Chapter 1 The Land and its People

South Africa can be compared to a multitude modern ways, building a new South African of countries rolled up into one. It offers citi- society to create a better life for all. zens and visitors the opportunity to experi- ence the extremes of the deserts and the savannas, the breath-taking beauty of snow- The people capped mountains, grasslands and the high forests and tropical mangrove swamps. On the night of 9 October 1996, there were South Africa also boasts a long stretch of 40,58 million people in South Africa (Census coastline as diverse as the landscape. ’96). Of these, 76,7% classified themselves as It is home to the Big Five (lion, leopard, ele- African; 10,9% as white; 8,9% as coloured; and phant, buffalo and rhino) and some of the 2,6% as Indian/Asian. According to Statistics world’s finest bird and plant species. South Africa, the country’s population esti- But the country’s biggest asset is its people; mates in the year 2001 stood at 44 561 mil- a rainbow nation with a rich and diverse cul- lion, of which some 23 122 million were ture. South Africa is often called the cradle of women. The second democratic census was civilisation, for this is where archaeologists held in October 2001. The first results of have discovered 2,5 million-year-old fossils of Census 2001 are expected in April 2003. the earliest ancestors, as well as 100 000- The South African population consists of year-old remains of modern man. the following groups: the Nguni people (con- Although South Africans come from many sisting of the Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele and cultural traditions, they belong to one nation, Swazi), who account for two-thirds of the a dynamic blend of age-old customs and population; the Sotho-Tswana people, who include the Southern, Northern and Western Sotho (Tswana); the Tsonga; the Venda; Afrikaners; English; Coloureds; Indians, and South Africa is home to a diverse multitude of people with unique cultures, traditions and languages. This people who have immigrated to South Africa uniqueness is supported by the Constitution and the from the rest of Africa, Europe and Asia and Bill of Rights, which provides for, among other things, who maintain a strong cultural identity. A few the right to freedom of religion and the right to receive instruction in a person’s language of choice, where this members of the Khoi and the San also live in is reasonably practicable. South Africa.

1 South Africa Yearbook 2002/03

Languages The Language Policy and Plan is based on The South African Constitution, 1996 (Act 108 Section 6 of the Constitution, which provides of 1996), states that everyone has the right to the primary and legal framework for multilin- use the language and to participate in the gualism, the use of official languages and the cultural life of his or her choice, but no one promotion of, respect for and tolerance of may do so in a manner inconsistent with South Africa’s linguistic diversity. any provision of the Bill of Rights. Each person The Language Policy and Framework is also has the right to instruction in the guided by the following principles: language of his or her choice where this is • promoting and protecting linguistic and reasonably practicable. cultural diversity • supporting democracy through entren- Official languages chment of language equity and language To cater for South Africa’s diverse peoples, the rights Constitution provides for 11 official languages, • asserting the view that multilingualism is a namely Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, resource isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, • encouraging the learning of other South Tshivenda and Xitsonga. African languages. Recognising the historically diminished use and status of the indigenous languages, the Language usage in government Constitution expects government to imple- National and provincial governments may use ment positive measures to elevate the status any of the official languages for the purposes and to advance the use of these languages. of government, taking into account usage, According to the Census ’96 figures, isiZulu is practicality, expense, regional circumstances the mother tongue of 22,9% of the population, and the needs and preferences of the popula- followed by isiXhosa (17,9%), Afrikaans (14,4%), tion. At least two official languages must be Sepedi (9,2%) and English (8,6%). used. The Constitution states that all official languages should enjoy parity of esteem and Language policy be treated equitably. The new Language Policy Framework was National departments tend to use multilin- approved by Cabinet late in 2002. It aims to gual documents for communication with the promote South Africa’s linguistic diversity, and public (information brochures, annual reports, provides for the equitable usage of all lan- letters and to a lesser extent government guages, especially by government institutions. notices and bills). For internal communication purposes, documents are mainly created in Public holidays English. Internal newsletters are often pro- duced in more than one language. South Africa has 12 public holidays. They are: Hansard, a verbatim record of the parlia- New Year’s Day – January 1 Human Rights Day – March 21 mentary debate, contains all speeches in the Good Friday – Friday before Easter Sunday language(s) in which they were delivered, Family Day – Monday after Easter Sunday followed by an English translation where nec- Freedom Day – April 27 essary. Parliament intends to increase the Workers’ Day – May 1 Youth Day – June 16 number of languages in which Hansard is National Women’s Day – August 9 published. Heritage Day – September 24 Day of Reconciliation – December 16 Pan South African Language Board Christmas Day – December 25 Day of Goodwill – December 26 (PaNSALB) If any of these days falls on a Sunday, The purpose of the Board is to promote the following Monday becomes a public holiday. multilingualism in South Africa by:

2 • creating conditions for the development practice and policy dealing with language and equal use of all official languages matters • fostering respect for and encouraging the - advising on the co-ordination of language use of other languages in the country planning in South Africa. • encouraging the best use of the country’s PaNSALB may on its own initiative or receipt linguistic resources to enable South of a written complaint investigate the alleged Africans to free themselves from all forms violation of any language right, language of linguistic discrimination, domination and policy or language practice. It may also division. summon any person, body or State organ to The functions of PaNSALB are to: give evidence. • initiate research to promote the develop- ment of PaNSALB Amendment Act, 1999 - all official languages The PaNSALB Amendment Act, 1999 (Act 10 of - the Khoi and San languages 1999), provided the Board with a progressive - South African Sign language shift from being a watchdog State organ to • initiate research aimed at addressing the language development needs - developing previously marginalised lan- of South Africans. guages in South Africa PaNSALB’s explicit role is to create condi- - strengthening rights relating to language tions for the development and equal use of all and the status of languages existing as at official languages. It must initiate, facilitate and 27 April 1994 empower agencies within both State struc- - promoting multilingualism tures and civil society to contribute towards - utilising South Africa’s language re- the development of all official languages. sources and preventing exploitation, dom- The Amendment Act provides for the estab- ination and division by any language lishment of National Lexicography Units for - making recommendations to legislation, all official languages. The purpose of these Units is to compile monolingual explanatory dictionaries and other dictionaries to satisfy Information the needs of the different linguistic commu- The Telephone Interpreting Service of South Africa nities.

(TISSA) was launched in March 2002. TISSA is a The Land and its People ground-breaking project to facilitate access to public services in South Africans’ languages of choice. National language bodies In this project, interpreters will be used to bridge language barriers via a telephone. It is the first project The Khoi and San National Language bodies of its kind in South Africa. were officially launched in October 1999 in With TISSA, the Department of Arts and Culture is on Upington, Northern Cape, to promote and par with international standards of well-known telephone interpreting services in other multilingual develop the Khoi and San languages. In addi- countries such as Australia, the United States of tion, they assist PaNSALB in its endeavours America and many European countries. TISSA will cater to promote multilingualism as a national for the needs of the speakers of the 11 official languages of South Africa, thus promoting the use of resource. They conduct surveys in communi- indigenous languages. ties where the Khoi and San languages are TISSA is a project of the Department of Arts and Culture and is jointly funded by PaNSALB. spoken to record and standardise new termi- By August 2002, TISSA was available at 40 police nology and words. They liaise closely with other stations across the country. professional bodies that can help to enrich TISSA was operational during the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg 24 hours a and expand the Khoi and San languages. day at 20 designated South African Police Services sites. These advisory bodies assist PaNSALB to During 2002, TISSA also joined hands with the Unit take meaningful decisions regarding each lan- for Language Facilitation and Empowerment at the University of the Free State to use a videophone guage’s standardisation, orthography, termi- system to benefit the deaf community. nology and literature issues.

