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Western Cape Business 2018 edition

  • Text
  • Nedbank
  • Sectors
  • Growth
  • Finance
  • Government
  • Africa
  • Management
  • Infrastructure
  • Transport
  • Opportunities
  • Energy
  • Development
  • Wesgro
  • Vodacom
  • Investment
  • Cape
  • Business
  • Tourism
  • Economic
  • Municipality
The 2018 edition of Western Cape Business is the 11th issue of this highly successful publication that, since its launch in 2005, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide for the Western Cape. In addition to the regular articles providing insight into each of the key economic sectors of the province, there are special features on the growth of tourism (spurred by an innovative programme designed to create more direct flights to Cape Town), medical technology as a growth sector and the pursuit of excellence that drives the Cape Winemakers Guild. The journal contains a message from Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities, and contributions from significant business leaders from Accelerate Cape Town, the Cape Chamber of Commerce and the Western Cape Business Opportunities Forum. An interview with Tim Harris, Wesgro’s CEO, reveals some of the recipe for the province’s economic success. Updated information on the Western Cape is also available through our monthly e-newsletter, which you can subscribe to online at www.globalafricanetwork.com, in addition to our complementary business-to-business titles that cover all nine provinces as well as our flagship South African Business title.

INTERVIEW Growing a

INTERVIEW Growing a diverse and sustainable economy The CEO of Accelerate Cape Town, Ryan Ravens, outlines ways in which the organisation is encouraging transformation and economic growth. Ryan Ravens BIOGRAPHY Ryan Ravens currently holds three degrees including an MBA from the University of Cape Town. He has extensive experience in leadership positions in the public and private sectors. Ryan owned and managed a successful management consultancy before delivering the first draft of the masterplan for the 2010 World Cup. This led to him being asked to join FIFA, after which he was Group Executive (Enterprise Programme Management Office) for the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency. What is Accelerate Cape Town doing to attract and retain black business talent to the Cape? Cape Town is one of South Africa’s key business hubs; however, young black professionals have not always found the city an easy place to network and meet mentors in their careers. To support our members’ Human Capital programmes, Accelerate Cape Town hosts a number of initiatives such as our Inspiration Sessions and Young Leaders Dinners. These engagements provide a large vibrant forum for young professionals in Cape Town to network, as well as intimate dinners for our sponsor companies where young professionals can debate issues such as transformation and career progression. The aim of the Human Capital programme is to: • Address issues of transformation in Cape Town • Provide a dialogue between business and academia and address issues impacting on graduate placement and work readiness • Provide a cross-sector engagement for HR professionals in Cape Town through workshops • Provide a networking platform for newly relocated staff of our member companies through our Welcome to Cape Town networking engagement. How can business, government and academia work together? The relationship between business, government and academia is vital to economies, especially those that require high levels of socioeconomic transformation. At Accelerate Cape Town, we believe that these three stakeholders should collaborate to positively contribute to the socio-economic transformation South Africa so desperately needs. We work to create an ecosystem in which engagement between business, government and the Western Cape’s four universities is synergetic and highly impactful. Accelerate Cape Town’s Business Leadership/Government/Academia Programme aims to: • Stimulate robust discussion on issues such as governance and ethics and also, to hold government accountable on these critical issues • Connect business, government and higher education to find opportunities to collaborate and co-create, generating greater economies of scale WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2018 52

INTERVIEW • Tap into the depth of expertise found in universities, ensuring we remain innovative and relevant as a city. Accelerate Cape Town has recently launched an ESD Programme. How can this programme benefit corporates, as well as the local economy? South Africa greatly needs jobs and economic development, but with government coming under increasing pressure to reduce its wage bill, and the corporate sector similarly pushing for greater efficiencies in a recessionary economy, the only remaining hope for job growth is the SME sector. In order to significantly grow SMEs, we need to provide them with access to market opportunities, finance, technical support, and mentorship. Identified as a key economic driver globally, the development of SMEs is probably the most meaningful way to grow a more diverse and sustainable economic landscape for South Africa. Accelerate Cape Town’s Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) Programme aims to build more sustainable sectors in an effort to encourage greater, socioeconomic transformation. The ESD programme aims to: • Identify suitable (risk averse) supply chain opportunities for emerging suppliers • Find suitable suppliers that could be developed and upscaled into larger businesses • Support the in-house SME training programmes of our member companies. How can SMEs be supported? SMEs require support and resources that include access to suitable market opportunities, access to finance for upscaling, access to technical support required for upscaling and most importantly, access to best of-breed mentors. Is something being done to tackle Cape Town’s traffic problem holistically? Traffic congestion in Cape Town is the highest in South Africa according to TomTom, and with Metrorail’s challenges from cable theft and vandalism, commuters can spend almost double their travel time during peak hours. As part of the Transport programme, Accelerate Cape Town has launched a Transport Project Office (TPO), a progressive initiative, which aims to coordinate corporate leadership and action in relation to the transport challenges and opportunities in the Cape Town city-region. The aim of the programme and TPO is to: • Address traffic congestion and find solutions to the problem in an effort to enhance business productivity • Encourage behavioural change among commuters • Foster a spirit of collaboration among corporate Cape Town, encouraging them to consider innovative and alternative transport solutions to ease congestion • Forming part of steering committees in projects such as the aerotropolis at Cape Town International Airport and the Air Access project. 53 WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2018

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