Rustenburg - The North West provincial government has allocated R50 million to upgrade roads in the Pilanesberg area, in a push to boost tourism, said Premier Bushy Maape on Tuesday.
Addressing stakeholders in the tourism sector in Rustenburg, he said government has the responsibility to create an enabling environment for tourism to thrive, by responding to challenges – such as ageing and dilapidating infrastructure.
“Complaints were raised about the roads around Pilanesberg and we swiftly responded by allocating R50m to upgrade roads in that area. More funds will be allocated in the next financial year.
“Our focus is based on two strategic objectives, which are to upgrade and revitalise the infrastructure, and this will contribute in job creation and address challenges – such as poverty and unemployment,” he said.
Tourism is one of the key drivers of the provincial economy and, just before the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, it contributed over R16bn to the GDP (gross domestic product) of the province.
Maape said government would also focus on helping small and medium enterprises to circumvent challenges brought on by the pandemic.
“Our focus will also be confined to assisting small enterprises to recover from the challenges brought by the pandemic. We have set ourselves timeliness to address all the challenges raised, by both established and upcoming entities. We will be moving with speed to address all the concerns raised here,” said Maape.
Maape met with farmers on Monday, where he said the province was leading in terms of poultry production, as well as vegetable produce – such as beetroot and onions – but it was trailing behind in terms of agro-processing.
“We need to build partnerships with established and emerging farmers but, critically, we need to prioritise investments in agricultural infrastructure and facilities. Moreover, we need put more emphasis on mentorship and training for emerging farmers. This will go a long way in accelerating transformation in the sector, through expanding our production and prioritising access to markets,” added Maape.
Agriculture contributes 2.9% to the GDP in the provincial economy. The province is also the third largest producer of maize and this translates to 17% of all maize produced in South Africa
IOL