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National language bodies have been estab- • promote and develop peace, friendship, lished for all the 11 official languages. humanity, tolerance and national unity among cultural, religious and linguistic Protecting language rights communities on the basis of equality, non- PaNSALB offers assistance to any person or discrimination and free association organisation if any department, organ of State, • recommend the establishment or recogni- municipality, institution or person: tion of other councils for a community or • has discriminated against them unfairly on communities in South Africa. the basis of their language To achieve its goals, the Commission will have • relies on a language policy based on dis- the power to: crimination or which contains discriminat- • monitor, investigate, research, educate, ory elements lobby, advise and report on any issue con- • has denied them the right to associate with cerning the rights of cultural, religious and their linguistic community linguistic communities • has denied them the right to express them- • facilitate the resolution of conflicts or fric- selves to their linguistic community. tion between any such community and an Since 1997, PaNSALB saw a steady increase in organ of State the number of complaints lodged against gov- • receive and deal with complaints and ernment departments. requests by cultural, religious or linguistic Twenty-eight percent of complaints lodged communities during 2001/02 targeted government depart- • convene an annual national conference of ments. This is significantly lower than the 52% delegates from various cultural, religious recorded during 2001/02. Sixteen percent of and linguistic communities in South Africa these complaints targeted local authorities. and governmental and non-governmental By the end of March 2002, a total number role-players. of 234 complaints had been lodged. The number of complaints concerning indigenous languages showed a significant increase, i.e. Religion from 11% in 2000/01 to 20% in 2001/02. Religious groups in South Africa Bill on the Commission for the Almost 80% of South Africa’s population Promotion and Protection of Cultural, adheres to the Christian faith. Other major Religious and Linguistic Communities religious groups are the Hindus, Muslims and The Bill was published to give effect to Section Jews. A minority of South Africa’s population 185 of the Constitution and was approved by do not belong to any of the major religions, Cabinet in 2001. The Commission is to com- but regard themselves as traditionalists or of prise a chairperson and 11 to 17 members no specific religious affiliation. representing the main cultural, religious and Freedom of worship is guaranteed by the linguistic communities and reflecting South Constitution, and official policy is one of non- Africa’s gender composition. In each province, interference in religious practices. the Minister responsible for the Commission is to advertise for nominations in nationally Christian churches circulated papers. There are many official and unofficial ecu- The Commission’s main purpose will be to menical relations between the various promote respect for the rights and interests of churches. The most important of these is per- the various cultural, religious and linguistic haps the South African Council of Churches communities in South Africa. In addition, the (SACC), even though it is not representative of Bill delegates the Commission to: the full spectrum of churches.

4 The major African indigenous churches, members, estimated to number four million, most of the Afrikaans churches and the are not obliged to make the pilgrimage, but pentecostal and charismatic churches are as have loyally observed the tradition for more a rule not members of the SACC and usually than 80 years. have their own co-ordinating liaison bodies. The 4 000 or more independent churches Church attendance in South Africa is have a membership of more than 10 million, favourable in both rural and urban areas, and making this movement the single most the churches are well served by a large important religious group in South Africa. number of clerics and officials. The independent churches attract people On the whole, training for the ministry is from rural and urban areas. There are, for thorough and intensive, and based on a variety example, hundreds of separate churches in of models. Patterns of ministry vary greatly. rural KwaZulu-Natal and at least 900 from all Apart from the work of the churches, a ethnic groups in the urban complex of Soweto number of Christian organisations operate in alone. In the northern KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa, doing missionary work, giving aid Mpumalanga areas, these churches serve and providing training. (A comprehensive more than half the population. register appears in the South African Christian Handbook 2001/02.) Afrikaans churches The broadcasting of religious radio and The Nederduitse Gereformeerde (NG) family of television programmes underlines the impor- churches in South Africa – the Dutch tance of religion in South Africa. Many news- Reformed churches – represents some papers carry a daily scriptural message, and 3,5 million people. The NG Kerk is the largest various religious magazines and newspapers of the three churches with a total of about are produced. 1 200 congregations country-wide. The other churches are the United Reformed Church of African Independent Churches (AICs) South Africa and the small Reformed Church The largest grouping of Christian churches is in Africa, with predominantly Indian members. the AICs, and one of the most dramatic The Nederduits Hervormde Kerk and the aspects of religious affiliation has been the Gereformeerde Kerk are also regarded as sis- rise of this movement. ter churches. There are several other church- Although these churches originally resulted es with Afrikaans-speaking adherents, some The Land and its People from a number of breakaways from various with very large memberships. The NG Kerk mission churches (the so-called Ethiopian also has six fully fledged English-language churches), the AICs have developed their own congregations, one congregation for Dutch- dynamics and momentum and continue to speaking people and four for Portuguese- flourish. The majority can therefore no longer speaking people. In total, there are about be regarded as Ethiopian churches, but are 2 000 members in these congregations. Zionist or Apostolic churches. The Pentecostal movement also has its independent offshoots Roman Catholic Church in this group. In recent years, the Roman Catholic Church The Zion Christian Church is the largest of has grown strongly in numbers and influence, these churches in South Africa and the largest even though South Africa is predominantly church overall. More than a million members Protestant. It works closely with other gather twice a year at Zion City, Moria, near churches on the socio-political front. Polokwane (formerly Pietersburg) in Limpopo (formerly the Northern Province) at Easter and Other Christian churches for the September festival. Traditionally, Easter Other established churches in South Africa is the religious highlight of the year. Church include the Methodist Church, the Church of

5 South Africa Yearbook 2002/03

the Province of Southern Africa (Anglican A number of charismatic churches have Church), the various Lutheran and Presbyterian been established in recent years. The daugh- churches and the Congregational Church. ter churches of the charismatic churches, Together with others they form the together with those of the Hatfield Christian nucleus of the SACC. Although the different Church in Pretoria, are grouped in the Baptist groups are not large, they represent a International Fellowship of Christian Churches. strong church tradition. Also active in South Africa, among the The largest traditional Pentecostal churches smaller groups, are the Greek Orthodox and are the Apostolic Faith Mission, the Assem- Seventh Day Adventist churches. blies of God and the Full Gospel Church, but there are numerous others. Many of them African traditionalists enjoy fellowship in groups such as the Church Because the traditional religion of the African Alliance of South Africa, and operate in all people has a strong cultural base, the various communities. groups have different rituals, but there are certain common features. The estimated religion affiliation of the A supreme being is generally recognised, South African population, based on the but ancestors are of far greater import- 1996 Census ance, being the deceased elders of the group. Religious denomination Members in % They are regarded as part of the community, thousands indispensable links with the spirit world and Zion Christian Church 3 868 9,7 the powers that control everyday affairs. NG Kerk family 3 527 8,9 Catholic Church 3 427 8,6 These ancestors are not gods, but because Methodist Church 2 809 7,1 they play a key part in bringing about either Pentecostal/Charismatic good or ill fortune, maintaining good rela- Church 2 204 5,5 tions with them is vital and they have to Anglican Church 1 600 4,0 be appeased regularly by a variety of ritual Apostolic Faith Mission 1 124 2,8 Lutheran Church 1 051 2,6 offerings. Presbyterian Church 727 1,8 While an intimate knowledge of herbs and Bandla Lama Nazaretha 455 1,1 other therapeutic techniques as well as the Baptist Church 440 1,1 use of supernatural powers can be applied to Congregational Church 430 1,1 Orthodox Church 34 0,1 the benefit of the individual and the com- Other Apostolic churches 3 517 8,8 munity, some practitioners are masters of Other Zionists 2 159 5,4 black magic, creating fear among people. As a Ethiopian-type churches 801 2,0 result of close contact with Christianity, many Other Reformed churches 386 1,0 people find themselves in a transitional phase Other African Independent churches 229 0,6 somewhere between traditional African reli- Other Christian churches 1 264 3,2 gion and Christianity. Subtotal: Christian churches 30 051 75,5 Islam faith 554 1,4 Other religions Hindu faith 537 1,4 Judaists 68 0,2 Most Indians retained their Hindu religion African traditional belief 17 0,0 when they originally came to South Africa. Other faiths 194 0,5 Today, some two-thirds of South Africa’s Subtotal: Other religions 1 370 3,4 Indians are Hindus. No religion 4 639 11,7 The Muslim community in South Africa is Refused, other, not stated 3 747 9,4 Subtotal: Uncertain 8 386 21,1 small, but growing strongly. The major compo- Total population 39 807 100,00 nents are the Cape Malays, who are mainly descendants of Indonesian slaves, as well as Source: Statistics South Africa 20% of people of Indian descent. The Jewish

