Western Cape Business 2024

WESTERN CAPE
BUSINESS
THE GUIDE TO BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT
IN THE WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE
2024 EDITION
JOIN US ONLINE
WWW.GLOBALAFRICANETWORK.COM | WWW.WESTERNCAPEBUSINESS.CO.ZA

Promoting business competitiveness and
strengthening public-private dialogue
The Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry supports and connects members.
The 2023 AGM re-elected Jacques Moolman and Derryn Brigg
as President and Deputy President of the Cape Chamber of
Commerce and Industry for a fourth consecutive year.
The Cape Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, Africa’s oldest member-based
business chamber, was established in
1804. For over two centuries we have
been a catalyst for economic growth, helping to
establish our region as one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s
major centres of trade, industry and innovation.
Our key mandate is to support our
members’ interests by improving the overall
business environment, with a specific focus on
sustainable growth.
We survey our members and canvass opinion
to identify ongoing business challenges and
key impediments to growth. We then engage
government departments, sector representatives
and other relevant institutions to resolve
challenges via public-private dialogue.
We advocate a proactive and constructive
approach, facilitating discussion at a range of
events such as skills-training workshops, seminars,
webinars, business networking and informal social
occasions. Through dialogue we aim to achieve
consensus wherever possible.
By strengthening public-private dialogue we
promote business competitiveness that steers us
towards a smarter network economy.
Collective action
We mobilise all economic stakeholders – private
sector, business organisations, local government
and national government – to collectively address
current challenges. Where necessary, we intervene
directly with key government decision-makers,
or participate in task teams set up in response to
specific challenges.
In our engagements we always encourage
dialogue between our members in the belief that
the business sector is best served by robust debate
regarding the issues affecting business life. In
this way we seek to improve the overall business
environment.
Our mandate includes gathering and
disseminating information relevant to business
activity. In addition to our live events, we provide a
digital platform where members can interact and
share skills and services. Our website posts, regular
newsletters and social-media videos keep members
informed about both internal and external affairs.
Our dedicated media team leads campaigns
and generates content around the most pressing
challenges of the day.
Chamber staff also assist with a wide range
of business enquiries regarding both local
issues and international trade and investment.
We supply advice and background information
wherever possible or direct queries to relevant
partner organisations.
Our International Trade desk is the first point
of contact for international business, and we
arrange opportunities for collaboration and
networking, giving our members visibility and
access to global markets.
The Cape Chamber connects its members
to a Network of Networks made up of multiple
economic sector organisations united under
the banner of regional economic growth.
Furthermore, our organisation is an active
member of the Association of South African
Chambers which provides a unified business
voice wherever necessary.
capechamber.co.za

www.capechamber.co.za
We are immensely proud of our 220 year history as the voice of organised business in the
Western Cape. The Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry champions
the needs of business in pursuit of sustainable economic development.
Through active engagement with all regional economic stakeholders we gauge the pulse of local
business activity and respond accordingly in order to effect meaningful change.
In particular we facilitate connection in exports, targeted imports and investments in order to
unlock new opportunities for our members - both locally and internationally. Through our vast
network of dynamic partnerships we give our members, both large and small, visibility and
traction.
By promoting sustainable growth we create an enabling environment for business to thrive,
thereby enhancing economic prosperity.
We have a targeted focus on:
• enterprise development and capacity building
• clustering and sectoral development
• precinct development and geographic spread
• competitiveness and value chains
• advocacy to advance the needs of our members
We initiate partnerships with like-minded organisations, spearhead public-private
dialogue processes, and identify pain points in the enabling environment. We also mobilise
all stakeholders on behalf of our members to steer the Western Cape towards a smarter network
economy.
Join us to shape a better future.
www.capechamber.co.za

CONTENTS
Western Cape Business 2024 Edition
Introduction
Foreword 3
The Western Cape’s guide to business and investment.
Special features
A regional overview of the Western Cape 4
Tourism and the film sector are bouncing back and oil and gas
exploration on and off the West Coast is taking off. Where South
Africa faces its toughest challenges in energy, transport and housing
the Western Cape is stepping up with practical solutions.
The better future we want to build 8
In providing an overview of the Western Cape’s new Growth for Jobs
Strategy, Minister for Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille
Wenger, challenges businesses and citizens of the province to have
the courage to adapt, reform and make the right choices.
Business tourism is booming 10
The Western Cape is cementing its place in the top rank of business
tourism destinations.
International Public Art Festival
comes to Cape Town 37
The city became an open-air gallery for the eighth edition of
a global showcase.
Economic sectors
Agriculture 18
Port logistics are hampering exports.
Grapes and wine 20
Getting grapes on ships is proving difficult.
Mining 22
West Coast mining and prospecting is booming.
Oil and gas 24
Exploration is accelerating.
Energy 26
Worcester has a Battery Energy Storage System.
Manufacturing 32
“Made in the Cape” is a new brand.
Construction and property 33
Cape Town Station has been transformed.
Transport 34
Cape Town is more connected than ever before.
Tourism 36
Airport and cruise liners set records.
Education 38
Climate change is trending in academic circles.
SMME and development finance 42
Access to funding is being prioritised.
Banking and financial services 43
Acquisitions accelerate in financial sector.
References
Key sector contents 16
Overviews of the main economic
sectors of the Western Cape.
Index 44
WESTERN CAPE
BUSINESS
THE GUIDE TO BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT
IN THE WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE
JOIN US ONLINE
2024 EDITION
WWW.GLOBALAFRICANETWORK.COM | WWW.WESTERNCAPEBUSINESS.CO.ZA
ABOUT THE COVER:
Top left, then clockwise
to centre; wine vista near
Wellington, Visit Winelands;
public transport, MyCiTi;
Nelson Mandela statue,
City Hall, City of Cape Town;
Cape Town International
Convention Centre celebrated
20 years in 2023, CTICC;
wind power in the Karoo,
Roggeveld Wind Farm;
downtown Cape Town, CCID;
beach huts at Muizenberg, A
Gorman Photography/Beach
Hut Trust.

Western Cape Business
A unique guide to business and investment in the Western Cape.
Credits
Publishing director:
Chris Whales
Editor: John Young
Managing director: Clive During
Online editor: Christoff Scholtz
Designer: Tyra Martin
Production: Sharon Angus-Leppan
Ad sales:
Gavin van der Merwe
Sam Oliver
Shiko Diala
Gabriel Venter
Venesia Fowler
Tennyson Naidoo
Vanessa Wallace
Graeme February
Administration & accounts:
Charlene Steynberg
Kathy Wootton
Distribution and circulation
manager: Edward MacDonald
Printing: FA Print
The 2024 edition of Western Cape Business is the 17th 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.
The Western Cape has several investment and business opportunities. In
addition to the regular articles providing insight into each of the key economic
sectors of the province, a special feature focuses on the meetings, incentives,
conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sector in the Western Cape. The Cape Town
International Convention Centre celebrated its 20th year of operation in 2023 and
is now a complex comprising two large and adaptable facilities. Jointly owned
by SunWest International, the City of Cape Town and the Provincial Government
of the Western Cape, the venue has become a popular destination for all-Africa
conferences such as the Investing in African Mining Indaba, which in 2023
attracted nearly 10 000 delegates from more than 100 countries. The two public
entities jointly hold 94.9% of the shareholding of the company that runs the CTICC.
Many other towns in the Western Cape such as Stellenbosch have conference
facilities, whether they are in dedicated facilities or attached to hotels or resorts.
To complement the extensive local, national and international distribution
of the print edition, the ebook edition can also be viewed online at www.
westerncapebusiness.co.za. Updated information on the Western Cape is also
available through our monthly e-newsletter, which you can subscribe to online at
www.gan.co.za, in addition to our complementary business-to-business titles that
cover all nine provinces as well as our flagship South African Business title and the
new addition to our list of publications, The Journal of African Business, which was
launched in 2020. ■
Chris Whales
Publisher, Global Africa Network Media | Email: chris@gan.co.za
FOREWORD
DISTRIBUTION
Western Cape Business is distributed internationally on outgoing
and incoming trade missions, through trade and investment
agencies; to foreign offices in South Africa’s main trading
partners around the world; at top national and international
events; through the offices of foreign representatives in
South Africa; as well as nationally and regionally via chambers
of commerce, tourism offices, airport lounges, provincial
government departments, municipalities and companies.
Member of the Audit Bureau
of Circulations
COPYRIGHT | Western Cape Business is an independent publication
published by Global Africa Network Media (Pty) Ltd. Full copyright to
the publication vests with Global Africa Network Media (Pty) Ltd. No
part of the publication may be reproduced in any form without the
written permission of Global Africa Network Media (Pty) Ltd.
PHOTO CREDITS | Airspace-africa.com; Boogertman + Partners; Cape
Town International Convention Centre (CTICC); Craft Design Institute
(CDI); DCI Community Housing Services; Design Lab; Eskom; Future-
Ed; HORTGRO; Kropz; PASA; SAIAMC; SAOGA; Sky Pixels/Wikimedia
Commons; TNPA; Vinpro; Ryan Warneke/CCID; Yacht Club; John Young.
PUBLISHED BY
Global Africa Network Media (Pty) Ltd
Company Registration No: 2004/004982/07
Directors: Clive During, Chris Whales
Physical address: 28 Main Road, Rondebosch 7700
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Email: info@gan.co.za | Website: www.gan.co.za
ISSN 1816 370X
DISCLAIMER | While the publisher, Global Africa Network Media (Pty)
Ltd, has used all reasonable efforts to ensure that the information
contained in Western Cape Business is accurate and up-to-date, the
publishers make no representations as to the accuracy, quality,
timeliness, or completeness of the information. Global Africa Network
will not accept responsibility for any loss or damage suffered as a
result of the use of or any reliance placed on such information.
3 WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024

