The Northern Cape is the largest province in South Africa, covering 31% of the country’s surface area (slightly bigger than Germany). However, the Northern Cape remains the province with the smallest share of the South African population.
The province is noted for its San rock art, diamond diggings, 4X4 safaris and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. It is a vast stretch of semi-desert land. The province is renowned for its spectacular display of spring flowers which, for a short period every year, attracts thousands of tourists.
Sutherland hosts the southern hemisphere’s largest astronomical observatory, the multinational-sponsored Southern African Large Telescope. The Northern Cape is one of two sites to host the Square Kilometre Array(link is external) radio-telescope (better known as the SKA Project), the largest and most advanced radio telescope in the world.
Among many other benefits, the province’s tourism and hospitality industry is profiting from the project, as scientists and other interested parties are flooding into the town of Carnarvon. Electrical power generation presents an opportunity for greater economic diversification and growth in the province.