6 population is less than 100 000. Of these, the Consequently, the South African fishing in- majority are Orthodox Jews. dustry is centred on the west coast. Buddhism is barely organised in South Africa. The number of Parsees has decreased, while there is a small group of Jains in The coasts Durban. The Baha’i faith is establishing groups The coastline itself is an even, closed one with and temples in various parts of the country. few bays or indentations naturally suitable for harbours. The only ideal natural harbour along the coastline is Saldanha Bay on the The land west coast. But the area lacks fresh water and offers no natural lines of penetration to the The Republic of South Africa occupies the interior. southernmost part of the African continent, Most river mouths are unsuitable for use as stretching latitudinally from 22° to 35°S and harbours because large sand bars block entry longitudinally from 17° to 33°E. for most of the year. These bars are formed by Its surface area is 1 219 090 km2. It has com- the action of waves and currents, and by the mon boundaries with the republics of Namibia, intermittent flow, heavy sediment load and Botswana and Zimbabwe, while the Republic of steep gradients of most South African rivers. Mozambique and the Kingdom of Swaziland lie Only the largest rivers, such as the Orange to the north-east. Completely enclosed by and Limpopo, maintain narrow permanent South African territory in the south-east is the channels through the bars. For much the mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. same reasons, the country has no navigable To the west, south and east, South Africa rivers. borders on the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Isolated, 1 920 km south-east of Cape Town in the Atlantic, lie Prince Edward and Marion Relief features islands, annexed by South Africa in 1947. The surface area of South Africa falls into two major physiographic features: the interior plateau, and the land between the plateau The seas and the coast. Forming the boundary between South Africa is surrounded by the ocean on these two areas is the Great Escarpment, the The Land and its People three sides – to the west, south and east – most prominent and continuous relief feature and has a long coastline of about 3 000 km. of the country. Its height above sea level varies This coastline is swept by two major ocean from approximately 1 500 m in the dolerite- currents – the warm south-flowing Mozam- capped Roggeveld scarp in the south-west to bique-Agulhas Current and the cold Benguela. a height of 3 482 m in the KwaZulu-Natal The former skirts the east and south coasts as Drakensberg. far as Cape Agulhas, while the Benguela Inland from the escarpment lies the interior Current flows northwards along the west coast plateau, which is the southern continuation of as far as southern Angola. the great African plateau stretching north to The contrast in temperature between these the Sahara Desert. two currents partly accounts for important The plateau itself is characterised by wide differences in climate and vegetation between plains with an average height of 1 200 m the east and west coasts of South Africa. It above sea level. also accounts for big differences in marine Surmounting the plateau in places are a life. The cold waters of the west coast are number of well-defined upland blocks. The much richer in oxygen, nitrates, phosphates dissected Lesotho plateau, which is more and plankton than those of the east coast. than 3 000 m above sea level, is the most

7 South Africa Yearbook 2002/03

prominent. In general, the escarpment forms cities of the other eight provinces, the average the highest parts of the plateau. rainfall is highest during summer. Between the Great Escarpment and the South Africa’s rainfall is unreliable and coast lies an area which varies in width from unpredictable. Large fluctuations in the average 80 to 240 km in the east and south to a mere annual figure are the rule rather than the 60 to 80 km in the west. At least three major exception in most areas of the country. Years subdivisions can be recognised: the eastern when a below-average figure is recorded are plateau slopes, the Cape folded belt and adja- more common than years with an above- cent regions, and the western plateau slopes. average total. South Africa is periodically afflicted by drastic and prolonged droughts, which often end in severe floods. Climatic features The subtropical location, on either side of 30˚S, accounts for the warm temperate Temperatures conditions so typical of South Africa, making it Temperature conditions in South Africa are a popular destination for foreign tourists. characterised by three main features. Firstly, The country also falls squarely within the temperatures tend to be lower than in other subtropical belt of high pressure, making it regions at similar latitudes, for example dry, with an abundance of sunshine. Australia. This is due primarily to the greater The wide expanses of ocean on three sides elevation above sea level of the subcontinent. of South Africa have a moderating influence Secondly, despite a latitudinal span of on its climate. More apparent, however, are 13 degrees, average annual temperatures are the effects of the warm Agulhas and cold remarkably uniform throughout the country. Benguela currents along the east and west Owing to the increase in the height of the coasts respectively. While Durban (east coast) plateau towards the north-east, there is hard- and Port Nolloth (west coast) lie more or less ly any increase in temperature from south to on the same latitude, there is a difference of north as might be expected. at least 6˚C in their mean annual tempera- The third feature is the striking contrast tures. between temperatures on the east and west Gale-force winds are frequent on the coasts. Temperatures above 32°C are fairly coasts, especially in the south-western and common in summer, and frequently exceed southern coastal areas. 38°C in the lower Orange River valley and the Mpumalanga Lowveld.

Rainfall South Africa has an average annual rainfall of Frost, humidity and fog 464 mm, compared with a world average of Frost often occurs on the interior plateau 860 mm. About 20% of the country has a total during cold, clear winter nights, with ice annual rainfall of less than 200 mm, 48% forming on still pools and in water pipes. The between 200 and 600 mm, while only about frost season is longest (from April to October) 30% records more than 600 mm. In total, 65% over the eastern and southern plateau areas of the country has an annual rainfall of less bordering on the Escarpment. Frost decreas- than 500 mm – usually regarded as the es to the north, while the coast is virtually absolute minimum for successful dry-land frost-free. Average annual relative humidity farming. readings show that, in general, the air is In Cape Town, the capital city of the driest over the western interior and the Western Cape, the average rainfall is highest plateau. Along the coast, the humidity is in the winter months, while in the capital much higher and at times may rise to 85%.

8 Low stratus clouds and fog frequently occur provinces are the Western Cape, the Eastern over the cool west coast, particularly during Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, the Northern Cape, Free summer. The only other area that commonly State, North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga experiences fog is the ‘mist belt’ along the and Limpopo (formerly tha Northern Province. eastern foothills of the Escarpment. (See chapter: Tourism.)

Sunshine Western Cape South Africa is famous for its sunshine. The Western Cape is situated on the south- Generally speaking, April and May are the western tip of the African continent. It is a most pleasant months. The rainy season over region of majestic mountains, well-watered the summer-rainfall region has then ended, valleys, wide, sandy beaches and breathtaking while it has not yet really started in the winter- scenery. rainfall area. The hot summer weather has The cold Atlantic Ocean along the west abated, and the winds are lighter than during coast is a rich fishing area, while the warmer the rest of the year. Indian Ocean skirts the province’s southern In certain areas, however, notably the hot, beaches. humid KwaZulu-Natal coast, Mpumalanga Visitors to the Western Cape can disembark and Limpopo, June and July are the ideal holi- at Cape Town International Airport or at the Port day months. of Cape Town in the shadow of Table Mountain. A network of roads also leads to Cape Town, the capital, also known as the Mother City. The provinces Other important towns in the province include Vredenburg-Saldanha, an important In terms of the Constitution of South Africa, harbour for iron exports and the fishing indus- the country is divided into nine provinces, try; Worcester and Stellenbosch in the heart of each with its own Legislature, Premier and the winelands; George, renowned for indige- provincial members of executive councils. The nous timber and vegetable produce; Oudts- provinces each have their own distinctive hoorn, known for its ostrich products and the landscapes, vegetation and climate. The world-famous Cango Caves; and Beaufort West on the dry, sheep-farming plains of the The Land and its People Great Karoo. Western Cape The Western Cape boasts one of the six Capital: Cape Town accepted floral kingdoms of the world. Principal languages: Afrikaans 58% Although the smallest of them all, the Western English 20% Cape floral kingdom, locally called fynbos, isiXhosa 19,1% contains more plant species than the whole Population: 4,3 million Area (km2): 129 386 of Europe. These include the world-famous % of total area: 10,6% proteas and heathers. GGP at current prices (1994): R81,800 million The Knysna-Tsitsikamma region has the % of total GDP: 14,21% country’s biggest indigenous forests. This is a *GGP (gross geographical product) = GDP of a region fairyland of age-old forest giants, ferns and ** GDP (gross domestic product) colourful birdlife. Products of the forests include furniture made from the indigenous yellowwood, stinkwood and white pear, which are sought-after pieces. The tourism sector is perceived as the most important growth force in the Western Cape.

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The people while racehorse-breeding is another impor- More than four million people live in the tant industry. Western Cape on 129 386 km2 of land. The The west coast of the province is washed by majority of them are Afrikaans-speaking, while the cold Benguela Current. The plankton-rich the other main languages are English and Current is considered to be one of the world’s isiXhosa. The Western Cape has the highest richest fishing grounds. This resource is pro- adult education level in the country, with only tected against over-fishing by foreign vessels 6,7% of people aged 20 years or older having by means of a 200-km commercial fishing undergone no schooling. The province has a zone and a strict quota system. strong network of higher educational institu- It is for the exclusive utilisation of local tions. inhabitants, and creates jobs for about 27 000 people who are directly dependent on Agriculture and marine fishery the fishing industry. The Western Cape is rich in agriculture and The province is well-known for its wide fisheries. variety of sea-foods offered at restaurants The sheltered valleys between the moun- dotted along the scenic coastline. Snoek, tains provide ideal conditions for the cultiva- Cape lobster, abalone, calamari, octopus, oys- tion of top-grade fruits, such as apples, table ters and mussels are among the most sought- grapes, olives, peaches and oranges. In the after piscatorial delights. eastern part of the Western Cape region, a great variety of vegetables is cultivated. Industry The province can be divided into three cli- The Western Cape makes the third-highest matic regions. The area around the Cape contribution to the country’s GDP. Peninsula and the Boland, further inland, is a An exciting development for the province winter-rainfall region with sunny, dry summers. and South Africa is the emergence of the Towards George, along the south coast, the first information communication technology climate gradually changes to year-round rain- cluster. fall, while inland, towards the more arid Great The head offices of all but one of South Karoo, the climate changes to summer rain- Africa’s petroleum companies are located in fall. Cape Town. The Western Cape is known as one of the The city also houses the head offices of world’s finest grape-growing regions. Many of many of South Africa’s insurance giants and its wines have received the highest ac- national retail chains. With over 170 000 people colades at international shows. The Klein employed in the clothing and textile industry, it Karoo region around Oudtshoorn, besides is the single most significant industrial source being famous for its Cango Caves, is the of employment in the Western Cape. centre of the ostrich-farming industry in The biggest segment of South Africa’s print- South Africa. Fine leatherware, ostrich feathers ing and publishing industry is also situated in and meat are exported from here to destina- Cape Town. tions all over the world. The Swartland district The official unemployment figure for the around Malmesbury and the Overberg around province, 18,4%, is substantially lower than Caledon form the bread basket of the country. that of most other parts of the country. The inland Karoo region around Beaufort While Epping, Parow, Retreat and Montagu West and the Bredasdorp district produce Gardens have been the core industrial areas wool and mutton, as well as pedigree merino in the past, new developments are arising in breeding stock. the Saldanha-Vredenburg area, as a spin-off Other animal products include broiler from the vast Saldanha Steel project. chickens, eggs, dairy products, beef and pork, The West Coast Investment Initiative, which

