Amathole District Municipality

Transforming Amathole into a globally competitive economy.

The Amathole District Municipality (ADM) lies in the central coastal portion of the Eastern Cape and it includes Buffalo City, which is the most populous local municipality in the country, comprising East London, the provincial capital of Bhisho, Mdantsane and King William’s Town.

Other municipalities include Amahlathi, Great Kei, Mbhashe, Mnquma, Ngqushwa, Nkonkobe and Nxuba.

The Amathole District covers a geographical expanse of 23 577 square kilometres, and is home to 1 635 433 people (Community Survey, 2007).

The ADM has the second-largest economy in the province, contributing 27% to the provincial economy. Sectors that provide formal employment in the district are public services, manufacturing, trade and agriculture.

The ADM’s existing manufacturing sector includes the automotive, textile, pharmaceutical, electronics and food-processing industries. The automotive industry has strong linkages to activities such as component parts, industrial textiles and leather tanning.

About two-thirds of the district is made up of former homeland areas with cultural-tourism and agricultural potential. The Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) in East London, aimed to improve exports and jobs, has boosted the district by drawing local and foreign investment.

The Amathole Regional Economic Development Strategy (AREDS) provides a framework for opening up economic opportunities in the district and for attracting investors. To assist in making AREDS a reality, the implementation will focus support on four economic ‘corridors’ such as the N2, the N6, the R72 and the R63 routes. The corridors are not spatially defined, but are more like an economic catchment. These corridors of focus also roughly coincide with existing logistical routes and groupings of people and activities with a common identity or situation.

Projects which have recently been implemented, planned, or for which funding is being sought include the Small Town Regeneration projects; the Kei Rail linking East London to Mthatha; Wild Coast roads projects (Wild Coast Meander along the N2); R63 upgrade; R72 upgrade; Bhisho airport upgrade; East London IDZ; biofuels initiatives; blueberries initiative; upgrading of small irrigation schemes; heritage-route development; improvement of public-transport facilities in 12 towns; tourism-facilities development at Cata (chalets), Mount Pleasant and Bawa Falls; essential oils/pelargonium in the Amathole Mountains areas; development of the Amathole Mountains biosphere reserve; and various road improvement projects across the district.

Economic opportunities exist for forestry and tourism around Stutterheim, Hogsback and Keiskammahoek, supported by the Amathole Hiking Trail; ecotourism along the Wild Coast, Dwesa, Centane, Haga-Haga and Amathole Mountains; livestock commercialisation in the Transkei; and horticulture in coastal areas (subtropical fruits, nuts, essential oils, berries and tree crops).


CONTACT DETAILS
Key personnel:

  • Alderman S Somyo, Executive Mayor
  • Vuyo Mlokoti, Municipal Manager
  • Viwe Madolo, Local Economic Development Manager

Physical address: 40 Cambridge Street, East London 5201
Postal address: PO Box 320, East London 5200
Tel: +27 43 701 4000
Fax: +27 43 742 0337
Email: info@amathole.gov.za
Website: www.amathole.gov.za

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(C) 2007 Eastern Cape Business | TradeInvestSA

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