Provinces
From The Report: South Africa 2012
View in Online Reader

This chapter looks at the role of regional government across the country. While the ruling African National Congress has largely stood for a strong central government, the capacity of local and provincial government to provide services and infrastructure to millions of South Africans has remained central to the evolution of the country during the post-apartheid period. However, a number of the smaller provinces are looking to increase their investment attractiveness, growth rates and economic diversification as well, which is helping to buttress development nationwide.

This chapter contains an interview with Helen Zille, Premier of the Western Cape.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Regions of recovery: Increasing diversification is helping fuel an uptick across the provinces
OBG
plus

Since the establishment of a democratic South Africa in 1994, and the creation of nine provinces from the original four, the role of regional government has become a prominent topic in political debate in the country. In the 1990s several parties called for a greater role for provincial authorities, to counter the power of the central government in Pretoria. While the ruling African National Congress has largely stood for a strong central government, the capacity of local and provincial government…

Interview

OBG talks to Helen Zille, Premier of the Western Cape
OBG
plus

Interview:Helen Zille Do you feel that some provinces seem to be performing better than others? HELEN ZILLE: Most certainly, in the case of the Western Cape, there are historic and external factors which place us at an advantage. For example, we have unique and strong tourism offerings, which allow tourism to form a key pillar of our economy. This was boosted further through the exposure of hosting the World Cup. But I like to think we have also had our particular success versus other areas…