10 forms part of the government’s spatial devel- ideal setting for the Port of Port Elizabeth opment initiative (SDI) programme, was while there are also good harbour facilities at launched on 25 February 1998. East London. The province is serviced by three airports situated at Port Elizabeth, East London and Umtata. Eastern Cape The architecture of many of the cities and The Eastern Cape is the poorest province in towns reflects the rich heritage of the people. South Africa in terms of average monthly The capital is Bisho. Other important towns in expenditure, followed by Free State and the province include Uitenhage, which has Limpopo according to the Statistics South important motor vehicle-manufacturing and Africa report, Measuring Poverty in South related industries; King William’s Town, rich in Africa, released in September 2001. The early settler and military history; Grahamstown, wealthiest province was Gauteng, followed by also known as the City of Saints because of its the Western Cape. more than 40 churches; Graaff-Reinet, with its The Eastern Cape, a land of undulating hills, interesting collection of historic buildings; endless sweeps of sandy beaches, majestic Cradock, the hub of the Central Karoo; Stutter- mountain ranges and emerald green forests, heim, the forestry centre of the province; Aliwal is in surface the second largest of the nine North, famous for its hot sulphur springs; and provinces. Port St Johns, the largest town on the Wild The region boasts a remarkable natural Coast. diversity, ranging from the dry desolate Great In the Eastern Cape, various floral habitats Karoo to the lush forests of the Wild Coast and meet. Along the coast, the northern tropical the Keiskamma Valley, the fertile Langkloof, forests intermingle with the more temperate renowned for its rich apple harvests, and the woods of the south. This makes for an inter- mountainous southern Drakensberg region at esting forest habitat of various species Elliot. endemic to this region alone. The main feature of the Eastern Cape is its Age-old forests occur at Keiskammahoek, astonishing coastline lapped by the Indian Dwesa, Port St Johns and Bathurst; dune Ocean. With its long stretches of undisturbed forests are found at Alexandria; and man- sandy beaches, rocky coves, secluded lagoons groves along the Wild Coast. and towering cliffs, the coastline provides the Rolling grasslands dominate the eastern The Land and its People province with a rich natural tourist attraction. interior of the province, while the western The graceful curve of Algoa Bay provides an central plateau is savanna bushveld. The northern inland is home to the aromatic succulent Karoo. Eastern Cape Capital: Bisho The people Principal languages: isiXhosa 83,8% With its seven million people, the Eastern Afrikaans 9,6% English 3,7% Cape has the third-largest provincial popula- Population: 7,0 million tion, living on about 169 600 km2 of land. Area (km2): 169 580 The language spoken by most is isiXhosa, % of total area: 13,9% GGP at current prices (1994): R29,049 million followed by Afrikaans and English. % of total GDP: 7,59% The province has a number of tertiary insti- tutions. Despite the high quality of education- al facilities, 20,9% of those aged 20 years or older have never received any schooling, while 4,7% have completed some form of higher education.

11 South Africa Yearbook 2002/03

Agriculture, fishing and forestry London) and the Coega IDZ. The latter, 20 km The Eastern Cape has excellent agricultural east of the Port Elizabeth-Uitenhage metropo- and forestry potential. The fertile Langkloof les, was the first IDZ to be earmarked and is valley in the south-west has enormous one of the biggest initiatives ever undertaken deciduous fruit orchards, while the Karoo in South Africa. Plans for the development of interior is an important sheep-farming area. the area as an export-orientated zone include Angora wool is also produced. the building of a deepwater port. The Alexandria-Grahamstown area produces The East London and Coega purpose-built pineapples, chicory and dairy products, while ports will undoubtedly position the Eastern coffee and tea are cultivated at Magwa. People Cape as one of the key competitive areas in in the former Transkei region are dependent on South Africa. (See chapter: Transport.) cattle, maize and sorghum farming. Extensive exotic forestry plantations in the high rainfall areas of Keiskammahoek provide KwaZulu-Natal employment for large numbers of the popula- Aptly called South Africa’s garden province, tion. The province is a summer-rainfall region this verdant region forms the east coast of with high rainfall along the coast, but becom- South Africa, stretching from Port Edward in ing gradually drier behind the mountain the south northwards to the Mozambique ranges into the Great Karoo. boundary. It is a province with a subtropical The Eastern Cape fishing industry generates coastline, sweeping savanna in the east and about R200 million a year. The basis of the the magnificent Drakensberg mountain range fishing industry is squid, some recreational in the west. The warm Indian Ocean washing and commercial fishing for line fish, some col- its beaches makes it one of the country’s lecting of marine resources, and access to most popular holiday destinations. line-catches of hake. Visitors to KwaZulu-Natal can either disem- bark at Durban International Airport or the Industry Durban Harbour, or make use of the extensive The metropolitan economies of Port Elizabeth national road network. and East London are based primarily on man- Durban is one of the fastest-growing urban ufacturing, the most important being motor areas in the world. Its port is the busiest in manufacturing. The province is the hub of South Africa and also one of the 10 largest in South Africa’s automotive industry. the world. The province contributes approximately KwaZulu-Natal is the only province with a R30 billion to national GDP and is widely monarchy specifically provided for in its regarded as having the potential to substan- Constitution. tially increase this contribution as South Africa Pietermaritzburg and Ulundi are joint moves towards an export-led industrial strategy. capitals of the province because of the coali- With two harbours and three airports offer- tion government in the provincial legislature. ing direct flights to the main centres, and an Other important towns include Richards Bay, excellent road and rail infrastructure, the an important coal export harbour, and province has been earmarked as a key area many coastal holiday resorts, such as Port for growth and economic development. Shepstone, Umhlanga Rocks and Margate. In To facilitate integrated planning sensitive to the interior, Newcastle is well-known for steel the environment, the province is implementing production and coal-mining, Estcourt for meat a consultative process involving community processing, and Ladysmith and Richmond participation. It includes the Fish River SDI, the for mixed agriculture. The KwaZulu-Natal Wild Coast SDI, and two industrial develop- coastal belt yields sugar cane, wood, oranges, ment zones (IDZs), namely the West Bank (East bananas, mangoes and other tropical fruit.

