Transportation

Massive investment in transport and infrastructure is gearing the Northern Cape for growth.

The Northern Cape is a huge province but it is well served by transport links. Major national highways define the boundaries of the province: the West Coast Highway (N7); the N12 that runs along the province’s eastern edge and the N14 connecting the west with the east across the northern half of the province. The N8 conveniently links Kimberley to Bloemfontein and Maseru. The province has a good rail network (which it wants to improve) and two medium-sized airports that are growing in importance.

Only with regard to a deep-sea water port, is the province deficient. Port Nolloth, which is essentially a fishing harbour, is the province’s biggest facility. The Western Cape ports of Saldanha and Cape Town are used extensively for exporting mining, agricultural and manufactured products from the Northern Cape.

The improvement of the Northern Cape’s transport network and infrastructure is seen as central to growing and transforming the region’s economy. To this end, some R4.5-billion will be spent between 2009-2014 on infrastructure. This is over and above R787-billion that national government has put aside for infrastructure spending, a portion of which will obviously be spent in the Northern Cape.

The key agent for implementing these measures in the Northern Cape is the Department of Roads and Public Works (DRPW). Of the R738-million allocated to this department in the 2009/10 budget, R570-million will be spent on infrastructure, giving a clear indication of the priority given to this aspect. By 2012/13, the DRPW’s annual budget will have risen to R891-million.

Mega-projects identified within the province are the Kimberley Conference Centre (stalled as a result of contractor problems but soon to be revived), a major mentalhealth facility budgeted to cost R458-million (70% complete) and a new hospital for Upington. Not only will these projects be a stimulus to the economy in themselves, but also provide many jobs. The provincial government aims to create 100 000 jobs between 2009 and 2014.

Public transport priorities in the short term are the creation of safe and user-friendly taxi ranks and the distribution of bicycles as part of a rural mobility initiative. In 2009, 2 900 bicycles were given to schools around the province with a further 2 176 due to be handed out in 2010.

Roads

The size of the province means that its roads are vital to its economic well-being. The Northern Cape has 3 025 kilometres of paved road and 22 000 kilometres of gravel road, comprising 21% of the national road network. It has been estimated that between 40% and 50% of all roads need immediate repair or upgrading and the MEC for Roads and Public Works has called for ‘a major review of the funding model for road infrastructure’.

In the five years to 2009, the Northern Cape spent R1-billion on roads. In 2009/10, the provincial government will spend R459-million on the maintenance and building of roads. Some of the most important being near the Transfrontier Park in the north, Britstown-Vosburg and Barkly West-Hartswater, and supplying a good connection to the astronomical facilities near Carnarvon.

Rail

The Northern Cape has two of the most significant railway structures in South Africa: the junction at De Aar, which binds the whole western side of the country and the Sishen-Saldanha railway line. De Aar, already an important terminus, is being targeted as the site of a Freight Intermodal Terminal. A detailed proposal has been put to the provincial Freight Logistics Forum and a report is expected in the course of 2010. De Aar has 110km of rail lines.

The Sishen-Saldanha railway line is one of the technological wonders of the world, having broken a world record for the longest and heaviest train ever assembled. The line’s key task is to transport iron ore from Sishen in the Northern Cape to the port of Saldanha.

Transnet Freight Rail, which operates the line, has committed to an R8.7-billion upgrade to the rail corridor. This is to cater for increased volumes being produced by mining companies such as Assmang and Kumba Iron Ore. In July 2009, Transport Freight Rail reported that it had achieved a new record for weekly volumes – 919 000 tons.

Air

The Northern Cape’s two major airports, run by Airports Company South Africa, received expensive upgrades in 2008/09. The global recession accounted for a small decline in numbers arriving at both airports in 2008/09, but with successive previous percentage increases over three years of 17%, 13.6% and 14.3% (Kimberley) and 6.2%, 22.4% and 21.8% (Upington) it is clear that these two destinations are playing an increasingly important role in the economy of the province. In the case of Kimberley, this is particularly true of business travelers and tourism. Consideration is being given to developing a business park in the vicinity of the airport.

Upington airport has a varied and important role in the regional economy. With an especially long runway built to cater for transcontinental flights (at nearly 5km, the runway can accommodate space shuttles needing to make emergency landings), Upington is being mooted as a regional cargo hub. Currently, about a million tons of grapes pass through the airport, and good quantities of fruit and fish also form part of the cargo load. Tourists also use the airport for access to the Kgalagadi and Augrabies Falls National Parks and during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, arrangements were made so that planes that could not be catered for at the country’s biggest airports, could be parked at Upington between assignments. As it is situated in an area with clean desert air, the airport is suitable to be used as a facility for the longterm parking of mothballed aircraft. Airlink flies to Upington and charter company Walker Flying Services is based there.

Of all South Africa’s provinces, the Northern Cape probably has more good landing strips than any other. The Sishen airfield is a licensed aerodrome and serves the mining industry in the northeastern part of the province, while the Namakwa District Municipality has three good airstrips at Calvinia (a private field which is 1 250m long), Springbok and Alexander Bay. Gariep Dam airstrip is tarred and, with a 1 360m runway, it can cater for Learjets.