion
per year.
Technology
The province’s
economy is being realigned to move away from traditional heavy
industry markets and low value-added production towards
sophisticated high value-added production, particularly in
information technology, telecommunications and other high-tech
industries. In an international survey in 2000, Gauteng was
identified as one of 46 global hubs of technological innovation. The
burgeoning "high-tech" corridor in Midrand (halfway between Pretoria
and Johannesburg) is the fastest-developing area in the country. The
Innovation Hub was launched in April 2005 as Africa’s first science
park destined to nurture and grow enterprises in the knowledge
sector of the economy. It has become a landmark in Pretoria,
boosting the local economy and exceeding expectations, with over 50
companies and 500 people on site. The hub will host the 2008
International Association of Science Parks World Conference.
Agriculture and Industry
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 three 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. Agriculture made up a small share of the provincial
economy and accounted for R2.441 billion of the GDPR (at current
prices) in 2004. Important agricultural products include selected
grain crops, certain vegetables, herbs and flowers. Food, food
processing and beverages make up around R9.9 billion of GGP. There
are about 4,000 food-processing companies operating in South Africa,
of which roughly half are based in Gauteng.
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