12 Some of South Africa’s best-protected relatively poorly skilled labour force. The indigenous coastal forests are found along economy therefore experiences a shortage the subtropical coastline of KwaZulu-Natal, of skilled human resources. The official for example, at Dukuduku and Kosi Bay. It is unemployment figure for the province is also along this coast that the magnificent St 25,9%. Lucia Estuary and Kosi Bay lakes are located. In 1999, the Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park Agriculture and industry was declared a World Heritage Site. KwaZulu-Natal, with its key strength in trade Separating KwaZulu-Natal from the moun- and logistics infrastructure, is the second tain Kingdom of Lesotho, the Drakensberg highest contributor to South Africa’s GDP. runs 200 km along the western boundary of The Port of Durban handles over 55 mil- the province. lion tons of cargo per year. Despite the The northern part of the province, south impressive volume of trade, improving the of the Swaziland border, is typical African managerial capacity and efficiency of opera- savanna, providing a natural backdrop for its tions in the Port remains a challenge. rich wildlife, protected in several game parks. This is reflected in the small number of containers handled per hour in the Port – The people 17 per hour – while Singapore for example KwaZulu-Natal has the largest population in handles 85 containers per hour. As this Port the country with some nine million people plays such a crucial role in the South African living on 92 100 km2 of land. The principal economy, it will be the first concession of a language spoken is isiZulu, followed by container terminal in the country. English and Afrikaans. Remnants of British Heavy minerals are mined at Richards Bay colonialism together with Zulu, Indian and in KwaZulu-Natal. In recent times, the Afrikaans traditions make for an interesting province has undergone rapid industrialisa- cultural mix in the province. tion owing to its abundant water supply and Among its assets, the province counts sev- labour resources. Industries are found in eral universities, technikons and various Newcastle, Ladysmith, Dundee, Richards Bay, other educational institutions. However, Durban, Hammarsdale, Richmond, Pieter- almost 23% of adults in the province have maritzburg and Mandeni. received no schooling. KwaZulu-Natal has a The sugar-cane plantations along the The Land and its People Indian Ocean coastal belt form the mainstay of the economy and agriculture of the region. The coastal belt is also a large producer of KwaZulu-Natal subtropical fruit, while the farmers in the Capital: (Joint capitals) Pietermaritzburg and Ulundi hinterland concentrate on vegetable, dairy Principal languages: isiZulu 79,8% and stock-farming. Another major source of English 15,8% Afrikaans 1,6% income is forestry in the areas around Population: 9,1 million Vryheid, Eshowe, Richmond, Harding and Area (km2): 92 100 Ngome. Ngome also has tea plantations. % of total area: 7,6% The summer-rainfall coastal regions of this GGP at current prices (1994): R57,007 million % of total GDP: 14,90 province are hot and humid with a subtro- pical climate. The KwaZulu-Natal Midlands between the coastal strip and the southern Drakensberg Escarpment are drier with extremely cold conditions in winter and snow on the high-lying ground. In the north, the subtropical strip extends further around

13 South Africa Yearbook 2002/03

the Kingdom of Swaziland, to the edge of the Aar, hub of the South African railway network; Escarpment. Sutherland, the coldest town in the country; There is a huge gap between the urban and and the sheep-farming towns of Carnarvon, rural per capita income of people in KwaZulu- Colesberg, Kenhardt and Prieska. Natal. The province currently employs less Apart from a narrow strip of winter-rainfall than half of the potential labour force in the area along the coast, the Northern Cape is a formal economy, resulting in a high level of semi-arid region with little rainfall in summer. migration to Gauteng. The weather conditions are extreme – cold and frosty in winter, and extremely high tem- peratures in summer. Northern Cape The largest part of the province falls within The Northern Cape lies to the south of its the Nama-Karoo biome with a vegetation of most important asset, the mighty Orange low shrubland and grass, and trees limited to River, which provides the basis for a healthy water courses. The area is known world-wide agriculture industry. The landscape is charac- for its spectacular display of spring flowers terised by vast arid plains with outcroppings which, for a short period every year, attracts of haphazard rock piles. The cold Atlantic thousands of tourists. Ocean forms the western boundary. This biome is home to many wonderful This region covers the largest area of all the plant species, such as the elephant’s trunk provinces and has the smallest population. (halfmens), tree aloe (kokerboom) and a vari- The major airports are situated at Kimberley, ety of succulents. the capital, and Upington. The Northern Cape The province has several national parks and is serviced by an excellent road network, conservation areas. The Kalahari Gemsbok which makes its interior easily accessible National Park, together with the Gemsbok from South Africa’s major cities, harbours and National Park in Botswana, is Africa’s first airports. transfrontier game park, known as the Important towns are Upington, centre of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. It is one of the karakul sheep and dried fruit industries, and largest nature conservation areas in southern the most northerly wine-making region in Africa and one of the largest remaining South Africa; Springbok in the heart of the protected natural ecosystems in the world. The Namaqualand spring-flower country; Kuru- Park provides unfenced access to a variety of man founded by the missionary Moffat; De game between South Africa and Botswana and has a surface area of more than two million hectare (ha). Northern Cape Nowhere is the Orange River more impres- sive than at the Augrabies Falls, which ranks Capital: Kimberley Principal languages: Afrikaans 69,3% among the world’s greatest cataracts on a Setswana 19,9% major river. The Augrabies Falls National Park isiXhosa 6,3% was established to preserve this natural wonder. Population: 0,9 million Area (km2): 361 830 % of total area: 29,7% The people GGP at current prices (1994): R8,000 million The Northern Cape is sparsely populated and % of total GDP: 2,09% houses some 873 000 people on 361 830 km2 of land. About 69% of the people speak Afrikaans. Other languages spoken are Setswana, isiXhosa and English. The last remaining true San (Bushman) people live in the Kalahari area of the North-

14 ern Cape. The whole area, especially along the Springbok and Aggenys. The province is also Orange and Vaal rivers, is rich in San rock rich in asbestos, manganese, fluorspar, semi- engravings. A good collection can be seen at precious stones and marble. the McGregor Museum in Kimberley. The province is also rich in fossils. Free State Agriculture and industry The Free State lies in the heart of South Africa, The Northern Cape is an important contribu- with the Kingdom of Lesotho nestling in the tor to South Africa’s primary production and hollow of its bean-like shape. Between the has considerable potential for the beneficia- Vaal River in the north and the Orange River in tion of these primary commodities. the south, this immense rolling prairie The province displays a tremendous growth stretches as far as the eye can see. in value-added activities including game The capital, Bloemfontein, has a well-estab- farming. lished institutional, educational and adminis- Food production and processing for the trative infrastructure, and houses the local and export market is growing signifi- Supreme Court of Appeal. The province has a cantly. well-known university and many other training Underpinning the growth and development institutions. plan of the province are the investment pro- Important towns include Welkom, the heart jects that link up with the existing plans of the of the gold-fields and one of the few com- Namaqua Development Corridor. The focus is pletely pre-planned cities in the world; on the beneficiation and export of sea prod- Odendaalsrus, another gold-mining town; ucts. Sasolburg, which owes its existence to the The economy of a large part of the petrol-from-coal installation established there; Northern Cape, the interior Karoo, depends on Kroonstad, an important agricultural, adminis- sheep-farming, while the karakul pelt industry trative and educational centre; Parys on the is one of the most important in the Gordonia banks of the Vaal River; Phuthaditjhaba, well district of Upington. known for the beautiful handcrafted items The province has fertile agricultural land. In produced by the local people; and Bethlehem, the Orange River Valley, especially at Upington, gateway to the Eastern Highlands of the Free Kakamas and Keimoes, grapes and fruit are State. The Land and its People intensively cultivated. Wheat, fruit, peanuts, The road network density of the province is maize and cotton are produced at the the third-highest in the country. The national Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme near Warrenton. road, which is the artery between Gauteng and the Western and Eastern Cape, passes Mining through the middle of the Free State. The Northern Cape is rich in minerals. The country’s chief diamond pipes are found in The people the Kimberley district. In 1888, the diamond The Free State is the third-largest province in industry was formally established with the South Africa, but it has the second-smallest creation of De Beers Consolidated Mines. population and the second-lowest population Alluvial diamonds are also extracted from the density. It houses some 2,8 million people on beaches and sea between Alexander Bay and about 129 480 km2 of land. The main lan- Port Nolloth. guages spoken are Sesotho and Afrikaans. The Sishen Mine near Kathu is the biggest Some 16% of people aged 20 years or older source of iron ore in South Africa, and the have received no schooling. The official copper mine at Okiep is one of the oldest unemployment rate according to Statistics mines in the country. Copper is also mined at South Africa is 23,3%.

