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Western Cape Business 2017 edition

  • Text
  • Agriculture
  • Maritime
  • Development
  • Gan
  • Network
  • Cape
  • Africa
  • Government
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Investment
  • Business
  • African
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  • Banking
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  • Economic
  • Municipality
The 2017 edition of Western Cape Business is the 10th issue of this highly successful publication that, since its launch in 2005, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to the Western Cape province. The Western Cape has numerous promising investment and business opportunities and this issue includes contributions from Alan Winde (Minister of Economic Opportunities for the Western Cape Government), interviews with Ryan Ravens (CEO of Accelerate Cape Town), Arifa Parkar (Western Cape Business Opportunities Forum CEO), Wesgro CEO Tim Harris and Lance Greyling (Invest Cape Town) as well as contributions from various business leaders. In addition, you will also find comprehensive features on all the key sectors in the Western Cape.

SPECIAL FEATURE

SPECIAL FEATURE punctuating it for many months: this is the Cape Town Film Studios, which hosted the Black Sails production team. More than 19 000 filming permits were issued by the City of Cape Town between 2014 and October 2016. Universal Studios and Disney have a presence in Cape Town. The city of George is another important hub for the film industry. • Business Process Outsourcing (BPO): Amazon and Asda are just two big international companies that have call centres in Cape Town. Many more have signed up for similar services, and many more are expected. The national BPO association says that 5 000 jobs were created in South Africa in 2015, and it expects this to accelerate in 2017. • Green economy: Atlantis is being promoted as a green economy manufacturing hub. The renewable energy sector is growing very fast and opportunities are opening in many fields; biogas and use of waste are areas of huge potential. The Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme, or WISP, has achieved some major milestones in diverting organic waste and saving in greenhouse fossil gases. WISP is a GreenCape initiative. Each of the sectors listed above could be categorised as “tech” industries. Another one that could fall in this category is “design”. The Western Cape wants to lead in innovation. Renewable energy, the green economy, energy efficiency – all of these related concepts, once just a fuzzy dream, have become the bedrock of future business plans. Green buildings are becoming much more than a “nice-to-have”. A planned residential development in Somerset West, the Blue Rock Village with 1 000 flats, will be powered by solar power and have water and energy management systems. The Hotel Verde at Cape Town International Airport claims to be carbon neutral and has a six-star rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa. Small, medium and micro enterprises are said to create jobs faster than large concerns. To bolster the SMME sector, the Industrial Development Corporation is supporting the Philippi Village Container Walk, an initiative of The Business Place and Bertha Foundation initiative. A total of 127 containers house entrepreneurs of every sort from shoe shops, barbers and construction material retailers to accountants, NGOs and a LEAP Science and Maths School training centre. The annual Premier’s Entrepreneurship Recognition Awards (PERA) has received more than 1 000 entries since 2013. Some of the categories in WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2017 18

SPECIAL FEATURE 2016 were for job creation (Doring Bay Abalone was the winner), innovation (Praelexis, a data company) and emerging rural business (Anja’s Pantry from Vredenburg). West Coast District Municipality Towns: Saldanha Bay, Malmesbury, Clanwilliam, Vredenburg, Moorreesburg. The economy of this region ranges from manufacturing in Saldanha, Atlantis and Malmesbury to agriculture and forestry centred on inland towns like Moorreesburg (wheat) and Cederberg (forestry) and Citrusdal. Cement is made in Riebeek West and Piketberg and fishing takes place all along the coast. Rooibos tea and shoes are made in Clanwilliam. The remote mission station of Wupperthal is famous for its veldskoens. The Port of Saldanha Bay is the principal port for the export of iron ore and is gearing itself to service the continent’s oil and gas industry and to be a steel manufacturing hub. Mineral sands are mined north of Saldanha. Cape Winelands District Municipality Towns: Stellenbosch, Paarl, Worcester, Robertson, Wellington, Franschhoek. Nearly 70% of South Africa’s wine comes from this area. Vineyards also attract many tourists but tourism in the Winelands includes wellness spas, adventure tourism and game farms. Manufacturing is concentrated on processing grapes and fruit into wine, juice, brandy, dried and tinned fruit products. Dairy manufacturer Parmalat has an award-winning cheesemaking facility in Bonnievale. Robertson is known for roses and thoroughbred horses. Stellenbosch is home to its eponymous university and houses the headquarters of several large companies, such as PSG Group. Overberg District Municipality Towns: Caledon, Bredasdorp, Hermanus, Swellendam, Cape Agulhas. The Overberg contains the southernmost tip of Africa (Cape Agulhas), the oldest mission station in South Africa (Genadendal), a large casino resort (in Caledon) and some of the best whale viewing in the world (Whale Coast). It also hosts some high-quality fruit farms in the Ceres Valley and rural villages that NAMIBIA Northern Cape Northern Cape WESTERN CAPE BOTSWANA North West Free State Eastern Cape Limpopo ZIMBABWE Mpumalanga Gauteng SWAZI- LAND LESOTHO KwaZulu- Natal are popular with tourists, such as Barrydale and Greyton. Agriculture is the principal economic activity of the region and the services sector is strong. Eden District Municipality Towns: George, Oudtshoorn, Calitzdorp, Knysna, Mossel Bay, Plettenberg Bay. The area has two important tourist components: the Cape Garden Route on the coast and the Klein Karoo between the mountain ranges. Route 62 is a popular route that ends (or starts) in Oudtshoorn, home of the Cango Caves. A report by the Bureau for Economic Research (Stellenbosch University) found that Eden District is one of the best-performing regions because of tourism. Mossel Bay hosts the country’s main gas-processing plant while George is a node of manufacturing, trade, tourism and administration. The Klein Karoo has its own wine route and port, cheese and brandy are produced. Fruit, vegetables and ostriches are other main products. Central Karoo District Municipality Towns: Beaufort West, Laingsburg, Prince Albert. The largest district in the province has the smallest population, a reflection of the semi-desert conditions. Sheep farming predominates. Beaufort West is strategically positioned on the N1 highway, which links Cape Town with the interior of South Africa. It is nearby the Karoo National Park and not far from Prince Albert, a quaint town situated in the shadow of the Swartberg Mountain. Prince Albert is a popular tourist destination and is close to the dramatic portals that link the Karoo to the Klein Karoo: Seweweekspoort, the Swartberg Pass and Meiringspoort. MOZAMBIQUE 19 WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2017

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