A REGIONAL OVERVIEW OF THE
WESTERN CAPE
In Cape Town, the rail reserve is being put to good use with the construction of affordable housing units.
Tourism and the film sector are bouncing back and oil and gas exploration on and off
the West Coast is taking off. Where South Africa faces its toughest challenges, in energy,
transport and housing, the Western Cape is stepping up with practical solutions.
By John Young
In film, tourism and oil and gas the numbers are
increasing. More film shoots, more tourists and
more drilling for oil and gas are all positives for the
balance sheet of the Western Cape. But when it
comes to energy, transport and housing, the Western
Cape Provincial Government and its municipalities
are having to make up for reduced supply: less
electricity from the national grid, fewer trains
running and not enough houses to make up for the
continued movement of people to the province.
Rather than sitting back and lamenting the
situation, the provincial and municipal authorities are
laying out and executing detailed plans to deal with
fixing these important economic drivers.
In providing affordable housing, for example, an
innovation in land use is taking place in the Cape Town
suburbs of Goodwood and Retreat. The rail reserve
(unused land next to the line) has been leased from
the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA)
by a Section21 non-profit organisation called DCI
Community Housing Services. The Goodwood Station
Social Housing Development project was officially
opened in 2023 and the organisation has partnerships
with the City of Cape Town and the provincial
government’s Department of Human Settlements. DCI
provides rental housing accommodation for people
who do not qualify for the breaking-new-ground
subsidy (previously RDP) and are unable to participate
in the formal non-subsidised housing market.
The decline in passenger rail journeys in greater
Cape Town has been marked in recent years. New
rolling stock is being introduced and security is being
promised, but the process is going slowly. The City of
Cape Town’s 2022 feasibility study on taking over the
management of passenger rail services from PRASA
showed its intent. Persistent calls by the city’s mayor to
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024
4
PHOTO: DCI Community Housing Services

meet on the future of the rail network in the peninsula
have not yielded any success as of January 2024,
but increasing passenger rail journeys on a safe and
reliable network remains a goal of the city.
The city wants to have a fully-integrated system,
which would include rail. The Transport and Urban
Development Authority (TDA), located within the
municipality, is responsible for planning, costing,
contracting, regulating, monitoring, evaluating,
communicating, managing and maintaining the
City of Cape Town’s transport infrastructure, systems,
operations, facilities and network.
The provincial government has followed the city’s
lead with the establishment of a Mobility Department
with its own MEC which now monitors the province’s
transport programmes such as financial support to
bus and taxi services, the transport regulation mandate
and extensive traffic management operations.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says, “We
are actively working towards ending loadshedding
as aggressively as we can.” A R1.2-billion solar PV
(photovoltaic) plant is being built near Somerset
West, small-scale embedded generation is being
encouraged and a Power Heroes programme will
reward citizens for using less electricity.
At provincial level, a three-pronged strategy,
the Energy Resilience Programme, aims to bring
energy security to the province. Public spaces like
schools will be fitted with solar panels and battery
systems, several towns will be taken off the Eskom
grid and finally, the Municipal Energy Resilience Plan
is supporting councils in generating, procuring and
selling power themselves.
Good numbers
The Film Permit Office of the City of Cape Town
issued 3 900 film permits between July 2022 and July
2023. Most of these were for commercials but also
included 499 TV series and more than 100 feature
films. A freeze was placed by the city authorities on
fees payable for traffic and metro police services for
three years in a row in an attempt to stimulate this
sector, a move that appears to have paid off.
Film location bookings rose to 8 300 in 2022/23, as
opposed to 7 400 a year earlier. The Cape Town Central
City Improvement District (CCID) reports that the
city’s CBD supports 24 artistic studios, including film
studios. The sector supports more than 35 000 jobs
and contributes about R5-billion to the local economy.
The Canal District at the V&A Waterfront is growing.
The Yacht Club and AC Hotel by Marriott are adjacent
tower blocks sited over office space, with the former
offering private apartments. The aha Harbour Bridge
Hotel & Suites is another property offering access to
the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
A record 317 000 overseas visitors visited the Cape in
December 2023. Cape Town International Airport’s 2023
number of international arrivals reached 2.8-million,
topping the 2.6-million international passengers it
welcomed in 2019. The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
recorded December retail sales of R1.2-billion, a 16%
increase over 2022.
Plans for a new airport for greater Cape Town moved
forward in 2023. The existing Fisantekraal Airfield north of
Durbanville was rebranded the Cape Winelands Airport in
2020 by its new owners and there are plans for it be fully
redeveloped with expanded facilities. This would not only
help to relieve congestion at Cape Town International
Airport in terms of cargo and tourism arrivals but would
provide a much closer destination alternate for inbound
flights which currently have to carry enough fuel to get
their planes to George if there for some reason they are
not able to land at CTIA.
An increasing number of oil and gas exploration
permits have been granted both onshore and
offshore along the West Coast. While this has disturbed
conservationists, the results from surveys done in Block
5/6/7 suggest that the oil available in South African waters
will at least match the significant resources that have
been found in Namibian territory offshore.
In his 2022 State of the Province Address, Premier Alan
Winde claimed that Cape Town is:
• Africa’s greentech hub
• Africa’s BPO capital
• Africa’s tech capital
PHOTO: Yacht Club
5 WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024

SPECIAL FEATURE
Nearly 4 000 filming permits were issued for Cape Town
in the year to July 2023.
In addition, he quoted the Global Startup
Ecosystem Report 2021, where Cape Town is listed as
the number one performer in Africa for technology
ecosystems and is home to almost two-thirds of all
start-ups in South Africa.
There are 22 active incubators and accelerators in
the region which provide networking and marketing
opportunities and links to funders and markets. It
is because the Western Cape has been investing in
digital infrastructure that the Premier can persuasively
make these claims.
The provincial government’s broadband roll-out
project is in Phase 2. The Western Cape Department
of Health was the first in the country to go digital,
including 265 primary healthcare centres and 181
mobile posts.
Cape Town also, according to the Global Financial
Centres Index (GFCI), ranked second in Africa in 2020
(behind Mauritius) in competitiveness as a financial
centre. Neighbouring Stellenbosch is advancing
its reputation for technological innovation and the
output of the region’s four universities and six TVET
colleges ensures that the tech sector has the necessary
human capital.
Cape Town’s share of national employment in the
financial sector is about 20% and the contribution to
gross value-added (GVA) is 15%.
Economy
Finance, business services and real estate combined
contribute 28% to the gross domestic product (GDP)
of the Western Cape. The financial services and
insurance sector are key components of the economy.
Although agriculture accounts for just 4.3% of GDP
on its own, the sector is responsible for the fruit and
vegetables that contribute to agro-processing which
accounts for nearly 40% of the province’s export
basket. (Agro-processing accounts for 8.1% of GDP.)
Citrus, wine, apples and pears, grapes, fruit juice, fruit
and nuts and tobacco all appear in the top 10 of the
province’s exports.
Seventy percent of South Africa’s beverage exports
come from the Western Cape. Grapes and wine sales
to Europe remain strong, but the Chinese market is
becoming increasingly important.
The province has a diverse manufacturing sector
ranging from textiles, clothing, footwear, boatbuilding
and furniture to coke and refined petroleum products.
Excluding agro-processing, other manufacturing
makes up 6.9% of GDP.
Investment
The province has a dedicated investment agency,
Wesgro, which also works to promote the region’s
tourism. The Investment Promotion Unit of Wesgro is
working with various regions within the Western Cape
to attract investment and accelerate exports.
In recent years, the biggest investments have
been in renewable energy and manufacturing.
Between 2003 and 2021, the Western Cape attracted
$1.93-billion in renewable energy projects.
Other important sectors are agro-processing,
aviation, business services, education and training,
financial services, real estate, ICT, light manufacturing,
oil and gas, timber, tourism, waste beneficiation and
clean energy.
Another vehicle for attracting investment
are Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and Industrial
Development Zones (IDZ). Zones at Atlantis and
Saldanha aim to tap into growing markets – maritime,
oil and gas and renewable technologies.
The Atlantis Special Economic Zone (ASEZ) is
attracting investors in the greentech market. An early
investor in the zone was GRI Towers South Africa, a
wind turbine tower manufacturer. ■
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024
6
PHOTO: CCID

