Current Edition >> Archives Section >> Spot Coverage >> June 2001
FIGURES generally available about North West tell a story that somehow this province is missing the bus to fulfillment of potential. Undeniably the province, with inter alia, the world's largest platinum mines, an abundance of tourist attractions, classy universities and technikons, good agricultural production and closeness to Gauteng, has enormous potential for development. Yet the region is so impoverished that it is stated that 80% of the North West's industries in the recent past have shut down.
Expensive failures
To add insult to injury, the following expensive failures have recently occurred:
• A R3,5 billion investment with the potential to create 2 500 jobs was missed when Dutch media and entertainment group Eutopia lost interest in taking over the modern Bop radio and TV studios and other facilities.
• Mafikeng airport, with the world's second-longest (4,5km) runway, has become a white elephant with only about one flight a week landing there. It's license was withdrawn for poor compliance with regulations.
• An application for an official export-processing zone at Mafikeng was submitted a year ago but no progress is as yet evident.
Lagging behind SA
Meanwhile, North West's statistics indicate the regional economy is lagging behind growth in SA, despite its resources and potential and is deteriorating compared with other provinces. Since 1994, more people have joined the ranks of the poor, while poverty has worsened. TB is on the rise and 23% of the population is estimated to be HIV positive or suffering from Aids. The province's economic development plan, NW2001, has failed. It provided for total economic growth of 22% between 1994 and 2001 but this has been only 5,6% in total for the six years - against a population growth of 11,4%. The number of formal jobs should have increased by 56 000, but actually shrunk by 118 000. In 1994 North West contributed 5,7% to the national economy - this has now declined to less than 5%. Unemployment is running at 36%, with average per capita income almost half of that of SA.
New initiative
However, offering a glimmer of hope, a new initiative called Invest North-West and led by Mafikeng businessman Nick Serfontein has just been launched. The primary goal is to encourage investment and ensure entrepreneurial initiatives don't get strangled in red tape. Amongst the development prospects the agency is said to be currently looking at, are:
• Mafikeng Airport. Although severely crippled at this stage, opportunities on offer include various airport activities, such as freight transport and agencies, aircraft maintenance and parking, a duty-free shop and stores.
• Development of the Sterkfontein caves, often referred to as the “Cradle of Mankind”.
• Cattle feedlots.
• Cement manufacturing.
• Refining of edible oils.
It is being said that if these projects should materialize, it could entail total investments worth R6,4 billion.
Own bootstrings
Be as it may, what is pretty sure at this juncture, is that it is only up to the inhabitants of North West Province to salvage themselves. Elsewhere is no charity - it is only the North Westers - and their own bootstrings.
DIE jongste navorsingsverslag van Nasnet toon statisties aan dat Afrikaanssprekendes die grootste koopkrag van alle taalgroepe in Suid-Afrika het, terwyl as verbruikers hulle 'n prominente rol in die meeste bedrywe speel. Afrikaanssprekendes het 32,3% (bykans een-derde) van alle verbruikerbesteding in 2000 gedoen.
Hulle maak verder ook die volgende uit:
• 43,5% van die 4,3 miljoen voertuigeienaars in SA.
• 27,1% van die 10,3 miljoen wat van finansiële instellings gebruik maak.
• Die meeste houers van versekerings-, mediese-, aftree- en begrafnis polisse.
• Die taalgroep met die meeste tjekrekeninge, bankkaarte en huislenings.
• Die taalgroep die beste verteenwoordig in JAB aandeelhouding.
• Die taalgroep die beste verteenwoordig in wetenskaplik-berekende hoër inkomstekategorieë (sg. LSM's).
Tog, hoewel Afrikaans die tweede grootste taalgroep in die land naas Nguni is, word slegs 12 van SA se 100 verbruikertydskrifte in Afrikaans gepubliseer. Verder is daar 'n duidelike tendens by reklame-agentskappe in die land om hoofsaaklik in Engels te adverteer - met die klaarblyklike hoop dat Afrikaanssprekendes nie sal omgee nie. Daar is ook 'n sterk persepsie dat dit "polities" nie korrek is om Afrikaans as reklametaal te gebruik nie. Waarnemers wys daarop dat reklame-agentskappe dikwels gelei word deur Engelssprekende jong dames wat klaarblyklik weinig tred hou met die werklikheid.
'n Denkfout wat ook begaan word, is om die inkomstekategorieë as homogeen te sien, wat in werklikheid glad nie die geval is nie. Wat ook in die navorsing duidelik na vore gekom het, is dat Afrikaanssprekendes ook glad nie homogeen is nie - ses duidelike groeperinge is uitgewys.
Internasionale ervaring wys ook pertinent dat moedertaaladvertering onvervangbare waarde het. In die VSA is bv. bewys dat advertering na die groot Spaanssprekende deel van die bevolking wat ook Engels praat, 20-30% meer effektief is indien dit in Spaans plaasvind.
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