Investment Hub

Where to invest, build and sell in Mpumalanga

Sector shares, 2025 export figures, bankable projects, AfCFTA market access and funding routes — drawn only from the official Mpumalanga trade, investment and business publications. Every figure on this page is attributed to its source.

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Population

5.1-million

people

Capital city

Mbombela

(Nelspruit)

District municipalities

and 17 local municipalities

SADC market access

360-million

regional consumers

Main towns:ErmeloeMalahleniMiddelburgSecundaMalalane

Source: Mpumalanga Trade and Investment Profile 2026-27

Provincial economy by sector

Community service22%

Mining19%

Finance16%

Trade13%

Manufacturing13%

Electricity6%

Transport5%

Agriculture4%

Construction2%

Source: Mpumalanga Trade and Investment Profile 2026-27

Established industries

MiningStainless SteelPetrochemicalsPulp and PaperFerro-AlloysEnergy GenerationTourismAgricultureAgro-Processing

Major companies operating in the province

SasolEnergy and chemicals
SappiPaper, packaging, pulp and forests
Samancor ChromeFerrochrome
ExxaroMining
ARMMining
GlencoreMining
Columbus StainlessThe only stainless-steel manufacturer on the continent

Source: Mpumalanga Trade and Investment Profile 2026-27

Top 10 exports (2025)

1. Ferro-AlloysR19-billion

2. Chromium OreR14-billion

3. CoalR5.2-billion

4. Macadamia Nut (in-shell)R4.2-billion

5. Stainless SteelR3.8-billion

6. MaizeR1.7-billion

7. Fuel WoodR1.2-billion

8. Soya BeansR954-million

9. Citrus FruitR727-million

10. Processed Macadamia NutsR677-million

Source: Mpumalanga Trade and Investment Profile 2026-27

Top 10 export markets (2025)

1. MozambiqueR15.4-billion

2. ChinaR12.5-billion

3. eSwatiniR4.2-billion

4. United StatesR4.0-billion

5. NetherlandsR3.7-billion

6. JapanR3.1-billion

7. IndiaR2.4-billion

8. Republic of KoreaR2.1-billion

9. United Arab EmiratesR1.9-billion

10. ZimbabweR1.8-billion

Source: Mpumalanga Trade and Investment Profile 2026-27

Sector opportunities

Choose a sector to see what the publications report, and where suppliers and service providers can plug in.

Mining & Beneficiation

Mining contributes 19% of the provincial economy, with ferro-alloys and chromium ore the province's two largest exports.

What the data shows

Ferro-Alloys exports: R19-billion (2025) — the province's largest export.
Chromium Ore exports: R14-billion (2025); Coal exports: R5.2-billion (2025).
Global operators active in the province include Exxaro, ARM, Glencore and Samancor Chrome.
Columbus Stainless is the only stainless-steel manufacturer on the continent; stainless-steel exports reached R3.8-billion in 2025.
Mineral beneficiation is named as a sector where Mpumalanga already holds a competitive edge under AfCFTA.

Where suppliers can sell

The province's coal operations continue to create significant opportunities for subcontractors, suppliers and service providers across the mining value chain (IDC, Mpumalanga Business 2026-27).
IDC SME Connect links small businesses to established procurement needs at mining companies, state-owned enterprises and major retailers.

Source: Mpumalanga Trade and Investment Profile 2026-27

Bankable projects

Projects published as open to investment, with the preparation status recorded in the source document.

Agro-processing & logistics

Mpumalanga International Food Market (MIFM)

A fresh produce and food processing facility established by the Mpumalanga Provincial Government in Mbombela, on a 248ha site less than 10km from the CBD, within the Maputo Development Corridor.

Project value: R1-billion (facility established at R1.2-billion)

Model: Joint Venture (JV), Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT)

Feasibility study doneEIA doneBulk infrastructure doneTop structures done

Open trading halls for fruit and vegetables
A meat, fish and flower market
Complementary cold storage, ripening facilities and pallet handling
Processing facilities and an export hall
Bulk-breaking facilities for retail outlets
Links with statutory organisations such as customs, PPECB and EuroGap
Transport and logistics enterprises
Shared collation and pack-house facilities for SMMEs
Commercial services including banks and restaurants; a food bank for NGOs

Source: Mpumalanga Trade and Investment Profile 2026-27

Special Economic Zone

Nkomazi Special Economic Zone (NSEZ)

Officially designated in terms of the Special Economic Zones Act No 16 of 2014, with a Board of Directors and Executive Team in place. Positioned in the border town of Komatipoort on the Maputo Development Corridor.

Model: SEZ — targeted tax incentives, One-Stop-Shop investor services

SEZ designation doneBoard & executive team done

Target sectors: agriculture, agro-processing, nutraceuticals and fertiliser production, with a strong focus on logistics and trade services
Zone components: Manufacturing, Centralised Facilities, Convenience Retail, Accommodation, Logistics, Recreation
Export access through Maputo Port to South East Africa, the Indian Ocean Rim and Far East Asia
One-Stop-Shop services, incentives, innovation platform and a competitive, transparent market environment

Source: Mpumalanga Trade and Investment Profile 2026-27

Tourism

Bourke's Luck Potholes Hotel

This natural water wonder is a major tourism attraction in the Mpumalanga Lowveld. The project presents an investment opportunity for a five-star hotel and a top-quality restaurant.

