This encompasses continued state ownership of entities in the energy and transport sectors as well as acting as a catalyst towards the broader development of the economy. The private sector is, however, expected to play an active and integral role in the economy. Moreover, affirmative action policies such as the Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE), which obliges companies to comply with a broad range of quotas (ownership, management positions, general staff, etc.) By end-2008 total population was estimated to have increased to over 48 million, including some 4 million immigrants mainly from other African countries (Statistics South Africa, 2009).