FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR A FORTH CASINO LICENCE IN MPUMALANGA PROVINCE

Industry Stakeholder Survey: Fourth Casino Licence, Mpumalanga Province

Samba Solutions Inc. has been appointed by the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator (MER) to conduct a feasibility study on the potential fourth casino licence for Mpumalanga Province, under a formal MER mandate.

Our appointment may be verified through the official public notice published on the MER website.

This survey seeks input from a broad range of stakeholders whose activities may inform, support, supply, regulate, or be affected by a potential casino development. This includes stakeholders across the gambling, hospitality, tourism, property, infrastructure, transport, government, regulatory, community, investment and broader casino value-chain ecosystem.

The survey should take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Participation is voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time. You may respond anonymously, or provide your details if you are willing to be contacted for follow-up engagement.

Responses will be used solely for purposes of the feasibility study and will be reported in aggregate. No individual or organisation-specific response will be attributed without prior consent.

For queries, please contact the Samba Solutions project team at survey@sambasolution.co.za.

Section A: Respondent profile

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* 1. Your name (optional)

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* 2. Your organisation (optional)

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* 3. Which best describes your organisation? (required)

Casino or gambling operator

Online betting, gaming or sports betting operator

Hotel, lodge, accommodation or hospitality business

Tour operator, travel agency or destination management company

Restaurant, food & beverage or nightlife operator

Retail, mall or entertainment venue operator

Property developer, landlord or real estate investor

Municipal, provincial or national government body

Tourism authority, tourism association or destination marketing body

Industry association, chamber of commerce or business forum

Gaming regulator or other regulatory authority

Transport, shuttle, aviation or logistics operator

Events, conferencing, sports or entertainment business

Financial institution, investor or funding organisation

Community organisation, traditional authority or civil society group

Supplier or service provider to the tourism / hospitality / gaming sector

Other (please specify)

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* 4. Your role in the organisation

Executive or senior management

Middle management

Operational or specialist

Other (please specify)

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* 5. Which local municipality of Mpumalanga does your organisation mainly operate in?

Outside Mpumalanga

Operates throughout the entire province

Bushbuckridge

Mbombela

Nkomazi

Thaba Chweu

Albert Luthuli

Dipaleseng

Pixley Ka-Seme

Govan Mbeki

Lekwa

Mkhondo

Msukaligwa

Dr JS Moroka

Emakhazeni

Emalahleni

Steve Tshwete

Thembisile Hani

Victor Khanye

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* 6. How many years has your organisation operated in Mpumalanga?

Less than 2 years

2 to 5 years

6 to 10 years

More than 10 years

Not relevant to my Organisation

If a question is outside your organisation's area, please select "Not relevant to my organisation".

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* 7. In your view, how strong is current demand for casino and gambling entertainment in Mpumalanga?

Very weak

Weak

Moderate

Strong

Very strong

No opinion

Not relevant to my organisation

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* 8. Do you think the Mpumalanga casino market could support an additional (fourth) casino?

Yes, comfortably

Yes, but only in the right location

Uncertain

No, the market is saturated

No opinion

Not relevant to my organisation

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* 9. How do you expect overall demand for casino gambling in the province to change over the next five years?

Grow significantly

Grow slightly

Stay about the same

Decline slightly

Decline significantly

No opinion

Not relevant to my organisation

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* 10. How much has each of the following affected casino gambling in Mpumalanga in recent years?

	Strong negative effect	Slight negative effect	No real effect	Slight positive effect	Strong positive effect	No opinion	Not relevant to my organisation
Online betting	Online betting Strong negative effect	Online betting Slight negative effect	Online betting No real effect	Online betting Slight positive effect	Online betting Strong positive effect	Online betting No opinion	Online betting Not relevant to my organisation
Sports betting	Sports betting Strong negative effect	Sports betting Slight negative effect	Sports betting No real effect	Sports betting Slight positive effect	Sports betting Strong positive effect	Sports betting No opinion	Sports betting Not relevant to my organisation
Limited Payout Machines	Limited Payout Machines Strong negative effect	Limited Payout Machines Slight negative effect	Limited Payout Machines No real effect	Limited Payout Machines Slight positive effect	Limited Payout Machines Strong positive effect	Limited Payout Machines No opinion	Limited Payout Machines Not relevant to my organisation
Economic conditions and disposable income	Economic conditions and disposable income Strong negative effect	Economic conditions and disposable income Slight negative effect	Economic conditions and disposable income No real effect	Economic conditions and disposable income Slight positive effect	Economic conditions and disposable income Strong positive effect	Economic conditions and disposable income No opinion	Economic conditions and disposable income Not relevant to my organisation
Changing entertainment preferences	Changing entertainment preferences Strong negative effect	Changing entertainment preferences Slight negative effect	Changing entertainment preferences No real effect	Changing entertainment preferences Slight positive effect	Changing entertainment preferences Strong positive effect	Changing entertainment preferences No opinion	Changing entertainment preferences Not relevant to my organisation