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SPECIAL FEATURE
The better future we want to build
In providing an overview of the Western Cape’s new Growth for Jobs
Strategy, Minister for Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille
Wenger, challenges businesses and citizens of the province to have the
courage to adapt, reform and make the right choices.
Mireille Wenger, Minister for Finance and
Economic Opportunities
If you are reading this now, I would like you to
close your eyes and picture where you will be
in 2035.
What state will our country and province be in?
What will be happening in our economy? Will we
have enough jobs for future generations? Will there
be hope? I am sure this exercise will cause you some
anxiety, given the challenging times we face today…
Now imagine a 2035 where our economy is
growing at between 4% and 6%. Where we are
creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs, lifting
people out of poverty. Where businesses, big, small
and informal have the energy, water, infrastructure,
skills and technology to grow and succeed. Where
a child, no matter where they are born, has the
pathway to a better life.
I am sure what you are now feeling is hope. The
sort of contagious hope that cannot be contained.
This is the future we want for the Western Cape
and for South Africa. This is the better future we
want to build.
During this time of difficulty for our country,
with stagnant growth, devastating loadshedding,
the real prospect of recession and high levels of
unemployment and despair, the question can be
fairly asked: is it realistic for the Western Cape to be
setting out so audaciously to achieve 4% to 6% of
break-out economic growth?
The real question, I believe, is rather why South
Africa is not already achieving this growth? We have
everything we need to succeed as a country if we
just get the fundamentals of growth right. What is
clear to me is that we will never achieve it if we are
limited in our ambition, constrained by the wrong
policies and lack the courage to adapt, reform and
make the right choices.
Vision and action
Change requires a vision and action towards it – so,
yes, we can realise a better future for our country,
and we must work toward it with determination.
The Growth for Jobs Strategy is the Western Cape’s
bold step towards realising this better future. We know
what the Western Cape and South Africa are capable
of if we enable the private sector’s success.
And so, this Strategy provides a courageous
vision for our province, with clear targets for
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024
8

SPECIAL FEATURE
each key focus area that our economy needs to
succeed. To be clear, this is not just a vision for our
government. The targets are not ours alone. They
are yours too: business, big and small, civil society,
entrepreneurs and every citizen in our province.
This is what we can achieve if we work together
and make the right choices, now, today.
I am reminded of President Nelson Mandela’s
wise words, which continue to hold so much
truth today: “It seems impossible until it is done.”
Let’s get it done, so that a prosperous
Western Cape is not something in our
imagination, but a new, real era of hope,
opportunity and freedom. ■
The Western Cape Growth for Jobs Strategy
Like the rest of South Africa, the Western Cape faces a range
of deep, interconnected, socio-economic challenges that
include unemployment, poverty and crime. While there is no
panacea for these challenges, which have deep roots in the
country’s history and social structure, there is also no prospect
of addressing any of them without faster economic growth.
Economic growth is essential to generating rapid and
sustained job creation, faster growth in living standards and
increased resources available to society.
The Western Cape Government identified the need for a
strategy to lift dramatically the provincial growth rate and, to
the extent that growth continues to falter in South Africa, to
decouple the province’s growth trajectory from that of the
rest of the country.
Therefore, this Growth for Jobs Strategy sets out a
comprehensive, challenging and ambitious goal for the Western
Cape to grow its economy by between 4% and 6% by 2035.
It is also a strategy that clarifies that how we grow our
economy is as important as the growth itself. In this way, the
Growth for Jobs Strategy distinguishes itself from previous
strategies, by providing a long-term perspective with clear
targets, framed within defined principles. It is centred on
systemic solutions that address key binding constraints
and an enabling environment for the private sector that
accelerates our economic growth.
The formulation of the Growth for Jobs Strategy has
been data-driven, evidence-led and has involved extensive
consultation across government, with stakeholders from the
private and public sectors, and representatives from across
civil society and academia.
At its heart, the Growth for Jobs Strategy is premised on
a recognition that the private sector creates jobs, while the
State needs to create an environment in which people and
businesses are enabled to create and exploit opportunities
as they arise. This kind of horizontal enablement empowers
citizens and fosters independence, freedom and self-reliance.
To give effect to this approach, the Growth for Jobs Strategy
has several important anchors:
• Clear principles set out in a strategic framework that have
guided thinking and decisions.
• Crucial priority focus areas (PFAs), namely driving growth
through investment, stimulating market growth through
exports and growing domestic markets, enhancing energy
resilience and driving the transition to net zero carbon, driving
water security and resilience, technology and innovation,
infrastructure and the connected economy, improving access
to economic opportunities and employability. These
PFAs shape decisions around the nature of the interventions
needed to maximise impact.
Finally, the Growth for Jobs Strategy is a whole-of-government,
all-of-society strategy whose success requires the energy,
commitment and allocation of resources from across
government, the private sector and civil society.
The Growth for Jobs Strategy is the Western Cape’s bold step
towards realising this better future. Be a part of our journey!
PHOTO: Made in Cape Town, CDI

SPECIAL FEATURE
Business tourism is booming
The Western Cape is cementing its place in the top rank of
business tourism destinations.
A skybridge connects the CTICC’s two venues on
the Foreshore.
Many parts of the Western Cape, and the
city of Cape Town in particular, have
the ideal combination of conference
and exhibition infrastructure,
adequate accommodation and unique settings to
succeed in the meetings, incentives, Convention
and exhibitions (MICE) sector.
The 30th edition of the Investing in African
Mining Indaba in February 2024 showcased the
ability of the Cape Town International Convention
Centre (CTICC) to host large events. With about
10 000 delegates from more than 100 countries,
hundreds of stands and a cornucopia of talks,
events and presentations, the conference was a
logistical marvel with the Hyve Group seemingly
handling the increased numbers with ease.
The CTICC itself celebrated its 20th anniversary
in 2023 with a near doubling of revenue over the
previous year.
At the other end of the scale, wine farms such
as Steenberg offer intimate meeting rooms in a
pretty setting. With its own golf course, Steenberg
nicely illustrates the concept of Bleisure, the idea
of combining business with leisure.
Business tourists routinely spend at least
twice as much money during the course of
their trips as regular tourists, so the market is
an attractive one. The Cape Town and Western
Cape Convention Bureau, a division of Wesgro,
is devoted to attracting conferences and events
to the province. Wesgro is the tourism, trade and
investment promotion agency for Cape Town and
the Western Cape.
Cape Town has routinely been ranked as the
top African city in terms of hosting international
association meetings. The subject matter of
these conferences has tended to be centred on
the medical sciences, technology, economics
and education.
Events
The 46th riding of the Cape Town Cycle Tour in
2024 expected to attract about 35 000 cyclists,
confirming the event’s reputation as the biggest
timed bike race in the world.
International indoor sporting action came to Cape
Town in 2023.
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024
10
PHOTO: CTICC