Model: Joint Venture (JV), Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT)

Feasibility study doneEIA underway

Source: Mpumalanga Trade and Investment Profile 2026-27

Tourism

God's Window Sky Walk

An income-generating tourism attraction off the edge of the 700m God's Window cliffs, giving 360-degree panoramic views out and down through a glass floor.

Model: JV, BOT

Feasibility study doneEIA underwayInvestors secured

Source: Mpumalanga Trade and Investment Profile 2026-27

Tourism

Blyde River Canyon Cable Car

The Blyde River Canyon is the largest and deepest green canyon in the world and offers a spectacular opportunity to build a cable car transporting tourists from the top of the canyon to the peninsula below.

Model: JV, BOT

Feasibility study doneEIA underway

Source: Mpumalanga Trade and Investment Profile 2026-27

AfCFTA: the launch pad for Africa

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could revolutionise African trade. Mpumalanga Province is the perfect launch pad for manufacturers and exporters.

nations in the free trade area

1.4-billion

people covered

$3.4-trillion

combined GDP

90%

of goods to become tariff-free once fully implemented

Launched in January 2021, AfCFTA is the world's largest free trade area by number of countries.
Mpumalanga, on South Africa's eastern border with Mozambique and Eswatini, emerges as a critical springboard for companies seeking regional market access.
Sectors with an existing competitive edge: agro-processing, mineral beneficiation and industrial manufacturing.
Removal of intra-African tariffs on processed agricultural goods is expected to boost food exports by over 20%.
Exporters gain from harmonised rules of origin and streamlined customs protocols.
For investors and exporters, AfCFTA is more than a trade deal — it is an industrial policy platform.

Analysis credited to TRALAC in the Mpumalanga Trade and Investment Profile 2026-27.

Source: Mpumalanga Trade and Investment Profile 2026-27

Funding & enterprise support

Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) — Mpumalanga

The IDC funds competitive, job-rich enterprises based on sound business principles. Priority sectors in Mpumalanga are tourism, agriculture and mining.

Most IDC support is structured as loan funding; the Corporation also blends finance with strategic partners where appropriate.
Applicants must meet standard funding requirements and clearly demonstrate how the project contributes to development in Mpumalanga and South Africa.
Support is directed to projects that create meaningful economic opportunities, advance provincial and national development priorities, and are led by entrepreneurs ready to grow.
The IDC supports the development of black industrialists, and youth-, women- and disability-inclusive participation.

Source: Mpumalanga Business 2026-27 (17th edition)

SME Connect

An IDC initiative that connects small businesses with large corporates that have established procurement needs and supplier-development programmes — including state-owned enterprises, mining companies and major retailers.

Where a mining company requires an excavator, the contracted SME may approach the IDC for funding to acquire the equipment and meet working-capital requirements.
Where a retailer contracts an SME to supply eggs in bulk, the IDC may fund the supplier to establish a layer-poultry project, using the supply agreement as a key basis for support.
The aim is that SMEs are adequately capacitated to deliver on their contracts and make full use of the market opportunities created.

Source: Mpumalanga Business 2026-27 (17th edition)

GRO-E Youth Scheme & IDC internships

Pathways for young people to access funding, build sustainable enterprises and participate more actively in the economy.

The IDC offers internship opportunities as they become available, equipping graduates with practical experience.
The internship programme takes about 24 months to complete.

Source: Mpumalanga Business 2026-27 (17th edition)

Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA)

Several agencies which promote the regional economy report to the Mpumalanga Provincial Government. MEGA sets out the investment climate in this resource-rich province.

Ongoing work on infrastructure such as roads, water works, schools and hospitals supports the investment case.
The University of Mpumalanga — one of South Africa's newest and most dynamic universities — anchors the skills pipeline.

Source: Mpumalanga Business 2026-27 (17th edition)

Nkangala & eMalahleni focus

Nkangala is one of Mpumalanga's three district municipalities, and eMalahleni and Middelburg are named among the province's main major towns.

eMalahleni and Middelburg are listed among the province's main major towns, alongside Ermelo, Secunda and Malalane.
Middelburg is named as one of the province's airfields, in addition to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport in Mbombela.
The Middelburg Chamber of Commerce and the Nkangala Business Chamber are both profiled in Mpumalanga Business 2026-27.
The Highveld Heritage Route — which abounds with tales from history — runs through the region and is listed among Mpumalanga's tourism assets.
The province has three district municipalities and 17 local municipalities; several agencies promoting the regional economy report to the Mpumalanga Provincial Government.

The attached publications report at provincial level. Regional GVA is published by district (Nkangala, Gert Sibande, Ehlanzeni) in the Trade & Investment Profile 2026-27; the district shares are reproduced in the source document rather than restated here to avoid mis-attribution.

Source: Mpumalanga Trade and Investment Profile 2026-27

Why invest in Mpumalanga

Abundant resources: minerals and agricultural produce
Established manufacturing infrastructure: smelters, petrochemicals, food processing, paper, sugar
Strategic location, access to regional and global markets
Tourism hotspots: the iconic Kruger National Park, world-class reserves, adventure tourism and new UNESCO World Heritage Site
Mpumalanga International Food Market (MIFM)
Nkomazi Special Economic Zone (NSEZ)
The University of Mpumalanga
Support for Green Economy research and investment

Source: Mpumalanga Trade and Investment Profile 2026-27

Sources

All figures on this page are reproduced from the publications listed above. Nothing has been estimated or extrapolated. Investors should verify current status with the relevant agency before committing capital.

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