Opposition parties are concerned that South Africa has shifted closer to nationalising its mines, following President Jacob Zuma's third state of the nation speech on Thursday.

"I think we're one step closer to the nationalisation of mines, and I'm very concerned about that," Democratic Alliance (DA) parliamentary leader Athol Trollip told Sapa after Zuma's address in Parliament.

"We have a state mining company, but his [Zuma's] referral to the mineral assets of this country belonging to the state is a massive concern, because we're not going to be able to create jobs in that industry if there is nationalisation."

In his address delivered earlier in the National Assembly, Zuma said the country's mineral wealth "is a national asset and a common heritage that belongs to all South Africans, with the State as the custodian".

He noted the country had significant mining assets, currently valued at $2,5-trillion.

Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder said Zuma's speech contained "mixed messages" on mining.

"We really must create jobs and therefore we need some incentives for the private sector in agriculture but at the same time he announced labour laws... more restrictive labour laws... and I think that's a mixed message. The same on the minerals, it seems that Malema [ANCYL president Julius Malema] is winning on nationalisation of mining and he's not exactly clear on that.

"And I think these mixed messages will not help us at this stage," he said.

Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi welcomed Zuma's plan to create a R9-billion jobs fund, but said it would be a futile exercise because the labour legislation was not conducive for job creation.

"The hostile labour laws made job creation impossible," he said.

United Democratic Movement president Bantu Holomisa said Zuma had "shifted paradigms" by investing money into the economy.

"Remember that the previous government has been reluctant to invest in job creation, to investing more money or intervening in the economy," he said.

"There seems to have been a paradigm shift under the presidency of Mr Jacob Zuma. He wants to invest more money into the economy and this is not a taboo."

Labour unions, however, welcomed the address.

Solidarity's deputy general secretary Dirk Hermann said the speech was "bakgat".

"Bakgat, that's word I'd chose," Hermann said.

"I think it was a good speech. It was well balanced and comprehensive."

Hermann said Zuma had defined the role of the government as an "enabler" in job creation.

"He emphasised that we need to create infrastructure for the private sector to create jobs."

Herman, whose uncle Frik Hermann was found dead at his farm near Alma in Limpopo on Tuesday said Zuma had done little to give South Africans hope about the fight against crime.

"There was nothing in the speech to give South Africans hope in the fight against crime," he said.

Hermann wrote an emotional letter to Zuma on Wednesday pleading with the government to turn their intentions on fighting crime into action.

Congress of South African Trade Unions spokesperson Patrick Craven said the federation "broadly welcomed" the speech.

"Obviously need to find out who will receive money to make sure it is used for job creation," he said.

Federation of Unions of South Africa general secretary Dennis George welcomed Zuma's declaration of 2011 a year of job creation.

"President Zuma has emphasised that decent work is at the centre of our economic policy," he said.

"We want to create that motivation and enthusiasm for creating jobs like we had in the 2010 World Cup.

Economists said there had been no surprises in Zuma's address.

"The tricky bit is delivery... this is the difficult part but it is so crucial," said Dennis Dykes, chief economist at Nedbank.

"There was a lot in there which was fairly well known, such as the referrals to the New Growth Path... that it is the year of job creation has been well publicised."

Investec Group Economist, Kgotso Radira, gave as an example the R20-billion Zuma said would be set aside for tax allowances or tax breaks to promote investments, expansions and upgrades in the manufacturing sector.

"Who's going to administer it?" he asked.

"SARS or the Treasury? Last year he announced a R1-billion fund to help people access mortgages, who could not go through the formal market, but there has been little success on that."

The Black Sash said Zuma had failed to deliver the bold and decisive leadership needed to break the devastating stranglehold of poverty, inequality and unemployment.

"He has failed to take a risk with his multiple and often contradictory constituencies and cut through government's political inertia to offer us convincing solutions that will translate his pledges into real change," the human rights organisation said in a statement.