SPECIAL FEATURE
The Knysna Oyster Fest, which was held in the
Southern Cape town for the 40th time in 2023,
attracts huge numbers of cyclists, marathon runners
and oyster eaters every year.
The Cape Town International Jazz Festival
became a mega-event over time, earning a solid
reputation for musical excellence and excellent
attendances. Suspended during the Covid
epidemic, it was due to return to the events
calendar in 2024 but details are still to be confirmed.
South Africa Sevens is an annual rugby sevens
tournament that has become a popular part of the
roster of events held at the Cape Town Stadium. The
tournament is part of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens
Series run by World Rugby.
The country’s premier Afrikaans language
festival, the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees
(KKNK), presents more than 1 000 visual and
performing artists in more than 200 productions
and exhibitions over eight days in Oudtshoorn.
CTICC celebrates 20 years
When the capacity of the Cape Town International
Convention Centre was doubled in 2017, there were
some who wondered how the additional space
would ever be used. Instead, the eastern extension,
now known as CTICC-2, has been working just as
hard as the original space that started operating in
2003.
The Cape Town International Convention Centre
Company (Convenco), the holding company of the
CTICC, was formed in 1999 by the City of Cape
Town, the provincial government of the Western
Cape and the business sector. Shareholding in
Convenco, which owns and manages the business
of the CTICC, is made up as follows: City of Cape
Town (72.7%), the Provincial Government of the
Western Cape (22.2%) and SunWest International
(Pty) Ltd (5.1%).
In the 2023 financial year, the CTICC hosted 427
events, up from 225 in the previous year, and nearly
doubled revenue to R278-million. This returned the
company to profit after the tough years brought on
by Covid-19. In addition to a significant contribution
of R5.4-billion to the Western Cape’s gross geographic
product (GGP), the centre sustained or created nearly
11 000 jobs nationally.
Some 275 000 people attended events at
the venue in the financial year, including more
than 25 000 who came looking for design ideas
at Decorex Cape Town and 12 000 techies who
tuned in to the Africa Tech Festival.
The CTICC was also the proud winner of the 2023
Clean Audit Award, Municipal Finance Management Act.
Among the big international conferences to
be held at the CTICC in 2024 are the FIP World
Conference of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical
Sciences and the Meeting of the International
Society of Pneumonia and Pneumococcal Diseases
(ISPPD-13). WTM Africa, “Africa Travel Week ”, will be
at the CTICC in April 2024 and the 25th hosting of
FIGO World Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics
will come to Cape Town in 2025.
Cape Town highlights
• Number one city in Africa for business events,
International Congress and Convention
Association, 2010 - 2022
• World’s Leading Festival and Events Destination,
World Travel Awards 2018
• Best Destination in Africa, World Tourism
Awards 2019
Source: Wesgro
CTICC: 20 years in numbers
• 9 000 events
• 700+ international events
• 9.5-million visitors
• R60-billion cumulative contribution to national GDP
• R51.5-billion cumulative contribution to Western Cape GGP
11 WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024

SPECIAL FEATURE
Steenberg offers intimate settings and luxury surroundings.
Varied venues
A short walk separates the Castle of Good Hope and
the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz
MOCAA) in central Cape Town but the ambience of
the two venues could not be more different. Both
are available for hire for conferences, performances
and exhibitions.
The Castle oozes history and has no fewer than
three museums within it walls, the Military Museum,
the William Fehr Collection of paintings and
decorative arts and a permanent ceramic exhibition,
FIRED. The grassed quadrangle lends itself to events
and cocktail parties.
Zeitz MOCAA is the epitome of modernity and
it promises an “otherworldly venue hire experience”.
This promise is based on the repurposed buildings’
“understated eccentric interior design and artwork
that embody what modern Africa has to offer”.
The atrium offers exceptional acoustics while the
elegant Scheryn Collection Arena lends itself to
panel discussions and conferences
A few minutes away from the CBD along
the N1 highway, the Century City Conference
Centre (CCCC) can accommodate 1 900
delegates across 20 different venues, 11
meeting rooms and four halls. There are 540
hotel rooms within walking distance.
Visit Stellenbosch lists 34 conference venues on
its website, ranging (in the theatre configuration)
from the 600-seat Cavalli Estate to the Rupert
Museum, which has room for 30 delegates. Almost
all of the area’s wine farms and hotels are equipped
to host conferences and Stellenbosch University
has a large range of venues.
George’s position at the heart of the Garden
Route makes it a popular conference destination.
The fact that the town has no fewer than five golf
courses within the city limits and several more
nearby adds to its appeal.
The Fancourt complex has several venues and
the Protea Hotel King George regularly attracts
repeat customers. The Oubaai Hotel, Golf & Spa on
the coast at Herolds Bay has few competitors when
it comes to dramatic settings. ■
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024
12
PHOTO: Steenberg Farm

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SA is the location of choice of multinationals in Africa.
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SA is endowed with an abundance of natural resources. It is the leading producer
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Page | 2
719
SOUTH SOUTH AFRICAN AFRICAN BUSINESS BUSINESS 20232020

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KEY SECTORS
Overviews of the main economic
sectors of the Western Cape
Agriculture 18
Wine and grapes 20
Mining 22
Oil and gas 24
Energy 26
Manufacturing 32
Construction and property 33
Transport and logistics 34
Tourism 36
Education and training 38
Development finance and SMME support 42
Banking and financial services 43
Record numbers of passengers passed through the Cape Town Cruise Terminal in the 2022/23 season. Twice as many cruise ships docked
as the season before, 75, and 145 000 cruise-ship passengers contributed to the estimated R1.9-billion in foreign direct tourism spend that
was injected into the Western Cape economy in December 2023 (Wesgro).
PHOTO: Design Lab

OVERVIEW
Agriculture
Port logistics are hampering exports.
SECTOR INSIGHT
Citrus volumes reached a record
165-million cartons in 2023.
Despite producing record volumes of fruit, Western Cape
farmers are not able to export their product as fast as they
want to because of problems at the Port of Cape Town.
With some cranes having to stop working in high winds
and a shortage of gantries to load and unload containers, turnaround
times reached such low levels that fruit-farming associations
threatened legal action against port operator Transnet.
Wolfe Braude, manager of Agbiz’s Fruit Desk, told Business Day
that the value of South Africa’s agricultural exports is higher than the
country’s automotive exports and about double the value of iron ore,
or iron and steel exports. National fruit exports are valued at about
R72-billion and account for about 35% of total agriculture exports.
The Western Cape in 2020 exported agricultural goods worth
about R54-billion, making it the sixth-largest global exporter of such
products in Africa.
Berries are a growing subsector and two-thirds of production
occurs in the Western Cape. More than 70% of the crop is exported
and the major production companies are Berryworld South Africa,
United Exports and Haygrove SA. Berries thrive between George and
Swellendam and sales of chippers have grown because blueberries
have to be vigorously pruned. There is plenty of scope for exports to
grow. Current annual exports are 13 500t compared to over 200 000t
for table grapes and about 300 000t for apples (South African Berry
Producers’ Association).
Hortgro, a deciduous fruit industry association, said that export
volumes for six fruits including peaches and apples were 35% down
in November and December 2023 compared to the previous year.
Hortgro was one of the organisations considering legal action to deal
with the situation.
And yet citrus farmers
packed a record number of
cartons in 2023, 165-million.
Away from the possible
legal battles that the export of
fruit might present, Hortgo has
launched a new testing facility
for deciduous fruits on the
Welgevallen experimental farm
of Stellenbosch University. The
new phytosanitary facility will
help improve access to new
markets for deciduous fruit
growers and marketers.
Liquid kelp products is a
growing subsector. Farmed
kelp in Gansbaai is processed to
create products that assist with
root growth in crops. Afrikelp is
a company that exports to more
than 50 countries and claims
that its products improve water
and nutrient-use efficiency,
together with equipping plants
to better handle droughts.
The South African Rooibos
Council announced in 2022
that it would start paying a
levy on the product to trusts
for Khoi and San people. A
payment of R12.2-million was
paid in July and the future levy
would amount to 1.5% of the
farm gate price.
This followed news that
the long battle for protected
status for rooibos in the EU
finally reached an end. The
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024
18
PHOTO: TNPA

