Socio-economic Assessment of SKA Phase 1 in South Africa Date: 24 January 2017 Prepared as part of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the Phase 1 of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope, South Africa Authors: Prof Doreen Atkinson, C2 NRF-rating Researcher, Department of Development Studies, NMMU and Trustee of the Karoo Development Foundation. Rae Wolpe, Managing Director of Impact Economix Adv Hendrik Kotze, Professor extraordinaire at the Africa Centre for Dispute Settlement (ACDS) at the University of Stellenbosch Business School With the assistance of: Sindisile Madyo, Local Economic Development Manager at Pixley ka Seme District Municipality (assistance with interviews and meetings) Caroline Poole, student at the University of Stellenbosch conducting her Master’s thesis on development in Vanwyksvlei (assistance with interviews and research) Lindile Fikizolo, Managing Director of Karoo Dynamics and Trustee of KDF (assistance with interviews and meetings) Peer-reviewed by: Prof Tony Leiman, Associate Professor at the School of Economics of the University of Cape Town (Environmental and resource economics; cost-benefit analysis; informal sector) Dr SW van der Merwe, Senior planner and manager of the Environmental planning department at Dennis Moss Partnership Dr Hugo van der Merwe, Transitional Justice Programme Manager at the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation in South Africa. Reviewed by: South African office of the SKA Edited by Paul Lochner, Project Leader of the SKA Phase 1 Strategic Environmental Assessment at the Council for scientific and Industrial Research Lydia Cape, Project Manager of the SKA Phase 1 Strategic Environmental Assessment at the Council for scientific and Industrial Research 1 | P a g e Key Abbreviations & Acronyms AAAs Astronomy Advantage Areas AGA Astronomy Geographic Advantage CSIR Council for Scientific and Industrial Research DEA Department of Environmental Affairs DST Department of Science and Technology EMI Electromagnetic Interference EMPr Environemntal Management Programme report FDI Foreign Direct Investment GG Government Gazette HartRAO Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory HCDP Human Capital Development Programme HDI Human Development Index ICASA Independent Communications Authority of South Africa ICT Information and Communication Technology IDP Integrated Development Plan km kilometre kVA kilo Volt-Ampere MHz Mega (million) Hertz NAMB National Artisan Moderating Board NRF National Research Foundation OFN Optic Fibre Networks PGDS Provincial Growth and Development Strategy PICC Presidential Infrastructure Coordination Commission RFI Radio Frequency Interference SALT Southern African Large Telescope, an optical telescope located in Sutherland SARAS South African Radio Astronomy Service SDF Spatial Development Framework SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment SIP Strategic Integrated Project SKA SA South African office of the SKA SKA Square Kilometre Array SKA1_MID SKA’s mid-frequency range SPLUMA Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) SRDs Short Range Devices (as defined by ICASA) SVC Science visitor Centre 2 | P a g e Table of contents Key Abbreviations & Acronyms............................................................................................................... 2 Table of contents .................................................................................................................................... 3 Summary ................................................................................................................................................. 7 I. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 11 II. Approach to the study .................................................................................................................. 12 1) Scope of work............................................................................................................................ 12 2) Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 13 a. Literature review ................................................................................................................... 13 b. Meetings and interviews with key stakeholders .................................................................. 13 c. Macroeconomic analysis ....................................................................................................... 14 d. Assessment report ................................................................................................................ 15 3) Study team ................................................................................................................................ 15 4) Use of scenarios in the assessment .......................................................................................... 16 5) Sources ...................................................................................................................................... 18 6) Methodological challenges ....................................................................................................... 18 III. Social and Economic trends in the Astro-Region ...................................................................... 19 1) Spatial delineation of the Astro-Region .................................................................................... 19 2) Social fabric of the Astro-Region ............................................................................................... 22 3) Agriculture sector...................................................................................................................... 27 4) Other sectors............................................................................................................................. 29 IV. Identification and assessment of impacts related to the SKA at international and national scale 31 1) National strategic context of the SKA ....................................................................................... 31 2) Macroeconomic impacts ........................................................................................................... 31 3) SKA institutional and funding context ...................................................................................... 36 4) National Innovation System through promotion of Big Data and skills.................................... 36 5) Technology development, exchange rates and commercialisation ......................................... 38 6) Human capacity development .................................................................................................. 40 V. Identification and assessment of impacts related to the SKA at regional and local scale ............ 48 1) Municipal planning in the Astro-Region ................................................................................... 48 2) Human capacity development in the Astro-Region .................................................................. 53 3 | P a g e a. SKA school programmes ....................................................................................................... 53 b. SKA technical skills training ................................................................................................... 57 c. Farm workers Programme .................................................................................................... 58 3) Local investments in the Astro-Region ..................................................................................... 59 4) Tourism in the Astro-Region ..................................................................................................... 68 5) Agriculture in the Astro-Region ................................................................................................ 72 6) Existing infrastructure and services in the Astro-Region .......................................................... 74 a. Telecommunication services and devices ............................................................................. 74 b. Aviation ................................................................................................................................. 82 c. Roads ..................................................................................................................................... 83 d. Housing ................................................................................................................................. 84 VI. Development trajectories of towns in the Astro-Region .......................................................... 85 1) Carnarvon .................................................................................................................................. 86 2) Vanwyksvlei ............................................................................................................................... 87 3) Brandvlei ................................................................................................................................... 88 4) Williston .................................................................................................................................... 88 5) Vosburg ..................................................................................................................................... 89 6) Loxton ......................................................................................................................................