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* 11. A fourth casino could either grow the total gambling market or mainly shift revenue between existing operators. Which is closer to your view?

It would mostly grow the total market

A mix of both

It would mostly shift revenue from existing operators

No opinion

Not relevant to my organisation

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* 12. In your view, what would most determine whether a fourth casino succeeds? (select up to three)

Location

Proximity to tourism attractions

Size of the local population and income

Quality of the development and facilities

Online and digital integration

Accessibility and transport links

Limited competition nearby

Not relevant to my organisation

Other (please specify)

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* 13. How would a fourth casino in the province affect your operation?

Significant negative effect

Slight negative effect

No real effect

Slight positive effect

Significant positive effect

No opinion

Not relevant to my organisation

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* 14. How concerned are you about each of the following?

	Not concerned	Slightly	Moderately	Very concerned	No opinion	Not relevant to my organisation
Loss of patrons to a new casino	Loss of patrons to a new casino Not concerned	Loss of patrons to a new casino Slightly	Loss of patrons to a new casino Moderately	Loss of patrons to a new casino Very concerned	Loss of patrons to a new casino No opinion	Loss of patrons to a new casino Not relevant to my organisation
Pressure on gaming revenue	Pressure on gaming revenue Not concerned	Pressure on gaming revenue Slightly	Pressure on gaming revenue Moderately	Pressure on gaming revenue Very concerned	Pressure on gaming revenue No opinion	Pressure on gaming revenue Not relevant to my organisation
Pressure on non-gaming revenue (food, entertainment)	Pressure on non-gaming revenue (food, entertainment) Not concerned	Pressure on non-gaming revenue (food, entertainment) Slightly	Pressure on non-gaming revenue (food, entertainment) Moderately	Pressure on non-gaming revenue (food, entertainment) Very concerned	Pressure on non-gaming revenue (food, entertainment) No opinion	Pressure on non-gaming revenue (food, entertainment) Not relevant to my organisation
Staff retention and competition for skills	Staff retention and competition for skills Not concerned	Staff retention and competition for skills Slightly	Staff retention and competition for skills Moderately	Staff retention and competition for skills Very concerned	Staff retention and competition for skills No opinion	Staff retention and competition for skills Not relevant to my organisation

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* 15. How would you describe your venue's current capacity utilisation?

Mostly under-utilised

Moderately utilised

Near full capacity

Varies greatly by season

Prefer not to say

Not relevant to my organisation

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* 16. In your experience, what share of your patrons travel from outside your immediate area?

Most are local

A roughly even mix

Many travel from further afield

Prefer not to say

Not relevant to my organisation

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* 17. How significant is online and mobile betting as a competitive pressure on your business?

Not significant

Slightly

Moderately

Very significant

Extremely significant

No opinion

Not relevant to my organisation

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* 18. Any further comments on the competitive landscape or the impact of a fourth licence?

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* 19. How would you describe visitor demand in your area over the past three years?

Declined significantly

Declined slightly

Stable

Grown slightly

Grown significantly

No opinion

Not relevant to my organisation

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* 20. What is your establishment's typical occupancy or capacity utilisation?

Below 30%

30 to 50%

50 to 70%

Above 70%

Varies greatly by season

Prefer not to say

Not relevant to my organisation

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* 21. How seasonal is visitor demand in your area?

Highly seasonal

Moderately seasonal

Fairly steady year-round

No opinion

Not relevant to my organisation

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* 22. Where do most of your visitors come from? (select all that apply)

Local municipality / immediate surrounding area

Elsewhere in Mpumalanga

Gauteng

Limpopo

KwaZulu-Natal

Other South African provinces

Mozambique

eSwatini

Zimbabwe

Botswana

Other SADC countries

Other international markets

We do not track visitor origin

Prefer not to say

Not relevant to my organisation

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* 23. Would a casino integrated with a hotel and resort facilities benefit tourism in your area?