OVERVIEW
best-known products that are forever linked to their home regions
are champagne and Port, and France and Portugal have fought hard
for those rights. Now the Western Cape’s herbal tea product enjoys
the same privileges, which is great news for the roughly 450 farmers
working with rooibos (350 commercial plus 100 small-scale farmers).
The sector produces about 20 000 tons of rooibos every year, about
half of which is exported.
Economic impact
Agribusiness and agro-processing are vital parts of the provincial
economy with about 45% of South Africa’s agricultural exports
moving through the province. The value-add in the sector amounts
to more than R14-billion per annum (Invest Cape Town).
Seven of the top 10 exports from the province are agricultural
or agro-processed products. As Wesgro notes, the Western Cape is
responsible for
• Almost half of South Africa’s agribusiness exports
• About 70% of South Africa’s beverages exports
• About 85% of South Africa’s fisheries exports
Exporters were introduced to some digital innovation in 2020 in the
form of the Cape Export Network. CEN, a joint initiative of the Western
Cape Provincial Government, Wesgro and Wines of South Africa (WoSA), is
a platform that connects wine producers, buyers and importers.
Assessed independently from the country, the Western Cape
is the world’s fifth-largest exporter of citrus fruits. Oranges are the
province’s number one citrus export and soft citrus is growing.
Europe remains the most important market but the Asia and Oceana
markets are growing. The top five countries are the Netherlands, the
UK, Russia, UAE and China.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Aquaculture Association of Southern Africa: www.aasa-aqua.co.za
Citrus Growers’ Association: www.cga.co.za
Fresh Produce Exporters Forum: www.fpef.co.za
South African Rooibos Council: www.sarooibos.co.za
Western Cape Department of Agriculture: www.elsenburg.com
In addition, the region
exports 70% of all South African
beverages and spirits and 96%
of its wine. The region produces
11 different commodities. Fruit,
poultry, eggs, winter grains,
viticulture and vegetables
comprise more than 75% of
total output.
Tiger Brands announced in
2020 that it intended focussing
on what it called “everyday
branded food and beverages”.
The result of that focus is that
the company’s food-canning
business is to be put up for sale.
Fears were raised in the town
of Ashton that up to 4 000 jobs
would be lost and 300 farmers
in the district would be wiped
out if Langeberg & Ashton Foods
canning facility were to close.
Ashton is in the Langeberg Local
Municipality within the Cape
Winelands District Municipality.
The company is a subsidiary
of Tiger Brands, the country’s
biggest producer of food.
A local consortium of 160
fruit farmers was considering
trying to buy the facility. Agri
SA estimated they would need
an amount approaching R300-
million. This was proving difficult
to raise but in July 2022, Tiger
said it would keep the operation
going for one more season.
In June 2023, this
announcement was essentially
repeated, and operations would be
extended for the 2023/24 season. ■
PHOTO: HORTGRO
19
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024

OVERVIEW
Grapes and wine
Getting grapes on ships is proving difficult.
The difference between the volume of grapes inspected
and the volume of grapes exported through the Port of
Cape Town in the first weeks of January 2024 reached an
all-time high.
While 33.8-million cartons (4.5kg equivalent) were inspected,
a total of 17.3-million cartons were exported. These figures were
respectively 17% up and 10% down on the previous year’s totals.
(South African Table Grape Industry, SATI). The reason for the
discrepancy is that ships are not being loaded and unloaded quickly
enough. Port authorities, agricultural associations and the provincial
government have been working on initiatives to overcome these
problems, but they are proving difficult to solve.
Better news for the grape-growing sector in early 2024 came in
reports of good weather, good berry sizes and excellent colouring
and quality. Farmers are proving innovative in focussing on crop-load
management and quality to overcome logistical issues. Some regions
are growing more white seedless grapes and producers are paying
attention to the quality of grapes, both on-farm and during the coldchain
process.
Exports of South African grapes and wine to China are on
an upward trend. The imposition in 2020 of prohibitive tariffs on
Australian imports by China helped to boost that trend.
Both wine and grape production are supported by the Western
Cape Department of Agriculture which offers technology, research
and development, agricultural training and analytical services at
plant pathology and water and soil laboratories.
There are over 3 500 wine producers in South Africa, with the
large majority located in the Western Cape. Wine is produced by
estates, independent cellars and producer cellars or co-operatives.
The Distell group runs five distilleries and seven wineries in the
Western Cape and produces about a third of the country’s natural
and sparkling wine.
South Africa is the eighth-biggest wine producer globally and
produces about 4.2% of the world’s wine.
The wine and brandy industry has set about creating a new
ONLINE RESOURCES
Cape Winemakers Guild: www.capewinemakersguild.com
SA Wine Industry Information & Systems: www.sawis.co.za
South African Table Grape Industry: www.satgi.co.za
Vinpro: www.vinpro.co.za
SECTOR INSIGHT
21 of South Africa’s 23
wine routes are in the
Western Cape.
strategic framework in response
to the various economic and
geopolitical shocks. With wine
tourism disappearing during
Covid-19 lockdowns and input
costs rising, the industry has
chosen to strategise for a more
sustainable future.
Membership of the Cape
Winemakers Guild (CWG) is by
invitation and includes some
of the best winemakers in the
country. Members get together
to taste wines from around
the world and share their
knowledge and ideas.
The Nedbank Cape
Winemakers Guild Auction is
one of the great events in the
wine calendar. In 2022, two of
the top four wines were white
wines and both were produced
by female winemakers –
Samantha O’Keefe of Lismore
Estate Vineyards and Andrea
Mullineux (Mullineux & Leeu). ■
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024
20
PHOTO: Vinpro

Mining
West Coast mining and prospecting is booming.
SECTOR INSIGHT
Kropz is mining the country’s
second-largest phosphate deposit.
Bitterfontein, a small town on the northern edge of the
Western Cape, lies on the Knersvlakte, so called because
wagons would grind and crunch their wheels over the
quartz stones that litter the area. The translation from
Afrikaans is “gnashing plain”.
Bitterfontein is also the railhead for the historic copper mining
operations of Okiep in the Northern Cape. In 2023 Bitterfontein was
in the news when Nekwana Trading Enterprise announced that it
wanted to prospect nearby for garnets, kaolin (clay), leucoxene,
monazite, manganese ore and sillimanite.
The Knersvlakte Nature Reserve is part of the Succulent Karoo
with leaf succulents prominent. This example of the possible conflict
of interest between mining interests and conservation is becoming
a staple of West Coast interaction.
South Africa’s second-largest phosphate deposit is being mined
by Kropz at its Elandsfontein facility near Saldanha, pictured. The
company website notes its environmental responsibilities because
the deposit lies below the water table. The nearby Saldanha Lagoon
is a “significant wetland in terms of UNESCO’s Ramsar Convention”.
The environmental organisation Protect The West Coast notes
that there are currently “more than 30 prospecting and mining
applications, as well as scores of active mines on the West Coast”.
This includes active prospecting at sea for oil but is mostly related to
mineral sands such as zircon, ilmenite, rutile, magnetite and garnet.
The organisation is concerned that methods of mining that create
trenches on beaches are destructive of the fragile environment.
Tronox’s Namakwa Sands operations is one of the biggest
existing mines in the area. Titanium dioxide feedstock suitable for
ONLINE RESOURCES
Council for Geoscience: www.geoscience.org.za
Geological Society of South Africa: www.gssa.org.za
Minerals Council South Africa: www.mineralscouncil.org.za
both the chloride and sulphate
TiO2 processes is produced, as
is zircon, rutile and pig iron. The
operation begins with an openpit
mine and concentration
plants at Brand-se-Baai, about
385km north of Cape Town. Once
separated into ilmenite, natural
rutile and zircon, the products
are transported to the company’s
smelter at Saldanha Bay.
Sixteen rare earth minerals
have been identified north
of Vanrhynsdorp, with the
most prevalent being cerium,
an important component of
catalytic converters.
Limestone for cement,
agricultural lime and feed lime
is extracted at several sites in the
province’s western regions while
kaolin is found in Noordhoek and
Somerset West. Ball clay is mined
in the Albertina area by G&W
Base and Industrial Minerals.
Afrimat has five sand mines,
eight quarries, nine readymix
batching plants, one dolomite
mine and a brick and block
factory in the Western Cape.
The Cape Bentonite Mine
near Heidelberg is run by Ecca
Holdings with another site east
of Knysna at Roode Fontein.
Dimension stone occurs around
Vanrhynsdorp and mediumgrain
granite is found at Paarl. ■
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024
22
PHOTO: Kropz

