Pretoria — Gauteng is on track to increase its share of the tourism market to 55 percent of international arrivals, create work opportunities and foster economic growth.

Speaking to BuaNews on Tuesday, Gauteng Finance and Economic Affairs spokesperson Percy Mthimkhulu outlined some of the province's endeavours to boost its tourism appeal.

One of the projects under the Gauteng Tourism Development Strategy is to develop the Dinokeng Game Reserve, in order to bring the Big Five to the province.

"People mainly come to Gauteng to do business, and then if they want to see the Big Five [lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino], they go to a different province," he said.

Mr Mthimkhulu said around R300 million was budgeted for the game reserve, and it was created especially so that tourists could see what they usually expect to see in other provinces.

"The first phase of development will be completed by the end of the calendar year, and animal sourcing will begin next year.

"Ultimately what we want is for people to stay longer in the province and spend more money," he said.

Delivering his departmental annual report last week, Gauteng Finance and Economic Affairs MEC Paul Mashatile said: "Our targeted interventions in the provincial economy have also contributed massively to the fight against poverty and underdevelopment."

The Gauteng Department of Economic Development also attracted investment in excess of R500 million and created 2 100 jobs in the last financial year through the Gauteng Economic Development Agency.

Mr Mashatile highlighted that his department has made significant progress in enabling faster economic growth and job creation, and said they will increase efforts to improve trade and investment in the province.

The province's ultimate objective was to grow the provincial economy at a rate of 8 percent by 2014, as this was in line with the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa of halving poverty and unemployment by 2014.

Some of the highlights from the 2007/08 financial year include the creation of 4 200 direct jobs through Growth and Development Strategy project worth over R330 million, an increase of 17 percent in gambling taxes from R410 million to R479 million, as well as Gauteng being ranked in the top three in South Africa for domestic tourism with 8.9 million domestic travellers.

According to Stats SA, in 2006, Gauteng contributed 33.6 percent to the economy of South Africa, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 16.3 percent, and the Western Cape with 14.6 percent.

Gauteng recorded an economic growth rate of 6 percent during 2006, this following a growth rate of 5.3 percent in 2005.

The largest industries in 2006 were the finance, real estate and business services industry and the manufacturing industry.

The economic performance of Gauteng was attributed, said Stats SA, to growth in construction, finance, real estate and business services, wholesale and retail trade, and the hotels and restaurants industry.