Limpopo has escaped the devastation caused by the covid-19 pandemic outbreak in the world economy, but efforts are recently being made to revive the troubled business sector.
The World Bank noted that the benchmark forecast foresees a contraction of 5. 2% of global GDP by 2020.
The global framework also predicted that the pandemic will lead to the most global domestic recession in decades, despite regular efforts by governments to counter the slowdown by supporting fiscal and financial policy.
“In the longer term, deep recessions triggered by the pandemic are expected to leave lasting scars due to declining investment, erosion of human capital due to paint loss and education, and industry fragmentation and global ties.
Limpopo MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism Thabo Mokone said an intergovernmental approach, the provincial government is working with all municipalities in the district to identify mega-projects of agri-food processing that require revitalization.
At the heart of the province’s recovery plan is a strong subsidized industrialization plan through strong agricultural and tourism sectors with strong infrastructure and 41R.
“Tshakhuma packaging in Vhembe district will be revitalized through partnerships with the personal sector. Plans are underway to explore the operational characteristics of a farm animal slaughterhouse in the Waterberg district. These interventions will open up opportunities for smallholder farmers in the markets and create jobs in the sector,” Mokone said.
Agriculture is one of the pillars of the provincial economy. Mokone said seven feasibility studies and financing plans have been completed in seven mega land reform projects in the Vhembe and Waterberg districts.
Statistics SA’s quarterly staff survey that Limpopo lost 236,000 tasks and that all sectors of the economy had suffered task losses, with the exception of the agricultural sector, where 16,000 tasks had been created.
Mokone said there are primary projects aimed at attracting investment in the sector.
“The Lebowakgomo bird slaughterhouse is in full implementation, which will result, among other things, in the revitalization of several broiler chicken production projects. This will generate 500 direct jobs within the price chain. We call on the personal sector to intensify agribusiness and disseminate megaprojects like Zebediela Citrus to the export market,” he said.
Mokone said the provincial recovery plan is geared towards projects that come with the Musina Makhado Special Economic Zone (EEZ), which prioritizes local access for contractors and manufacturers.
“This EEZ points to our mineral resources of chromium, coal, iron ore, manganese and vanadium locally. The technical designs for the northern site of this EEZ are complete and the initial bulk infrastructure structure is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2020/21,” Mokone said.
He said investments for the northern special economic zone are in logistics, agribusiness and soft industries.
Mokone noted that the EEZ proposed at the time of the province, the Fetakgomo-Tubatse Special Economic Zone, targets metals in the platinum group, thus expanding the MDP price chain in the country.
“We are in a complex commitment to Glencore to join the Mineral Supplies Supplier Fleet in deploying commercial parks in union with the Department of Commerce, Industry and Competition (DTIC), he said.
Mokone, fetakgomo-Tubatse’s EEZ, has an allocation portfolio of 25 billion rands and is expected to create 8,000 jobs.
“The province looks forward to investing resources to implement bulk infrastructure in the coming fiscal year. The province is doing everything it can to ensure that a credible request for the designation of this EEZ is met,” he said.
Mokone said the south is destined for the metallurgical complex, with a committed investment of 150 billion rands, which is expected to create more than 21,000 jobs.
“The long-awaited EIA has ended and is in a process of public participation for the final presentation. “
He said the deployment of trade parks in Capricorn, Seshego, Nkowankowa district in Mopani district and Thohouyandou district in Vhembe district, in partnership with DTIC, is expected to attract around 75 million rand of investment and create around 2,600 more jobs.
Mokone said this also includes an academy of skills, which will be the medium of craft, professional and business skills. He added that the centres are recently accredited in Seshego, Lwamondo, Nkowankowa and Giyani.
Highlighting the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the global economy, the World Bank noted: “The personal, social and economic effect of Covid-19 is unlike anything the world has experienced for more than 75 years. . “
Statistics SA has conducted an instant survey of companies in industries to assess how they have been affected by the pandemic.
The entity noted that the majority of respondents (85. 4%) reported sales below the overall range, went on to say that 46. 4% of corporations reported a transitional shutdown or disruption of business activity, 28% indicated that their workforce had reduced their operation. 19. 6% reported dismissing in the short term.
In his speech outlining the government’s economic recovery in reaction to the coronavirus outbreak, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the goals of the plan included job creation, competitive infrastructure investments, and massive employment programs.
Ramaphosa said the government was also looking to reindustrialize the economy, focusing on small business growth; boost economic reforms to unlock investment and growth, and government capacity.
“No country has been saved. No savings have been saved. This is the case on our own continent,” Ramaphosa said.
Mokone said that in accordance with the economic recovery plan of the national government, the provincial government has developed the Limpopo Socio-Economic Recovery Plan for livelihoods and employment.
“This stimulus package has been extensively consulted with all industries and industrial formations in the province, as with [trade unions],” he said.
Mokone said the provincial government had set aside 3. 5 billion rands to mitigate Covid-19’s effect on the economy and population.
“The largest proportion of the provincial government’s investment is allocated to the social group, which is health, schooling and social development, and 500 million rand has been earmarked for short-term economic recovery,” he said.