CSIR’s visionary leadership in
sustainable mining
A holistic approach to acid-mine-drainage management
and circular-economy transformation.
“A
firm commitment to sustainable mining
extends beyond the theoretical.” – Dr
Ryneth Mbhele.
This article by Water Research Centre
group leader Dr Ryneth Mbhele looks at the CSIR’s
strategic value chain, market analysis and the
significant ways in which the organisation uses its
current resources and competencies to transform
the mining landscape.
CSIR’s strategic value chain
Our emphasis on the AMD value chain exemplifies
a complete strategy, encompassing AMD treatment
and prediction as well as cleanup and sustainable
practices. Recognising the limitations of present
approaches, such as high sludge output and
variable efficacy, we advocate for long-term
improved treatment efficiency, effectively offsetting
operating costs and boosting resource recovery. The
CSIR’s focus on sustainable AMD practices and bulk
supply production demonstrates its dedication to
transformational, industry-leading solutions.
Market analysis of rare earth elements and minerals
At the CSIR, we believe that market analysis must go
beyond traditional bounds, investigating the recovery
of rare earth elements and minerals from AMD
through the lens of circular economy perspectives.The
CSIR presents itself as a thought leader at the nexus of
environmental responsibility and economic viability.
with broader sustainable
development goals.
Driving innovation through
research and development
The organisation’s dedication
to innovation is a way of
creating a transformational
future. This is demonstrated
by substantial research and
development activities.
Collaborating for a sustainable future
Our visionary leadership and groundbreaking
initiatives in this research space are set on
propelling the mining industry toward a
sustainable, circular future. Our strategic value
chain, market insights and impactful contributions
underscore their pivotal role in driving
transformative change across the industry.
Your collaboration with the CSIR isn’t
just a strategic choice; it’s an investment in a
sustainable, resilient future for the mining sector
and our planet. Together, we forge a path towards
responsible mining practices and a circular
economy that safeguards both the industry and
the environment for generations to come. ■
By Dr Ryneth Mbhele
Email: rmbhele@csir.co.za
FOCUS
Impactful contributions
Our unwavering commitment to sustainable mining
goes beyond the theoretical. The CSIR addresses
significant environmental challenges by minimising
the use of key resources such as water and energy.
Our comprehensive approach ensures not only longterm
mine closure but also the establishment of new
job prospects, paving the path for mechanisation
and innovative industry practices.
The CSIR advocates for the generation of food,
energy and clean water, aligning its objectives
Dr Ryneth Mbhele is a research group leader at the
CSIR’s Water Research Centre. She holds a PhD in
Industrial Chemistry from the University of Pretoria.
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR) is emerging as a trailblazer on the African
continent in the continuously changing mining
arena, managing the difficult challenges of acidmine
drainage (AMD) with its innovative circulareconomy
approach.
23
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024

Oil and gas
Exploration is accelerating.
Held in Cape Town in September 2023, the third annual
Southern African Oil and Gas Conference was the
best-attended event since inception.
Hosted by SAOGA, the Southern African Oil & Gas
Alliance, in partnership with the Department of Mineral Resources
and Energy (DMRE) and Petroleum Agency South Africa (PASA), the
conference heard presentations from Namibia and Guyana about
how those countries are making policy around the development of
their oil and gas resources. As Sibablwenathi Magida, PASA Executive
Manager Communications & Stakeholder Relations says of Guyana’s
chosen growth path, “They are doing it sustainably, growing the oil
and gas sector and balancing socio-economic development and
transformation imperatives.”
The example of Guyana, which has recently discovered vast
offshore resources, was both “popular and timeous” for delegates,
according to SAOGA CEO Adrian Styrdom. “We were fortunate
to have had a look at Guyana as a new oil and gas country and its
successful example of combing development, growth and respect
for the environment”. Concern about environmental issues has been
something that the oil and gas sector has had to deal with, including
a number of court cases relating to seismic activity off South Africa’s
Wild Coast.
A key issue at stake is the extent and quality of the public
participation process when it comes to offshore exploration for gas
and oil. WSP Group Africa has been appointed by the consortium
which has discovered gas reserves off the coast of Mossel Bay to
run the environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for their
proposed offshore production.
Having notified PASA of their intention to produce, TotalEnergies EP
South Africa (TEEPSA), together with its joint venture partners, QatarEnergy,
CNR International (South Africa) Limited and a South African consortium,
SECTOR INSIGHT
The Southern African Oil
and Gas Conference was
the biggest yet.
MainStreet 1549, are obliged
to run a public process, having
successfully explored the area
allocated to them off the southeast
coast of South Africa.
The same companies and
others are also applying for
environmental authorisation to
undertake exploration activities in
Block 5/6/7 between Cape Town
and Cape Agulhas, approximately
60km from the coast at its closest
point and 170km at its furthest, in
water depths between 700m and
3 200m.
This area holds even greater
potential than the southern Cape
coast. Shell’s announcement
that it had made significant
oil and gas discoveries in the
southernmost sector of its
Orange Basin offshore Namibia
is significant because the area is
in the same sedimentary basin as
South African offshore territory.
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024
24
PHOTO: PASA

OVERVIEW
The geological sedimentary basin extends to offshore Cape Town
and out to sea, stretching over 160 000km².
Analysis of data shows similar prospectivity in the South African
section. The rights to the South African southern section of the basin
are held by Shell and its partners TotalEnergies and PetroSA.
Onshore exploration rights are also being granted. The one
attracting the most attention is the Virginia Project in the Free State,
but PASA’s Manager: Resource Evaluation, David van der Spuy, notes
that, “There are other types of unconventional gas onshore, such
as coal-bed methane and gas.” He rates the country’s potential for
onshore gas as “very good”, including the shale gas deposits of
the south-central Karoo where studies show a potential of 209TCF
recoverable gas. Basin-analysis studies also show potential for
conventional deposits of dry gas and wet gas.
Oil and gas infrastructure
The Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone Licensing Company
(SBIDZ-LC) has announced the start of phase one of the development
of the main infrastructure of the IDZ. Located within the southern
hemisphere’s deepest and biggest natural port, the company will
spend R3.5-billion on developing 356ha of space to enable the port
to offer a wider variety of services. A floating dock, ship-lift facilities
and marine service jetties will be among the new services created.
Ultimately, the seven-part development plan will see the SBIDZ
become a South African Freeport, a Special Economic Zone and
customs-controlled area within a port, dedicated to the oil, gas and
marine sector.
Astron Energy reopened its Cape Town refinery in stages in
the course of 2023, having closed the facility for repairs in 2020
after a fire. The Astron refinery had been producing about 100 000
ONLINE RESOURCES
Petroleum Agency South Africa: www.petroleumagencysa.com
Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone: www.sbidz.co.za
South African Oil and Gas Alliance: www.saoga.org.za
Western Cape Maritime Cluster: wcmc.org.za
barrels per day using feedstock
from West Africa, a source
which will be reinstated.
Cape Town’s oil refinery was
previously named Chevron, but
with the $973-million purchase
of Chevron’s downstream
assets in South Africa by Off
The Shelf Investments (OTS), it
was rebranded as Astron. The
Caltex service-station brand
was retained. OTS is the Black
Economic Empowerment
(BEE) partner of mining giant
Glencore, who financed the
deal. The refinery in Milnerton
produces petrol, diesel, jet
fuel and liquefied gas for the
Western Cape and for export to
other African countries.
The Bergun terminal,
comprising 12 tanks located
on the Eastern Mole of the Port
of Cape Town, is connected by
pipeline to the Astron refinery.
The Western Cape spends
R76-billion annually on crude
oil imports and exports refined
petroleum to the value of
R13.2-billion.
Large quantities of oil are
transported around the Cape
of Good Hope every year: 32.2%
of West Africa’s oil and 23.7% of
oil emanating from the Middle
East. Problems in the container
ship market have caused
some stress in the local sector
but the long-term prospects
for shipping and oil and gas
are still strong enough for
national government to pursue
Operation Phakisa (which
includes a strong maritime
economy push) and for Transnet
National Ports Authority to
spend heavily on upgrading the
nation’s ports. ■
PHOTO: SAOGA
25 WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024

Energy
Worcester has a Battery Energy Storage System.
In November 2023 a new era in the Western Cape power
sector was launched with the opening of the BESS (Battery
Energy Storage Systems) at Worcester. The Eskom project,
pictured, is part of the national government’s scheme to add
500MW to the grid via four such projects around the country.
The City of Cape Town also intends deploying BESS. Although
BESS only makes up a small part of the national energy plan
(Integrated Resource Plan 2019), if combined with renewables, it
could prove a useful complement to the city’s other plans. These
include a R1.2-billion solar PV (photovoltaic) plant with battery
storage at Paardevlei near Somerset West which is intended to
produce 60MW. C40 City Finance Facility (CFF) will fund the project
while the city will contribute R447-million towards the solar farm,
drawn from the R2.3-billion budget allocated to bring loadshedding
in the city to an end by 2026.
At the launch of the 2022 Solar Power Africa Conference,
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis unveiled plans for the city to
procure 300MW of power from independent power producers. It
was estimated in 2021 that loadshedding cost the Western Cape
economy R75-million per stage, per day.
Tenders for the city have been opened and at provincial level,
24 municipalities have now been given the legal go-ahead to allow
for private generation of solar PV energy. In addition, 19 of those
municipalities allow private generators to be compensated for
feeding back into the grid, a major breakthrough for the potential
take-up by the public.
SECTOR INSIGHT
The City of Cape Town has
secured funding for a
solar farm.
Provincial Premier Alan
Winde has outlined other
measures the provincial
government is taking to tackle
the energy crisis. These include:
• Seven Western Cape municipalities
are being supported
to develop wheeling frameworks
and wheeling tariffs,
whereby private-sector entities
can sell power over the
grid to another business or
facility
• Developing standardised legal
agreements for wheeling.
The City of Cape Town and
George Municipality are
running wheeling pilots.
• 21 municipalities are able to
credit businesses and house-
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024
26
PHOTO: Eskom

