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PREMIER OF THE WESTERN CAPE PROVINCEOpportunity is one of the cornerstones of the Western Cape Provincial Government’s vision of an open opportunity society for all, which we are committed to building in the province over the next five years.
One of the ways of achieving this is through maximising economic growth, job creation and sustainability. For this to happen, it is vital that we attract, retain and grow investment in the Western Cape.
Investment is the main driver of economic growth and job creation, and is the key to addressing developmental challenges such as poverty and housing shortages. This is why we are doing all we can to remove constraints to doing business and create an enabling environment, both physical and regulatory.
We want to boost investor confidence and fair participation in the market. This starts with good, clean governance and addressing key constraints to investment such as infrastructure backlogs, crime and red tape.
There are many reasons why the Western Cape is a highly attractive investment destination.
Firstly, the Cape Town central business district has become an attractive, safe place to conduct business during the course of the past 10 years. This is due to the City of Cape Town, the South African Police Service and city businesses forming a Central Improvement District (CID). This CID has cleaned up the city and has cut crime by 90%.
The model has been extended to other centres around the Cape Metro, with similar success.
The Western Cape further boasts a number of tertiary institutions that produce the skills and research our businesses require to compete in the global knowledge economy.
Thirdly, our province is home to some of the best schools in the country. These schools produce learners equipped with the necessary skills to enter tertiary institutions and to pursue careers in business.
The Provincial Government is also in the process of establishing four new Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – or STEM – centres of excellence. These centres will assist greatly in increasing the number of learners with skills in these four subject areas.
There are also three world-class ports in the Western Cape, namely in Cape Town, Saldanha and Mossel Bay.
The ports of Cape Town and Saldanha offer excellent shipping and cargo services, and Mossel Bay acts as a hub for the gas industry operating off its shores.
The oil and gas industry is one of the many areas in which major investment opportunities exist in the province.
Other fields include renewable energy, manufacturing related to the maritime industry, tourism, information and communication technology, business process outsourcing, call centres and small business development.
Lastly, well-developed road and rail networks strategically link Cape Town and the province with the rest of South Africa and its neighbouring countries.
Hosting the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup has resulted in the further upgrading of our transport infrastructure to the value of around R7 billion. This includes the upgrade of the Cape Town International Airport, a number of our roads as well as Cape Town Station.
The World Cup has provided a major platform for the City of Cape Town and the rest of the Western Cape to market the city and the province as a leading tourism, trade and foreign direct investment destination.
The social and economic legacies created by the World Cup as well as the Western Cape Government’s drive to attract investment have created a healthy and competitive market economy in the province which will continue to attract investment to the Western Cape long after 2010.
Premier of the Western Cape
Helen Zille
