This is according to the premier of the province, Bushy Maape. Whilst tabling his maiden State of the Province Address (SOPA) in the sixth administration - he said this resulted in the expenditure of more than R22.8 million. This is despite cries from SMMEs across the province, especially in the sector of tourism, who recently came out and accused the provincial government of leaving them in limbo whilst drowning in debt, with their businesses facing demise. However, Maape added that the support by his provincial government to SMMEs will be increased and continued.

"Our SMMEs are crucial to the economy and creation of job opportunities. The delivery of public and social infrastructure is one of the critical drivers of economic recovery and the creation of the needed jobs.

The total provincial infrastructure budget for the 2022/23 financial year is estimated at R4.824 billion and the province will spend in excess of R14 billion on infrastructure over the 2022 MTEF period," he added.

Maape has conceded that the economy has taken a battering due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The provincial GDP contracted by 7,6% in 2020. He, however, mentions that the economic recovery is projected to be about 6% of GDP in 2021 and 1,9% in 2022.

“One of the challenges we are facing, however, is that economic recovery in terms of the GDP is not necessarily translating into proportional recovery in the number of jobs lost during the worst time of the Covid-19 pandemic. The unemployment rate in the North West currently stands at 35,7%, with youth unemployment at an all-time high of 63%.

These levels of unemployment are described as a ticking time-bomb that requires different social partners to work together in finding lasting solutions.  

As part of the process to address the challenges of unemployment, we have in the last months been engaging with different sectors of the economy in order to develop a common platform within which economic growth and job creation can be addressed,” Maape further added.

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