15 South Africa Yearbook 2002/03

Many of the towns display a mix of culture the country’s potato yield comes from the clearly evident in street names, public build- high-lying areas of the Free State. ings, monuments and museums. Dressed sandstone buildings abound on the Eastern Mining Highlands, while beautifully decorated Sotho The Free State contributes about 16,5% to houses dot the grasslands. Some of South South Africa’s total mineral output. Africa’s most valued San rock art is found in The mining industry is the biggest em- the Free State. The districts of Bethlehem, ployer in the Free State and is responsible Ficksburg, Ladybrand and Wepener have for some 22,6% of GGP of the province. remarkable collections of this art form. Investment opportunities are substantial in productivity-improvement areas for mining Agriculture and related products and services. This summer-rainfall region can be extremely South Africa is the world’s largest producer cold during the winter months, especially of gold. A more than 400-km long gold reef, towards the eastern mountainous regions known as the Goldfields, stretches across where temperatures can drop as low as 9,5˚C. Gauteng and the Free State, the largest gold- The western and southern areas are semi- mining complex being Free State Consolidated desert. Goldfields with a mining area of 32 918 ha. Known as the ‘granary of the country’, the Some 82% of the region’s mineral produc- Free State has cultivated land covering tion value is derived from this activity, primarily 3,2 million ha, while natural veld and grazing in the Goldfields region, which comprises the cover 8,7 million ha. districts of Odendaalsrus, Virginia and Welkom. Field crops yield almost two-thirds of the Roughly 30% of South Africa’s gold is obtained gross agricultural income of the province. from this region, and the province qualifies for Animal products contribute a further 30%, fifth position as a global producer. with the balance coming from horticulture. The Harmony Gold Refinery situated in Ninety percent of the country’s cherry crop Virginia is allowed to sell one-third of its total is produced in the Ficksburg district, while the annual gold production to jewellery manufac- two largest asparagus canning factories are turers, and has the facilities to ensure that the also situated in this district. Soya, sorghum, correct quality is maintained at all times. sunflowers and wheat are cultivated, especial- Harmony Gold Refinery and Rand Refinery are ly in the eastern Free State, where farmers the only two gold refineries in South Africa. specialise in seed production. About 40% of Gold-mines in the Free State also supply a substantial portion of the total silver produc- tion of the country, while considerable con- Free State centrations of uranium occurring in the gold- Capital: Bloemfontein bearing conglomerates of the gold-fields are Principal languages: Sesotho 62,1% Afrikaans 14,5% extracted as a by-product. isiXhosa 9,4% Bituminous coal is mined in the province Population: 2,8 million and converted to petrochemicals at Sasolburg. 2 Area (km ): 129 480 Diamonds from this region, extracted from % of total area: 10,6% GGP at current prices (1994): R23,688 million kimberlite pipes and fissures, are of a high % of total GDP: 6,19% quality. The largest deposit of bentonite in the country occurs in the Koppies district.

Manufacturing The Free State, best known for its maize pro-

16 duction has, in the last decade, reduced its Most economic activity is concentrated in dependency on the primary sector, and has the Southern Region (between Potchef- become a manufacturing economy. stroom and Klerksdorp), Rustenburg and the Some 14% of the province’s manufacturing Eastern Region, where more than 83,3% of is classified as high-technology industries, GGP of the province is produced. which is the highest percentage of all the The Klerksdorp and Rustenburg regions provincial economies. together produce about 67% of the province’s This growth in high-tech industries is signif- GGP while covering 33% of the surface area. icant in the context of the changing contribu- Forty-eight percent of the province’s popula- tion of the gold-mining industry to the GGP. tion reside here. The province’s three-tier development strat- egy centres on competitiveness, empower- The people ment, capacity-building and beneficiation. Of the 3,6 million people in the North West, Manufacturing is the second-largest sector 65% live in the rural areas. In spite of its small in the regional economy. Among the most population, it is estimated that 9% of all the important activities are the chemical products poor people in the country live in the North manufactured by Sasol and the further bene- West. The poverty rate is estimated at 57%. As ficiation of agricultural products. A wide vari- far as educational attainment and skills avail- ety of industries have developed around the ability are concerned, the North West lags production of basic chemicals from coal. behind the South African average. The literacy rate is in the region of 57%. As part of the Department of Education’s proposed plans North West for higher education, the existing four higher North West is centrally located in the subcon- learning institutions will be merged to form tinent with direct road and rail links to all of two. the southern African countries and its own airport. The province borders on Botswana Mining and is fringed by the Kalahari desert in the Although the platinum province is the third- west and the Witwatersrand area in the east. slowest contributor to South Africa’s GDP, it is The province is divided into five regions, the dominant province in mineral sales. namely the Central, Bophirima (towards the Mining contributes 35,5% to the economy The Land and its People west), Southern, Rustenburg and Eastern and 17,8% of total employment in the North regions. West. It makes up 15,5% of the mining GDP in South Africa. The North West is also the dom- inant province in mineral sales with a contri- North West bution of 17,8% to the South African mining Capital: Mafikeng sector. Diamonds are mined at Lichtenburg, Principal languages: Setswana 67,2% Afrikaans 7,5% Koster, Christiana and Bloemhof, while Orkney isiXhosa 5,4% and Klerksdorp have gold-mines. Population: 3,6 million The area surrounding Rustenburg and Brits Area (km2): 116 320 % of total area: 9,5% boasts the largest single platinum production GGP at current prices (1994): R21,252 million area in the world. Marble is also mined here. % of total GDP: 5,56% Fluorspar is exploited at Zeerust.

Manufacturing Manufacturing is almost exclusively depen- dant on the performance of a few sectors in which the province enjoys a competitive

17 South Africa Yearbook 2002/03

advantage. These are fabricated metals, food Gauteng and non-metallic metals. Although the smallest of the nine provinces, Manufacturing contributes 12,8% of the Gauteng (Sotho word for the Place of Gold) is province’s GDP and 9% of its employment the powerhouse of South Africa and the heart opportunities. of its commercial business and industrial It provides 1,6% of the South African manu- sectors. facturing sector’s contribution to GDP. It is the largest contributor to South Africa’s Industrial activity is centred around the towns GDP at 36,5%. of Brits, Klerksdorp, Vryburg and Rustenburg. The three most important sectors con- The Brits industries concentrate mostly on tributing to the GGP are financial and busi- manufacturing and construction, while those ness services, logistics and communication at Klerksdorp are geared towards the mining and mining. industry, and those at Vryburg and Rusten- The growth and development plans for the burg towards agriculture. province are underpinned by the Blue IQ pro- Manufacturing is almost exclusively depen- jects. dent on the performance of a few sectors in These consist of 11 different mega projects which the province enjoys a competitive in economic infrastructure development in advantage. These are fabricated metals (51%), the areas of technology, tourism, transport the food sector (18%) and non-metallic metals and high value-added manufacturing. (21%). The aim is to attract some R100 billion in The Platinum SDI can unlock further devel- direct investment in the next 10 years. In opment. It is situated on the Coast-to-Coast excess of R2 billion has already been allo- highway that links the Port of Maputo in cated by the Gauteng Provincial Government Mozambique to Walvis Bay in Namibia. to facilitate these investment projects. Approximately 200 potential project oppor- Gauteng’s main cities are Johannesburg, tunities in tourism, manufacturing, agriculture the largest city in southern Africa and Pretoria, and mining have been identified. the administrative capital. The province blends cultures and colours Agriculture and first and third-world traditions into a spir- Agriculture in the North West is the second ited mix that is flavoured by many foreign most important sector, contributing about influences. 8,6% to provincial GDP and 16,7% to employ- Gauteng’s primary attraction is business ment. Some 5,3% of the South African GDP in opportunity, but there is more to this province. agriculture and 16,96% of total labour in agri- There is a wealth of culture to be found in the culture are based in the North West. museums, galleries, art routes and historical The province is an important food basket in battlefields. South Africa. Maize and sunflowers are the Most overseas visitors enter South Africa via most important crops. The North West is Johannesburg International Airport. the biggest producer of white maize in the Johannesburg, also nicknamed Egoli (place country. of gold), is the capital of the province and is a Some of the largest cattle herds in the city of contrasts. Mine dumps and headgear world are found at Stellaland near Vryburg, stand proudly as symbols of its rich past, which explains why this area is often referred while modern architecture rubs shoulders to as the ‘Texas of South Africa’. Marico is with examples of 19th century engineering also cattle country. The areas around prowess. Gleaming skyscrapers contrast with Rustenburg and Brits are fertile mixed-crop Indian bazaars and African muti (medicine) farming land. shops, where traditional healers dispense advice and traditional medicine.

18 The busy streets ring out with the call of Johannesburg, and the town planners had the fruit sellers and street vendors. An exciting foresight to include an abundance of open blend of ethnic and western art and cultural spaces. Pretoria has more than 100 parks, activities is reflected in theatres and open-air including bird sanctuaries and nature reserves. arenas throughout the city. An air of history pervades much of central South of Johannesburg is Soweto, a city Pretoria, especially Church Square, around developed as a township for black people which the city has grown. Many buildings of under the apartheid system. Most of the historical and architectural importance have struggle against apartheid was fought in and been retained or restored to their former from Soweto. Soweto is estimated to be splendour. inhabited by over two million people with North of Pretoria is the industrial area of homes ranging from extravagant mansions to Rosslyn and the township of Soshanguve. To makeshift shacks. Soweto is a city of enter- the east is Cullinan, known for its diamonds. prise and cultural interaction. It is a popular Other important Gauteng towns include tourist destination with sites such as Krugersdorp and Roodepoort on the West Kliptown where the Freedom Charter was Rand, and Germiston, Springs, Boksburg, drawn up, the home of former President Benoni, Brakpan and Kempton Park on the Nelson Mandela, the Hector Petersen East Rand. The hominid sites at Swartkrans, Memorial site, restaurants and shopping Sterkfontein and Kromdraai (also known malls. It boasts one of the largest hospitals on as the Cradle of Humankind) are a World the continent. Heritage Site. Some 50 km north of Johannesburg lies Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging in the south Pretoria. of the province are major industrial centres, As administrative capital of the Republic, while Heidelberg, Nigel and Bronkhorstspruit the city is dominated by government services to the east are important agricultural areas. and the diplomatic corps of foreign represen- Although the province is highly urbanised tatives in South Africa. and industrialised, it contains wetlands of Pretoria is renowned for its colourful international importance, such as Blesbok- gardens, shrubs and trees, particularly beauti- spruit near Springs. ful in spring when the some 50 000 jacaran- das envelop the avenues in mauve. The city The people The Land and its People developed at a more sedate pace than Gauteng is the most densely populated province in South Africa. It houses more than seven million of the country’s people. The Gauteng level of urbanisation is 97%. Gauteng has the most important edu- Capital: Johannesburg Principal languages: isiZulu 21,5% cational and health centres in the country. Afrikaans 16,7% Pretoria boasts the largest residential uni- English 13% versity in South Africa, the University of Population: 8,0 million Area (km2): 17 010 Pretoria, and what is believed to be the largest % of total area: 1,4% correspondence university in the world, the GGP at current prices (1994): R144,359 million University of South Africa (UNISA). % of total GDP: 37,73% Another attribute of Pretoria is the number of scientific institutes in and around the city, for example the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute and the South African Bureau of Standards.