Yes, significantly

Yes, somewhat

No real effect

It would compete with existing businesses

No opinion

Not relevant to my organisation

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* 24. How well do you think each of the following would support a tourism-integrated resort casino in your area?

	Very poorly	Poorly	Adequately	Well	Very well	No opinion	Not relevant to my organisation
Existing visitor volumes	Existing visitor volumes Very poorly	Existing visitor volumes Poorly	Existing visitor volumes Adequately	Existing visitor volumes Well	Existing visitor volumes Very well	Existing visitor volumes No opinion	Existing visitor volumes Not relevant to my organisation
Accommodation supply	Accommodation supply Very poorly	Accommodation supply Poorly	Accommodation supply Adequately	Accommodation supply Well	Accommodation supply Very well	Accommodation supply No opinion	Accommodation supply Not relevant to my organisation
Tourism attractions nearby	Tourism attractions nearby Very poorly	Tourism attractions nearby Poorly	Tourism attractions nearby Adequately	Tourism attractions nearby Well	Tourism attractions nearby Very well	Tourism attractions nearby No opinion	Tourism attractions nearby Not relevant to my organisation
Transport and access	Transport and access Very poorly	Transport and access Poorly	Transport and access Adequately	Transport and access Well	Transport and access Very well	Transport and access No opinion	Transport and access Not relevant to my organisation
Conference, meetings and events demand	Conference, meetings and events demand Very poorly	Conference, meetings and events demand Poorly	Conference, meetings and events demand Adequately	Conference, meetings and events demand Well	Conference, meetings and events demand Very well	Conference, meetings and events demand No opinion	Conference, meetings and events demand Not relevant to my organisation

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* 25. Would a resort casino more likely complement or compete with your business?

Mainly complement

A mix of both

Mainly compete

No opinion

Not relevant to my organisation

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* 26. Any further comments on tourism and the proposed development?

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* 27. How well would a major casino or resort development align with your area's economic development priorities?

Not at all

Slightly

Moderately

Well

Very well

No opinion

Not relevant to my organisation

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* 28. How would you rate the readiness of infrastructure in your area to support a major development?

	Not ready	Limited	Adequate	Good	Excellent	No opinion	Not relevant to my organisation
Road network and access	Road network and access Not ready	Road network and access Limited	Road network and access Adequate	Road network and access Good	Road network and access Excellent	Road network and access No opinion	Road network and access Not relevant to my organisation
Electricity supply	Electricity supply Not ready	Electricity supply Limited	Electricity supply Adequate	Electricity supply Good	Electricity supply Excellent	Electricity supply No opinion	Electricity supply Not relevant to my organisation
Water and sewerage	Water and sewerage Not ready	Water and sewerage Limited	Water and sewerage Adequate	Water and sewerage Good	Water and sewerage Excellent	Water and sewerage No opinion	Water and sewerage Not relevant to my organisation
Telecommunications and broadband	Telecommunications and broadband Not ready	Telecommunications and broadband Limited	Telecommunications and broadband Adequate	Telecommunications and broadband Good	Telecommunications and broadband Excellent	Telecommunications and broadband No opinion	Telecommunications and broadband Not relevant to my organisation

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* 29. Is suitable, appropriately zoned land available in your area for a development of this kind?

Yes, readily

Yes, with some process

Limited availability

No opinion

Not relevant to my organisation

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* 30. How significant would each of the following benefits be for your area?

	Not significant	Slightly	Moderately	Very	Extremely significant	No opinion	Not relevant to my organisation
Job creation	Job creation Not significant	Job creation Slightly	Job creation Moderately	Job creation Very	Job creation Extremely significant	Job creation No opinion	Job creation Not relevant to my organisation
Tourism growth	Tourism growth Not significant	Tourism growth Slightly	Tourism growth Moderately	Tourism growth Very	Tourism growth Extremely significant	Tourism growth No opinion	Tourism growth Not relevant to my organisation
Investment attraction	Investment attraction Not significant	Investment attraction Slightly	Investment attraction Moderately	Investment attraction Very	Investment attraction Extremely significant	Investment attraction No opinion	Investment attraction Not relevant to my organisation
Municipal revenue	Municipal revenue Not significant	Municipal revenue Slightly	Municipal revenue Moderately	Municipal revenue Very	Municipal revenue Extremely significant	Municipal revenue No opinion	Municipal revenue Not relevant to my organisation
Skills development	Skills development Not significant	Skills development Slightly	Skills development Moderately	Skills development Very	Skills development Extremely significant	Skills development No opinion	Skills development Not relevant to my organisation

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* 31. How significant would each of the following concerns be for your area?

