South African Business 2017 edition

Robertson). A good percentage of this wine is
exported but the wine estates themselves attract
tourists which in turn boosts the leisure
industry. Tourism in the Winelands has matured
beyond day-trips from Cape Town to incorporate
wellness spas, adventure tourism and even game
farms boasting the Big Five.
Manufacturing is concentrated on processing
grapes and fruit into wine, juice, brandy, dried
and tinned fruit products. Dairy manufacturer
Parmalat has an award-winning cheese-making
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 British American Tobacco.
Mossel Bay is home to South Africa’s main
gas-processing plant while George is a node of
manufacturing, trade and administration. The
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality has
facilities in George. Knysna and Plettenberg Bay
are favoured tourist destinations.
The Klein Karoo has its own wine route, and
contains the country’s Port Capital in Calitzdorp,
which hosts an annual festival to celebrate its
main product. Fruit, vegetables and ostriches are
other main products of the Klein Karoo.
Economic future
According to the provincial treasury, the fastgrowing
sectors to 2020 will be construction,
financial services (and real estate and business
services) and transport, storage and communication.
Financial services is expected to make
the biggest contribution overall.
However, the provincial government of the
Western Cape and the private sector are putting
their heads together to find out what projects
will best boost economic growth and create
jobs: it is called Project Khulisa and it is due to
run to 2019. Three sectors have been targeted
in the first phase: tourism and agri-processing
are perhaps predictable areas of focus, but a
new – and potentially very exciting – sector is
oil and gas.
Oil and gas
REGION
With the number of oil rigs passing around the Cape
on their way either to the rich fields on both sides of
Africa, this is a sector that can grow exponentially. It
has already created 35 000 formal jobs, and there are
many opportunities for trained artisans in rig repair
and other boat-related jobs. National government
has identified Saldanha Bay as a hub for rig repair.
Tourism
The sector already contributes R17-billion to the provincial
economy and jobs are created quite quickly
in this sector. There is a belief that this sector can
still contribute much more. One example is the successful
bid for the World Rugby Sevens tournament,
which Cape Town hosted for the first time in 2015.
With international visitors spending up to R10 000
each, the weekend tournament added to the city's
GDP by R539-million. Cape Town will host the event
until 2018. Plans to further boost the sector include
marketing the province as an all-year destination,
focussing on cultural and heritage tourism and
promoting more local business tourism.
Agri-processing
By playing to the Western Cape's strengths, which
include an excellent reputation for fruit and wine
in the international market, the province wants to
take the agri-processing sector beyond the R12-
billion that the sector already contributes to the
local economy. Investment in infrastructure and
support for exporters together with an improved
regulatory environment are strategies that are going
to be adopted.
Capital Cape Town
Population 6 200 100 (2015
Area 129 462km 2
Premier Helen Zille (DA)
Languages Afrikaans, English, Xhosa
145 SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS 2017