19 South Africa Yearbook 2002/03

Only some 9,5% of adults in the province ground-nuts, sunflowers, cotton and sorghum have received no schooling. are produced. Johannesburg has two residential universi- This summer-rainfall area has hot summers ties. There are several teacher training and cold winters with frost. Hail is common colleges, technical colleges and technikons in during the summer thunderstorms. the province. Many of the existing technikons, Gauteng is an integrated industrial complex satellite university campuses and universities with major areas of economic activity in five will merge as part of the Department of subregional areas, namely the Vaal Triangle, Education’s proposed plan for higher edu- the East, West and Central Rand, and Pretoria. cation. The Vaal Triangle has a strong manufacturing More than 60% of South Africa’s research sector; the West Rand concentrates on and development takes place in Gauteng. primary mining, and the Central Witwatersrand is dominated by the manufacturing and Manufacturing finance sectors, with mining capital playing a The manufacturing sector in Gauteng has major role. All sectors rely heavily on the Vaal over 9 300 firms, employing more than Dam on the Vaal River, from where water is 600 000 people. Gross annual output exceeds piped across the province. R50 billion and is expected to grow signifi- Gauteng has a greater proportion of its cantly as international markets open up. labour force in professional, technical, mana- Industries that have contributed significantly gerial and executive positions than any other to this output are basic iron and steel; fabri- province. cated and metal products; food; machinery, Johannesburg houses the JSE Securities electrical machinery, appliances and electri- Exchange, the largest in Africa. cal supplies; vehicle parts and accessories, The province’s economic magnetism draws and chemical products. a large inflow of migrant labour from poorer regions in the country. It is the province with Technology the highest per capita income. The economy of the province is being re- aligned to move away from traditional heavy industry markets and low value-added pro- Mpumalanga duction towards sophisticated high value- Mpumalanga means ‘place where the sun added production, particularly in information rises’. It is bordered by Mozambique and technology, telecommunications and other Swaziland in the east, and Gauteng in the high-tech industries. The burgeoning ‘high- west. It is situated mainly on the high plateau tech’ corridor in Midrand (halfway between grasslands of the Middleveld, which roll east- Pretoria and Johannesburg) is the most wards for hundreds of kilometres. In the rapidly developing area in the country. north-east, it rises towards mountain peaks and then terminates in an immense Escarpment. In some places, this Escarpment Agriculture and industry plunges hundreds of metres down to the low- Gauteng’s agricultural sector is geared to pro- lying area known as the Lowveld. vide the cities and towns of the province with The area has a network of excellent roads daily fresh produce, including dairy products, and railway connections, making it highly vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs and flowers. accessible. Because of its popularity as a A large area of the province falls within the tourist destination, Mpumalanga is also so-called maize triangle. The districts of served by a number of small airports. Bronkhorstspruit, Cullinan and Heidelberg The province also boasts the Kruger hold important agricultural land, where Mpumalanga International Airport that

20 was opened in October 2002. Scheduled The province falls mainly within the grass- flights that had gone to the airports at land biome. The Escarpment and the Lowveld Nelspruit or Skukuza now land at the new form a transitional zone between this grass- Airport. land area and the savanna biome. Long Nelspruit is the capital of the province and sweeps of undulating grasslands abruptly the administrative and business centre of the change to the thickly forested ravines and Lowveld. Witbank is the centre of the local thundering waterfalls of the Escarpment, only coal-mining industry; Standerton, in the south, to change again to present the subtropical is renowned for its large dairy industry; Piet wildlife splendour of the Lowveld. Retief in the south-east is a production area Sabie and Graskop provide a large part of for tropical fruit and sugar, while a large sugar the country’s total requirement for fore- industry is also found at Malelane in the east; stry products. These forestry plantations Ermelo is the district in South Africa that pro- are an ideal backdrop for ecotourism duces the most wool; Barberton is one of the opportunities, with a variety of popular oldest gold-mining towns in South Africa; and hiking trails, a myriad of waterfalls, patches Sabie is situated in the forestry heartland of of indigenous forest, and a variety of nature the country. reserves. The Maputo Corridor, which links the Lake Chrissie is the largest natural freshwa- province with Gauteng and Maputo in ter lake in South Africa, and is famous for its Mozambique, heralds a new era in terms of variety of aquatic birds, especially flamingos. economic development and growth for the region. The people As the first international toll road in Africa, Even though it is one of the smaller provinces the Corridor aims to attract investment, (some 79 490 km2 in surface area), Mpuma- unlock local economic potential of the land- langa has a population of about three million locked parts of the country and thus generate people. sustainable economic growth that will lead to Some 29% of those aged 20 years or older sustainable high-quality jobs. have not undergone any schooling, while the The best performing sectors in the province population growth rate is higher than the include mining, manufacturing and services. national average. The main languages spoken Tourism and agro-processing are potential are siSwati, isiZulu and isiNdebele. The Land and its People growth sectors in this province. Agriculture and forestry This is a summer-rainfall area divided by the Mpumalanga Escarpment into the Highveld region with cold Capital: Nelspruit frosty winters and the Lowveld region with Principal languages: siSwati 30% mild winters and a subtropical climate. isiZulu 25,4% The Escarpment area sometimes experi- isiNdebele 12,5% Population: 3,1 million ences snow on high ground. Thick mist is Area (km2): 79 490 common during the hot humid summers. % of total area: 6,5% An abundance of citrus fruit and many GGP at current prices (1994): R31,175 million % of total GDP: 8,15% other subtropical fruits – mangoes, avocados, litchis, bananas, pawpaws, granadillas, guavas – as well as nuts and a variety of vegetables are produced here. Nelspruit is the second-largest citrus-pro- ducing area in South Africa. It is responsible for one-third of the country’s export in

21 South Africa Yearbook 2002/03

oranges. The Institute for Tropical and Sub- SDI and the N1 Corridor, which encompasses tropical Crops is situated here. agro-processing and mining beneficiation The natural forests of the area could not activities. Regional economic integration supply enough timber for the burgeoning takes the form of the ‘Golden Horse Shoe’, mining industry in the early days of gold- which aims to create a single reserve that will mining. Plantations of exotic trees, mainly arch from the Kruger National Park in the east pine, gum and Australian wattles, were estab- round to Botswana in the west. The culturally lished to supply wood for the mine props. and historically significant Mapungubwe site These trees did so well that the Sabie area will be included in this development initiative. became the biggest single region of forestry Limpopo is the gateway to the rest of Africa. plantations in South Africa. It is favourably situated for economic co- Groblersdal is an important irrigation area operation with other parts of southern Africa which yields a wide variety of products such as it shares borders with Botswana, Zimbabwe as citrus fruit, cotton, tobacco, wheat and and Mozambique. vegetables. Polokwane (formerly Pietersburg) is the Carolina-Bethal-Ermelo is sheep area. capital city and lies strategically in the centre Potatoes, sunflower seeds, maize and pea- of the province. nuts are also produced in this region. The Great North Road through the centre of the province strings together a series of inter- Industry esting towns. Bela-Bela (formerly Warmbaths), Mpumalanga is very rich in coal reserves. The with its popular mineral spa, is near the country’s biggest power stations, three of southern border of the province. which are the biggest in the southern hemi- Then, going north, follow Modimolle (for- sphere, are situated here. Unfortunately, these merly Nylstroom) with its table-grape industry cause the highest levels of air pollution in the and beautiful Waterberg range; Mokopane country. Secunda, where the country’s second (formerly Potgietersrus); Polokwane; Louis petroleum-from-coal installation is situated, is Trichardt at the foot of the Soutpansberg also located in this province. mountain range; and Musina (formerly One of the country’s largest paper mills is Messina), with its thick-set baobab trees. situated at Ngodwana, close to its timber The crossing into Zimbabwe is at Beit source. Middelburg produces steel and vana- Bridge, where the South African section of this dium, while Witbank is the biggest coal pro- important route north into Africa ends. ducer in Africa. Other important Limpopo towns include the major mining centres of Phalaborwa and Thabazimbi, and Tzaneen, producer of tea, Limpopo forestry products and tropical fruits. Limpopo lies within the great elbow of the The Maputo Corridor will link the province Limpopo River and is a province of dramatic directly with Maputo Port, creating develop- contrasts – from true Bushveld country to ment and trade opportunities, particularly in majestic mountains, primeval indigenous the south-eastern part of the province. forests, latter-day plantations, unspoilt wilder- This province is in the savanna biome, an ness areas and a patchwork of farming land. area of mixed grassland and trees, which is Limpopo has a strong rural basis. Its growth generally known as Bushveld. A trip through strategy centres on addressing infrastructure this summer-rainfall area soon convinces one backlogs, alleviation of poverty and social that this is tree country. development. The biggest section of the Kruger National Underpinning the growth and development Park is situated along the eastern boundary of strategies in the province are the Phalaborwa Limpopo with Mozambique.