	Not significant	Slightly	Moderately	Very	Extremely significant	No opinion	Not relevant to my organisation
Problem gambling and social harm	Problem gambling and social harm Not significant	Problem gambling and social harm Slightly	Problem gambling and social harm Moderately	Problem gambling and social harm Very	Problem gambling and social harm Extremely significant	Problem gambling and social harm No opinion	Problem gambling and social harm Not relevant to my organisation
Pressure on infrastructure	Pressure on infrastructure Not significant	Pressure on infrastructure Slightly	Pressure on infrastructure Moderately	Pressure on infrastructure Very	Pressure on infrastructure Extremely significant	Pressure on infrastructure No opinion	Pressure on infrastructure Not relevant to my organisation
Environmental impact	Environmental impact Not significant	Environmental impact Slightly	Environmental impact Moderately	Environmental impact Very	Environmental impact Extremely significant	Environmental impact No opinion	Environmental impact Not relevant to my organisation
Community opposition	Community opposition Not significant	Community opposition Slightly	Community opposition Moderately	Community opposition Very	Community opposition Extremely significant	Community opposition No opinion	Community opposition Not relevant to my organisation

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* 32. Overall, would your organisation support the development of a fourth casino in the province?

Strongly support

Support

Neutral

Oppose

Strongly oppose

Position not yet formed

Not relevant to my organisation

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* 33. Any further comments on development readiness or local priorities?

Section F: Location and development model

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* 34. In your view, how suitable is each of the following areas for a new casino or resort development?