OVERVIEW
holds for excess electricity that is fed into the municipal grid from
small-scale embedded generation such as rooftop solar panels.
• A new solar photovoltaic technician qualification pilot project has
been launched at Technical Vocational Education and Training
(TVET), including West Coast College and False Bay College.
The early rounds of the Renewable Energy Independent
Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) continue to
produce regular dividends. The Paardekraal East Wind Farm, which
is located about 80km north-east of Ceres, is in the Witzenberg
Local Municipality. The 110MW project was constructed by the
Concor and Conco Consortium, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy
supplied and installed the wind turbines, the towers were built by
GRI in Atlantis and Mainstream Asset Management South Africa will
manage the operations.
The support of two of South Africa’s biggest institutional
investors, the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the
Public Investment Corporation (PIC), has been crucial in getting
the renewable energy sector off the ground. They have also helped
communities fund their participation in community trusts. Typically,
a community trust is established to represent the interests of the
local community.
Alternative sources
The Western Cape is lobbying for the national Department of Energy
to allow Saldanha Bay to be a site for a gas-to-power plant. If a gas
plant is built at Saldanha, then it could be a catalyst for the use of gas
in many other sectors such as manufacturing and residential.
Recent gas finds by TotalEnergies off the coast of Mossel Bay and
off the west coast will accelerate the drive to switch to gas.
The City of Cape Town has signed an agreement with the United
States Agency for International Development and the Southern
Africa Energy Programme to look for ways to make solar PV more
accessible. High costs of installation often preclude residents from
taking the solar PV option for their homes.
The Western Cape is positioning itself as a green business
hub and is working to find energy alternatives for households
and businesses. Greater Cape Town is home to 70% of South
ONLINE RESOURCES
Atlantis Special Economic Zone: www.atlantissez.com
GreenCape: www.greencape.co.za
South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre: www.saretec.org.za
South African Wind Energy Association: www.sawea.org.za
Africa’s manufacturers of
renewable components.
GreenCape is an agency
that does research and runs
projects in areas such as energy
efficiency, waste, water and
sustainable agriculture. It is
a joint initiative of the City of
Cape Town, Wesgro and the
Provincial Government of the
Western Cape.
GreenCape states that
nearly R700-million in green
technology investments has
already been attracted to the
Atlantis Special Economic
Zone, creating 300 jobs.
A further R3.7-billion is
anticipated by 2030, which
will add more than 3 000
new jobs. Spanish wind
tower manufacturer Gestamp
Renewable Industries was an
early investor in the zone.
A market intelligence report
covering energy, renewable
energy, water and waste was
created by GreenCape to map
the assets and challenges
in these areas. In addition
to trying to attract green
investment into the province,
the Western Cape is working for
improved regulations related
to small-scale embedded
generation (SSEG).
The Koeberg nuclear power
station 30km north of Cape
Town is South Africa’s, and
Africa’s, only nuclear power
station. It was commissioned
in 1985. It seems increasingly
likely that the country will get
more nuclear power stations
as provision has been made for
such a power source in national
energy plans. ■
27
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024

INTERVIEW
Providing the cheapest and the most
reliable form of baseload electricity
Newly appointed Lesedi Nuclear Services CEO Leon van Wyk reflects on
a nuclear renaissance as South Africa and the world reset energy policies.
Is this a good time to be in the nuclear industry?
Absolutely. We are experiencing a nuclear
renaissance as we strive for a better and
environmentally friendly power solution
worldwide. I have no doubt that the energy
landscape will transition more towards nuclear,
not only in South Africa but also internationally
as nuclear has proven to be a safe and reliable
way to sustainably ensure grid stability and
energy security.
Leon van Wyk, CEO, Lesedi Nuclear Services
What are your top short-term priorities?
What a privilege to lead such a remarkable company
and talented group of people. Lesedi has a rich history
of achievements over more than 25 years and we
continue to go from strength to strength. We have
focused on diversifying the business from a purely
nuclear-focused entity to a leading Engineering,
Procurement and Construction (EPC) company. Our
focus is to organise the company in well-defined
business units where we can create better focus,
increase efficiency and become more agile. Secondly,
is our reaction to the changing energy landscape
and the support required to ensure stable, clean and
reliable electricity supply.
What are the opportunities for the industry?
At Lesedi we focus on various forms of power
generation ranging from nuclear to renewables
and all other forms in between. It is no secret that
the power infrastructure in South Africa has been
neglected due to insufficient new investment
in large-generation capacity and the inability
to do proper maintenance. It is encouraging to
see that the private sector is starting to invest in
larger-scale power projects for both grid supply
and embedded generation. South Africa needs a
similar infrastructure-build programme for energy
to that of the 1980s. This will create opportunities
for a diversified energy mix, create thousands of
jobs and significantly boost the economy.
Has the latest draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP
2023) allocated sufficient capacity to nuclear?
Eskom currently has an installed capacity of
approximately 55GW from a combination of
thermal coal, hydro, gas, wind and nuclear,
with nuclear contributing only 2GW to that
total. On average, the baseload and peakload
consumption is between 25GW and 30GW daily.
Given the age of the Eskom fleet, the majority of
these assets will need to be replaced by 2050.
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024
28

The IRP makes provision for 18.5GW of nuclear
by then, with the balance from a mix of existing
coal and new renewables. It has been proven
that the baseload component of renewables
is well below the installed capacity nameplate
value, and although it is absolutely required to
have a portion of renewables within our grid,
the stability will have to come from elsewhere. I
believe that the allocation of 18.5GW of nuclear
by 2050 will be excellent if we can achieve this,
but we will have to continue a further expansion
programme to cater for the increase in economic
growth. Stable electricity will be required to
achieve that growth.
How safe is nuclear?
I believe that the general public is not well
informed about the real safety levels of nuclear
power generation. Consider that Koeberg started
construction in 1976 and to date has not had a
single nuclear-related incident. Further to this,
technology advancements in reactor-protection
systems, construction materials and the lessons
learned from the worldwide installed base of
over 430 nuclear reactors make nuclear power
generation arguably the safest form of power
generation that there is. Lesedi will soon be
publicly highlighting the safety measures within
the nuclear landscape and educating the public.
What is the relationship between Lesedi and
the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station?
Lesedi has a healthy long-standing relationship
with Koeberg and is one of the longest-serving
contractors to the power plant. We have
conducted several safety related modifications,
general design improvements and long-term
safety design and maintenance interventions.
Our teams have also assisted Eskom in more than
50 plant outages with general maintenance and
refuelling activities.
How is the project to replace the steam
generators progressing?
The installation of the first three steam generators at
Unit 1 was completed at the end of 2023 and the unit
reached criticality and full-load operation without any
Lesedi has worked on the Koeberg Power Station
for decades.
concerns. The steam generators are functioning well
and have enabled the life-extension programme. We
are currently replacing the second set of three steam
generators on Unit 2 and at the time of writing all is
well in line with the planned schedule.
How does Koberg Nuclear Power Station
perform compared to other power sources in
South Africa?
There are three key elements to consider
when one looks at Koeberg: primary energy
cost, energy availability factor and carbon
emissions. Koeberg provides the cheapest form
of baseload electricity on the Eskom grid. The
primary energy cost of Koeberg is only 9.9c/
kWh, much lower than the latest new wind or
solar projects (the average cost in IRP Window
6 was 49c/kWh for wind and 43c/kWh for solar
PV). Although the capital cost of a nuclear
plant is high compared to other sources, the
capital cost typically gets amortised after 20
years of operation. The low cost of nuclear fuel
compared to other sources such as coal makes it
possible for a “mature” nuclear power station to
generate electricity cost-effectively. That is one
of the great advantages of nuclear power – it is a
very concentrated form of energy. Koeberg is by
far the most reliable power station on the Eskom
grid, with a much better energy availability
factor (EAF) than coal stations. Once the current
projects have been completed, the Koberg units
will return to their normal EAF levels of around
90%. Finally, nuclear plants are among the
cleanest sources of energy at 12gCO2/kWh since
nuclear plants have no direct emissions. This
compares favourably with wind power (similar
values) and solar PV (about 45gCO2/kWh). ■
PHOTO: Eskom
29 WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024