Agriculture: inputs for farmers – 57. 5 billion rand
Support for SMEs and cooperatives: Limpopo SMEs and cooperatives with the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) – 10 million rand
Waste control: Limpopo waste control aid package – 7. 8 billion rand
Industrialization: Special Economic Zone – 4. 7 billion rand
Business development: Limpopo SMME loan book package – 10 billion rand
Tourism: Limpopo tourist package – 10 billion rand
Road infrastructure: road compromised – 400 billion rand.
Mokone added that feasibility for the creation of a science and generation park in Polokwane was completed, with an expected investment of 4. 7 billion rand, which is expected to create 9,000 jobs.
“The rentals have been signed, the science park master plan has been completed and a resolution report (ROD) has been published for the EIS. Lately we are mobilizing budget through a PPP style to launch the project. – Mukurukuru Media
The tourism sector has escaped the devastating disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which have caused countless casualties, adding up task losses due to the closure of many companies.
However, as the Covid-19 tourism recovery plan published in August articulate ambitious plans to repair the domain to its former glory.
“According to a review of recent crisis recovery processes, the tourism sector is likely to recover from this sudden market shock, basically due to the bureaucracy of government intervention,” says Dimitri Ioannides and Szilvia Gyimethy in their educational paper entitled: The Covid-19 crisis as an opportunity to escape the unsustainable scourge of global tourism.
Limpopo province has subtle methods of recovery from the national government and places them to achieve maximum effect to save livelihoods.
Limpopo’s MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism Thabo Mokone said the provincial government had paragraphed 3. 6 billion rand to mitigate Covid-19’s effect on the economy and population.
“10 million rand from that budget have gone to Limpopo’s tourism aid program,” Mokone said.
A total of 500 million rand has been earmarked for the creation of national aid funds.
“We express our appreciation for the partnership we have had with the national branch to implement the national aid budget in Limpopo,” Mokone said.
According to the department, SMEs in Limpopo are encouraged to take advantage of national aid programmes. The province has developed and implemented a sectoral threat mitigation strategy in key sectors of Limpopo’s economy that will advise the recovery of economic activity, mining and tourism.
Limpopo’s socioeconomic recovery plan is based on the need for livelihoods and employment.
In addition, the province has ambitious plans to maintain its position in the national tourism industry. According to the provincial department, the province’s tourism associations “have mobilized to launch and use new marketing projects to reactivate and accommodate in accordance with Covid-19 protocols. “. “
Among his plans to encourage tourism and increase accessibility to the province through visitors, Limpopo plans to build a high-speed train from Johannesburg to Beitbridge, through a public-private partnership model.
Mokone pointed to gaps in the province’s road network.
“Roads are a major tension given the geostrategic location, where we link the Republic to the rest of the continent,” Mokone said.
The high-speed exercise is noted as a form of congestion on the roads and uniting the other people in the SADC region, thus creating economic benefits.
Mokone recently joined a 22,000-hectare Wolkberg Nature Reserve hiker organization as part of efforts to publicize the tourism sector.
The reserve is close to the picturesque village of Haenertsburg, in the mountainous Diversity Drakensberg in Limpopo.
The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) said that last year, the sector accounted for 30% of world exports and up to 45% of total exports to emerging countries.
The organization said that tourism, along with the shipping sector, is one of the top sectors affected by the Covid-19 crisis and that tourist arrivals had fallen by 93% in June compared to 2019.
This year is called the Year of Tourism and Rural Development.
“Our industry gives [other people] the chance to make a living. Earning not only a salary, but also dignity and equality. Tourism work also empowers others and gives them the opportunity to have an interest in their own society, for the first time,” UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said in a recent speech on World Tourism Day (September 28).
Mokone said young guides like Fannie Mamabolo were only guilty of appearing as guests, but that they had also traced a trail on their own and need to see more such transformations.
“Remember that the maximum number of black people in South Africa were not part of tourism. We never used to tour, because every single time we got to this kind of area, we came here to serve other people,” Mokone said before. the walk began.
“We have to do this; schools have to come here, we have to teach our young people that this is our culture, our heritage,” he said.
Under a cloak of gray clouds that promised rain afterwards, we took off on an Indian Mamabolo line, two other guides were located in the center and at the end of the line.
Mamabolo commented that the reserve is also home to one of the “gods of Africa”, the black mamba. He saw specimens about six yards long here. Now, if you know the reputation of black mamba as the fastest and deadliest reptile on the continent, his brain gets carried away by the mention of it.
But spending time at the center of Mother Nature teaches us some valuable lessons: animals, however harmful they may be, sometimes avoid humans and rush to protect themselves from the slightest smell or sound of our presence.
Wolkberg is also home to small antelopes, dassies, monkeys, baboons and very birds. It is also said to be the source of at least seven rivers.
During the winter season, it has many waterfalls that fall on top of the mountains and seem to embrace the sky, reaching heights of more than 2,000 m above sea level.
During the rainy season, our guides have noticed that there are more than 400 waterfalls of this type making music in the reserve, which adds to the relaxing concord of Mother Nature.
The plants are largely a thick forest with beautiful ferns arranged elegantly by the hand of a qualified landscaper along the banks of the river and meadows that decorate the mountain peaks. Natural pools offer many opportunities to swim in crystal clear waters.
Let’s hope that in the months and years to come, more people stick to those paths as life slowly returns to the general after Covid-19. – Mukurukuru Media
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