	Not suitable	Slightly suitable	Moderately suitable	Highly suitable	No opinion
City of Mbombela (Ehlanzeni)	City of Mbombela (Ehlanzeni) Not suitable	City of Mbombela (Ehlanzeni) Slightly suitable	City of Mbombela (Ehlanzeni) Moderately suitable	City of Mbombela (Ehlanzeni) Highly suitable	City of Mbombela (Ehlanzeni) No opinion
Bushbuckridge (Ehlanzeni)	Bushbuckridge (Ehlanzeni) Not suitable	Bushbuckridge (Ehlanzeni) Slightly suitable	Bushbuckridge (Ehlanzeni) Moderately suitable	Bushbuckridge (Ehlanzeni) Highly suitable	Bushbuckridge (Ehlanzeni) No opinion
Nkomazi (Ehlanzeni)	Nkomazi (Ehlanzeni) Not suitable	Nkomazi (Ehlanzeni) Slightly suitable	Nkomazi (Ehlanzeni) Moderately suitable	Nkomazi (Ehlanzeni) Highly suitable	Nkomazi (Ehlanzeni) No opinion
Thaba Chweu (Ehlanzeni)	Thaba Chweu (Ehlanzeni) Not suitable	Thaba Chweu (Ehlanzeni) Slightly suitable	Thaba Chweu (Ehlanzeni) Moderately suitable	Thaba Chweu (Ehlanzeni) Highly suitable	Thaba Chweu (Ehlanzeni) No opinion
Emalahleni (Nkangala)	Emalahleni (Nkangala) Not suitable	Emalahleni (Nkangala) Slightly suitable	Emalahleni (Nkangala) Moderately suitable	Emalahleni (Nkangala) Highly suitable	Emalahleni (Nkangala) No opinion
Steve Tshwete (Nkangala)	Steve Tshwete (Nkangala) Not suitable	Steve Tshwete (Nkangala) Slightly suitable	Steve Tshwete (Nkangala) Moderately suitable	Steve Tshwete (Nkangala) Highly suitable	Steve Tshwete (Nkangala) No opinion
Thembisile Hani (Nkangala)	Thembisile Hani (Nkangala) Not suitable	Thembisile Hani (Nkangala) Slightly suitable	Thembisile Hani (Nkangala) Moderately suitable	Thembisile Hani (Nkangala) Highly suitable	Thembisile Hani (Nkangala) No opinion
Dr JS Moroka (Nkangala)	Dr JS Moroka (Nkangala) Not suitable	Dr JS Moroka (Nkangala) Slightly suitable	Dr JS Moroka (Nkangala) Moderately suitable	Dr JS Moroka (Nkangala) Highly suitable	Dr JS Moroka (Nkangala) No opinion
Victor Khanye (Nkangala)	Victor Khanye (Nkangala) Not suitable	Victor Khanye (Nkangala) Slightly suitable	Victor Khanye (Nkangala) Moderately suitable	Victor Khanye (Nkangala) Highly suitable	Victor Khanye (Nkangala) No opinion
Emakhazeni (Nkangala)	Emakhazeni (Nkangala) Not suitable	Emakhazeni (Nkangala) Slightly suitable	Emakhazeni (Nkangala) Moderately suitable	Emakhazeni (Nkangala) Highly suitable	Emakhazeni (Nkangala) No opinion
Govan Mbeki (Gert Sibande)	Govan Mbeki (Gert Sibande) Not suitable	Govan Mbeki (Gert Sibande) Slightly suitable	Govan Mbeki (Gert Sibande) Moderately suitable	Govan Mbeki (Gert Sibande) Highly suitable	Govan Mbeki (Gert Sibande) No opinion
Msukaligwa (Gert Sibande)	Msukaligwa (Gert Sibande) Not suitable	Msukaligwa (Gert Sibande) Slightly suitable	Msukaligwa (Gert Sibande) Moderately suitable	Msukaligwa (Gert Sibande) Highly suitable	Msukaligwa (Gert Sibande) No opinion
Dipaleseng (Gert Sibande)	Dipaleseng (Gert Sibande) Not suitable	Dipaleseng (Gert Sibande) Slightly suitable	Dipaleseng (Gert Sibande) Moderately suitable	Dipaleseng (Gert Sibande) Highly suitable	Dipaleseng (Gert Sibande) No opinion
Lekwa (Gert Sibande)	Lekwa (Gert Sibande) Not suitable	Lekwa (Gert Sibande) Slightly suitable	Lekwa (Gert Sibande) Moderately suitable	Lekwa (Gert Sibande) Highly suitable	Lekwa (Gert Sibande) No opinion
Mkhondo (Gert Sibande)	Mkhondo (Gert Sibande) Not suitable	Mkhondo (Gert Sibande) Slightly suitable	Mkhondo (Gert Sibande) Moderately suitable	Mkhondo (Gert Sibande) Highly suitable	Mkhondo (Gert Sibande) No opinion
Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme (Gert Sibande)	Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme (Gert Sibande) Not suitable	Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme (Gert Sibande) Slightly suitable	Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme (Gert Sibande) Moderately suitable	Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme (Gert Sibande) Highly suitable	Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme (Gert Sibande) No opinion
Chief Albert Luthuli (Gert Sibande)	Chief Albert Luthuli (Gert Sibande) Not suitable	Chief Albert Luthuli (Gert Sibande) Slightly suitable	Chief Albert Luthuli (Gert Sibande) Moderately suitable	Chief Albert Luthuli (Gert Sibande) Highly suitable	Chief Albert Luthuli (Gert Sibande) No opinion

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* 35. What makes a location well suited to a fourth casino? Please explain briefly.

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* 36. Which development model do you believe would work best for a fourth casino in Mpumalanga?

A gambling-led casino: focused mainly on gambling, serving the local population

A tourism-integrated resort: a casino combined with hotel, conference and leisure facilities

A phased approach: casino first, with resort facilities added later

No preference

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* 37. Please explain your choice of development model.

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* 38. How important is it that a fourth casino includes a strong online and digital component alongside the physical venue?

Not important

Slightly

Moderately

Very

Extremely important

No opinion

Section G: Closing

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* 39. Is there anything else you would like the study to consider?

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* 40. Would you be willing to be contacted for a brief follow-up discussion?

Yes

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* 41. If yes, please provide an email address for follow-up.

Thank you for taking part. Your input is a valuable contribution to this study. The findings will be reported to the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator in aggregate form.

If you have any questions, please contact the Samba Solutions project team at survey@sambasolution.co.za