Introduction to Frances Baard District Municipality
Towns: Barkly West, Delportshoop, Hartswater, Jan Kempdorp, Kimberley, Pampierstat, Ritchie, Warrenton, Windsorton.
This district accounts for 40.3% of the province’s economic activity. Strategically located and with good infrastructure, Kimberley is the leading centre in the province for retail, financial services, education, commerce and light industry.
The Mittah Seperepere Convention Centre is the largest convention centre in the province and can host up to 2 500 people in the main auditorium. A number of hotels and lodges support a thriving tourism sector, including Sun International’s Flamingo Casino, Protea Hotel by Marriott Kimberley, the Horseshoe Inn and Conference Centre and the Kimberley Club Boutique Hotel. Southern Sun offers a Garden Court and a SUN1.
A major attraction in the provincial capital is the Big Hole, scene of the earliest diamond diggings in South Africa.
Kimberley also hosts the Sol Plaatje University and two campuses of the Northern Cape Urban TVET College. Mining and agriculture are found in rural municipalities. Afrisam runs a large mining operation in the centre of the district. Agriculture in the region comprises crop cultivation and stock and game farming.
The Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme, the largest irrigation project of its kind in the southern hemisphere, allows for the large-scale cultivation of fruit, nuts, cotton, olives and maize. Pecan nuts are a strong growth subsector.
Frances Baard District Municipality has identified key projects and strategies to stimulate economic growth, including investments in infrastructure, energy security, tourism and the green economy.
Investment opportunities covered in greater detail in this prospectus include:
- Big Hole Precinct upgrade and expansion
- Mayibuye Precinct upgrade and expansion
- Several major housing projects
Further opportunities can be found in:
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- renewable energy (establishing new plants, servicing existing plants and component manufacturing),
- agri-processing (the international market for pecan nuts is growing every year, and more hectares are being planted to the nut to cope with demand),
- construction, property and accommodation (Sol Plaatje University recently celebrated 10 years of operations and continues to grow, creating a demand for student accommodation),
- hotels and logistics (for example, trucks stops).
Explore these opportunities here:
Frances Baard District Municipality Investment Prospectus
Investment & Business Enquiries
To discuss doing business or investing in the Frances Baard District Municipality, send an introduction to the team via this contact form. Please include as reference Frances Baard District.
Frances Baard DM location and geography
Frances Baard District Municipality is the smallest district in the Northern Cape and has a geographical area of 13 518 km². It is also the most densely populated part of the province, containing as does several urban settlements, including the provincial capital, Kimberley.
The municipality is located in the far eastern portion of the province. It shares its northern borders with the North West Province and its eastern border with Free State Province. Kimberley is less than 500 km away from Johannesburg in the north, less than 1 000 km away from Cape Town in the south and the port of Durban in the east.
The N12 national highway is the main north-south arterial and runs up the eastern boundary of the district. The N8 runs through Kimberley on an east-west axis, connecting the town to Bloemfontein to the east and Upington to the west. It compromises the four local municipalities of Dikgatlong, Magareng, Phokwane and Sol Plaatje.
Population: 439 000
District Municipality Information
- The Frances Baard District Municipality is a Category C municipality.
- Postal address: Private Bag X6088, Kimberley 8300
- Physical address: 51 Drakensberg Avenue, Carters Glen,
Kimberley 8301 - Tel: +27 53 838 0911
- Website: www.francesbaard.gov.za
