Free State

The Free State Region lies in the heart of South Africa between the Vaal River in the North and the Orange River in the South, and is an area of flat rolling grassland and crop fields that rise to lovely sandstone mountains in the North East.

South Africa is rich in minerals and one of the largest gold producers in the world. With 12 gold mines in the Free State, producing 30% of the country’s output, Mining is the largest employer in the province. The Province is home to Goldfields – a gold reef, more than 400km long, that stretches across the Free State and Gauteng.  Well-known towns in the heart of the Goldfields are Welkom and Odendaalrus.

Previously dependent on Mining and Agriculture, the economy of the Free State has become increasingly oriented towards manufacturing and export. Sasolburg is home to the petrochemical company, Sasol, which converts bituminous coal into petrochemicals.

Agriculture dominates the Free State landscape, and cultivated land covers 32 000 square kilometres while 87 000 square kilometres consist of natural veld and grazing. Almost two-thirds of the province’s gross agricultural income is yielded by field crops with animal products contributing a further 30%.

Manguang (Bloemfontein, Botshabelo and Thaba Nchu) became South Africa’s newest metropolitan authority in May 2011, and boasts an established institutional, educational and administrative infrastructure.  It houses the Supreme Court of Appeal, the University of the Free State and the Central University of Technology.

Local Advertiser is a part of the Caxton group, publishing newspapers in all of the country’s provinces. A major participant in the print media industry in South Africa, we continually push the boundaries by reviewing the position of our publications to ensure that they are strategically placed, serving the community and advertisers alike.

Local Advertiser publishes newspapers in all the major areas of the Free State and advertisers, in their effort to reach their target markets, are welcome to advertise in our local community newspapers, including: Sasolburg Ster in Sasolburg; Parys Gazette in Parys; Heilbron Herald in Heilbron; the Bloemfontein Courant in Bloemfontein, or any of our other newspapers distributed in this region.