If properly developed, a biodiversity economy can assist in accelerating transformation by providing employment and business opportunities for black South Africans, said Pres Cyril Ramaphosa.
He pointed out that, through a biodiversity economy, the anticipation is that 162,000 jobs can be created and R47 billion generated by 2030.
He visited Vhembe over the weekend and officially opened the Biodiversity Economy Innovation and People and Parks Conference at the Kalahari Waterfront in Nandoni outside Thohoyandou on Saturday.
The conference was attended by more than 2 000 people from all over the country. It was aimed at ensuring that the biodiversity economy produce good returns in products such as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, ecotourism and wildlife.
According to him, in the area bounded by the Indian and Atlantic oceans and the Limpopo and Orange Rivers, lives a multitude of species that make South Africa the third most diverse country in world. "For millennia, this beautiful national heritage has sustained our people. It has fed them, healed them, sheltered them and provided the means and the inspiration for cultural expression," he said.
He said the government sought to harness the ancient inheritance and indigenous knowledge to open new opportunities for commerce, trade and entrepreneurship. "We aim to increase business and land ownership by previously disadvantaged individuals, boosting participation by communities, expanding of key indigenous plants by 500 hectares a year and having 100 Blue Flag beaches designed throughout South Africa by 2030," he concluded.
From Nandoni, he proceeded to Ha-Matsila outside Vuwani where he officially opened several projects such as farming, a milling plant, tourism and woodcrafting facilities, as well as agro-processing facilities such as an abattoir for poultry and red meat. The projects are part of the Matsila Development Trust.
Ramaphosa praised Chief Livhuwani Matsila for having come up with an idea that saw many of his subjects getting meaningful employment. He urged Matsila to share the skills he had with other traditional leaders for a better life for the people of South Africa.
He sent a warning to US president Donald Trump, who he said was interfering in the land issues of South Africa. He told Trump to keep his America, while he would keep his South Africa.