22 The people Sunflowers, cotton, maize and peanuts are In Limpopo some 5,5 million people cultivated in the Bela-Bela-Modimolle area. live on about 123 910 km2 of land. The main Modimolle is also known for its table-grape languages spoken are Sepedi, Xitsonga, crops. Tshivenda and Afrikaans. Tropical fruit, such as bananas, litchis, Several museums and national monuments pineapples, mangoes and pawpaws, as well as bear testimony to ancient peoples and fear- a variety of nuts, are grown in the Tzaneen and less pioneers who braved the unknown in days Louis Trichardt areas. Extensive tea and coffee of yore. Living museums include the Bakone plantations create many employment oppor- Malapa Museum near Polokwane, where tunities in the Tzaneen area. Bapedi tribesmen practise age-old skills for Zebediela, one of the largest citrus estates the benefit of visitors, and the Tsonga Open-air in the country, is situated south of Polokwane. Museum near Tzaneen. Mapungubwe Hill The largest tomato farm in South Africa lies (Place of the Jackal), some 75 km from Musina, between Tzaneen and Louis Trichardt. used to be a natural fortress for the people Extensive forestry plantations are found in who inhabited it from about AD 950 to 1200. the Louis Trichardt and Tzaneen districts. Valuable archaeological discoveries, includ- Plantations of hard woods for furniture manu- ing many golden artefacts, have been made in facturing have also been established. this area, and also in the northern part of the Many of the rural people practise subsist- Kruger National Park. ence farming. The northern and eastern parts of this sum- Agriculture mer-rainfall region are subtropical with hot The Bushveld is cattle country. Controlled humid summers and mist in the mountainous hunting is often combined with ranching. parts. Winter throughout the province is mild and mostly frost-free.

Limpopo Industry Capital: Polokwane (formerly Pietersburg) Limpopo is rich in minerals, including copper, Principal languages: Sepedi 52,7% asbestos, coal, iron ore, platinum, chrome, Xitsonga 22,6% diamonds, phosphates and gold.

Tshivenda 15,5% The Land and its People Population: 5,7 million The province is a typical developing area, Area (km2): 123 910 exporting primary products and importing % of total area: 10,2% manufactured goods and services. It has a GGP at current prices (1994): R14,158 million % of total GDP: 3,70% high potential and capacity with the right kind of economic development, and is an attrac- tive location for investors. Resources such as tourism, rain-fed agriculture, minerals and the abundant labour force available in the province offer excellent investment opportuni- ties.

23 South Africa Yearbook 2002/03

Acknowledgements

Original text by Theuns and Heila van Rensburg Eastern Cape Provincial Government Estimates of National Expenditure 2002, published by the National Treasury Free State Provincial Government Gauteng Provincial Government KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government Limpopo Provincial Government Mpumalanga Provincial Government Northern Cape Provincial Government North West Provincial Government Pan South African Language Board Statistics South Africa Western Cape Provincial Government

Suggested reading

Atlas of Southern Africa and the World. Halfway House: Southern Book Publishing, 1992. Bekker, S. and others. Shifting African Identities. Pretoria: Human Sciences Research Council, 2001. Morrell, R. ed. Changing Man in Southern Africa. Pietermaritzburg: University of Natal Press, 2001. Deacon, H.H. and Deacon, J. Human Beginnings in South Africa. Uncovering the Secrets of the Stone Age. Cape Town: David Philip, 1999. De Gruchy, J.W. Christianity and Democracy. Cape Town: David Philip, 1995. De Gruchy, J.W. The Church Struggle in South Africa. Cape Town: David Philip, 1992. Du Toit, Z.B. Die Nuwe Toekoms: ‘n Perspektief op die Afrikaner by die Eeuwisseling. Pretoria: JP van der Walt, 1999. Elphick, R. and Davenport R., eds. Christianity in South Africa: A Political, Social and Cultural History. Cape Town: David Philip, 1997. Erasmus, Z. Coloured by History, Shaped by Place: New Perspectives on Coloured Identity in Cape Town. Cape Town: Kwela Books, 2001. Fodor’s South Africa: The Complete Guide to the Cities, Winelands and Game Parks, with Zimbabwe and Botswana. 2nd new edition. Compiler: A. Barbour. New York: Fodor’s Travel Publications, 1998. Fox, R. and Rowntree K. eds. The Geography of South Africa in a Changing World. Cape Town: Oxford University Press Southern Africa, 2000. Free State, The Winning Province. Johannesburg: Chris van Rensburg Publications, 1997. Gall, S. The Bushmen of Southern Africa: Slaughter of the Innocence. London: Chatto & Windus, 2001. Germond, P. and de Gruchy, S. Homosexuality and Christian Faith in South Africa. Cape Town: David Philip, 1997. Haldenwang, B.B. A Socio-demographic Profile of the Southern African Development Community Region. Stellenbosch: Institute for Futures Research, University of Stellenbosch, 1997. Illustrated Guide to the Game Parks and Nature Reserves of Southern Africa. 3rd ed. Cape Town: Reader’s Digest Association, 1997. James, W., Caliquire D. and Cullinan., K., eds. Now that we are Free: Coloured Communities in Democratic South Africa. Cape Town: IDASA, 1996. Jenkins, E.R., Raper, P.E. and Moller, L.A. Changing Place Names. Durban: Indicator Press, 1996. Katz, R. and others. Healing Makes Our Hearts Happy: Spirituality and Cultural Transformation Among the Kalahari Jul’hoansi. Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions International, 1997. Knobel, J. The Magnificent Natural Heritage of South Africa. Llandudno, South Africa: Sunbird Publishing, 1999. Lively, A. Masks: Bleakness, Race and the Imagination. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. Magubane, P. Vanishing Cultures of South Africa: Changing Customs in a Changing World. Cape Town: Struik, 1998. Moon, B.P. and Dardis, C.F. Geomorphology of Southern Africa. Halfway House: Southern Book Publishers, 1992. Preston-Whyte, R.A. and Tyson, P.D. Atmosphere and Weather of Southern Africa. Cape Town: Oxford University Press, 1989. Rogerson, C. and McCarthy, J. eds. Geography in a Changing South Africa: Progress and Prospects. Cape

24 Town: Oxford University Press, 1992.

Smith, A. and others. The Bushmen of Southern Africa: A Foraging Society in Transition. Cape Town: David Philip, 2000. Smith, A. and others. The Cape Herders: A History of the Khoikhoi of Southern Africa. Cape Town: David Philip, 2000. Simon, D. ed. South Africa in Southern Africa: Reconfiguring the Region. Editor: D. Simon. Oxford: James Currey; Cape Town: David Philip, 1998. Tyson, P.D. Climatic Change and Variability in Southern Africa. Cape Town: Oxford University Press, 1986. De Klerk, W. Afrikaners, Kroes, Kras, Kordaat. Cape Town: Human and Rousseau, 1999. Van Rooyen, J. The New Great Trek: The Story of South Africa’s White Exodus. Pretoria: University of South Africa, 2000. Van Zyl Slabbert, F. Afrikaner, Afrikaans. Cape Town: Tafelberg, 1999. Venter, L. In the Shadow of the Rainbow. Sandton: Heineman, 2001. Villa-Vicencio, C. Civil Disobedience and Beyond: Law, Resistance and Religion in South Africa. Cape Town: David Philip, 1990. The Land and its People

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