OVERVIEW
Manufacturing
“Made in the Cape” is a new brand.
in Cape Town” was launched in 2021. “Made
in the Cape” debuted in 2022. Both branding
initiatives aim to create awareness of local talent
“Made
and to guarantee authenticity of origin.
The “Made in Cape Town” (MiCT) initiative is a joint venture of
the Craft and Design Institute (CDI) and the City of Cape Town’s
Enterprise and Investment Department. It aims to promote small and
local businesses and encourage the idea that “local is lekker”.
Wesgro, the tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape
Town and the Western Cape, launched the “Made in the Cape” regionof-origin
brand within the broader context of products such as rooibos
winning geographical indication (GI) status in the EU after a long battle.
In 2023 the name “Cape Flora” began the long process to win
similar accreditation. There is global trend to protect such name
brands and Wesgro describes “Made in the Cape” as “strengthening
the identity of Cape exports in key international markets”.
The campaign is also helping exporters. The Cape Trade Portal,
which started off with 115 registered exporters showcasing 600
products in 2022, grew to 924 exporters showcasing over 4 000 Western
Cape products one year later. A buyers’ programme event was held in
2023 where nearly 600 business meetings were held over three days
between 31 buyers from 18 countries and 269 Cape exporters.
TFG, which includes Foschini, TotalSports and Markhams among
its brands, has been buying up clothing factories for nearly a decade,
ONLINE RESOURCES
Cape Clothing and Textile Cluster: www.capeclothingcluster.org.za
Cape Trade Portal: www.capetradeportal.com
Invest Cape Town: www.investcapetown.com
Made in Cape Town: www.madeincapetown.org.za
SECTOR INSIGHT
Damen Shipyards is delivering its
patrol-vessel project.
giving it the ability to respond
more quickly to fashion trends.
Among TFG’s acquisitions
were Prestige Clothing Maitland
and Prestige Clothing Caledon.
The group then spent R75-
million on expanding the factory
in Caledon. TFG is ramping up
production of clothing and
expects to increase staff from just
over 3 000 to more than 5 000.
The second of three Multi
Mission Inshore Patrol Vessels
(MMIPVs) was delivered by
Damen Shipyards to the South
African Navy in October 2023.
The vessel was named the SAS
King Shaka Zulu and is part of
the programme to protect South
Africa’s 2 798km coastline. The
multi-vessel project created
more than one-million manhours
of work during the
construction of the three MMIPVs
and supported more than 1 000
direct and indirect jobs at Damen
Shipyards Cape Town. The yard
is maximising local content by
using small businesses.
Invest Cape Town reports that
the city’s boatbuilding industry is
the second-largest producer of
recreational catamarans in the
world, after France. The city’s
companies export 80% of the
products that they produce and
attract a positive trade balance
of approximately $73-million
annually. ■
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024
32
PHOTO: Made in Cape Town

Construction and property
Cape Town Station has been transformed.
OVERVIEW
SECTOR INSIGHT
Residential building plans
reached R15.4-billion in 2022.
A
20-storey mixed-use development has gone up on
top of Cape Town Station.
Eris Property Group has leased the station forecourt from
the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) and will
house 3 085 students who are eligible for support from the National
Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
While using the air above state properties such as the station
might seem a clever solution, using unused state land for housing
seems an obvious solution. There has been very little recourse
to what might seem obvious in South Africa, but the Goodwood
Station Social Housing Development project has made a start. DCI
Community Housing Services has secured the development rights
awarded by PRASA for the development of their land around the
stations at Heideveld and Goodwood.
DCI provides rental housing accommodation for people who do not
qualify for the breaking-new-ground subsidy (previously RDP) and are
unable to participate in the formal non-subsidised housing market. The
Goodwood project was officially opened in 2023 and DCI has a further railreserve
project in the works at Retreat which will bring 164 units to market.
Across the city, more than 6 500 social-housing units are planned
or in development on 50 sites identified by the municipality. These
include parts of the CBD, along the Voortrekker Road corridor and at Salt
River, where a 1 800-unit project will deliver 600 social-housing units. In
Woodstock, social housing company Sohco has put the 243-flat project
out to tender and occupation should take place in early 2024.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Building Industry Bargaining Council: www.bibc.co.za
Construction Industry Development Board: www.cidb.org.za
SA Institute of Architects: www.saia.org.za
Western Cape Property Developers Forum: www.wcpdf.org.za
The Provincial Government of
the Western Cape is in partnership
with the University of the Western
Cape to deliver more than 2 500 beds
for student accommodation. Public
comment has been made on a
proposed new Inclusionary Housing
Framework, which according to
the State of the Province Address,
“leverages our development
planning powers” and aims to
increase the number of mixed-use
developments in the future.
Residential building plans
approved in the Western Cape
grew 22% year-on-year in 2022
to reach a value of R14.5-billion.
Nine of South Africa’s 10 most
expensive suburbs are in Cape
Town, according to the Sunday
Times, with three of them (Clifton,
Bantry Bay and Llandudno)
averaging more than R20-million
for a house sale.
Semigration from Gauteng
is having a big effect on towns
such as Plettenberg Bay and
Knysna, with a shortage of
housing stock causing prices to
keep rising as demand grows.
According to the Building
Industry Bargaining Council
(BIBC), the Western Cape has
performed best among the
country’s largest construction
employment contributors over
the last eight quarters, boasting
an average growth of some 8%. ■
Credit: Conradie Park
PHOTO: Boogertman + Partners Architects
33
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024

OVERVIEW
Transport and logistics
Cape Town is more connected than ever before.
SECTOR INSIGHT
Rail usage is down by 95%.
In June 2023, Cape Town International Airport welcomed a
first flight from Eswatini Air. Regular flights will be made
between the city and Manzini on Tuesdays, Fridays and
Sundays in a 50-seater Embraer ERJ 145.
LAM Mozambique Airlines became the latest addition to
the Cape Town direct flight roster when its inaugural flight from
Maputo, Mozambique touched down in December 2023. The
airline operated the first flight on a Boeing 737-700 but thereafter
the route will be serviced by a Bombardier CRJ-900, operating yearround
with three flights per week.
Another new airline to start flying to Cape Town is Air Belgium.
Belgium is the Western Cape’s seventh-largest European export
market, with R2.61-billion in goods exported in 2021, up 81.5%
from 2020. Passengers flying to Cape Town on Air Belgium have
a stop in Johannesburg where they do not get off the plan. As
volumes increase it is expected that Cape Town will get its own
direct flight. Two-way passenger traffic showed a 50% recovery for
the first six months of 2022, with 8 300 passengers flying between
Brussels and Cape Town and for the first six months of 2022, 500
tons of air cargo were flown between the two destinations. South
African Airways (SAA) will now fly a direct, non-stop flight Cape
Town International Airport with São Paulo-Guarulhos International
Airport in São Paulo, Brazil.
George Airport now welcomes over 800 000 passengers each
year and also serves as a national distribution hub for cargo such
as flowers, fish, oysters, herbs and ferns. George Airport is Africa’s
first airport to be solar powered. Plettenberg Bay Aerodrome hosts
CemAir which flies to and from Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Cargo movement for the whole province was the topic of
the Western Cape Air Cargo
Conference held for the
first time in 2023. Hosted by
Wesgro, Cape Town Air Access
and Exporters Western Cape,
the event brought together
integrators, freight forwarders,
local exporters, and domestic,
regional and international airlines.
Combining talks and networking
opportunities with exhibitions
from the airlines, the conference
was intended to stimulate the
province’s air cargo market.
The owners of the Cape
Winelands Airport unveiled plans
to further develop their property
in December 2023. With support
from the City of Cape Town, the
R7-billion project is expected
to open in 2027 if all of the
processes such as environmental
assessments can be completed
and funding secured.
What used to be known as
the Fisantekraal Airfield is on the
R312 which connects Durbanville
with Paarl to the north of the
N1 highway. Lockheed Ventura
bombers used to fly in and out of
the facility when it was a South
African Air Force base, originally
constructed during World War
II. One of the existing airfield’s
four runways is earmarked for
realignment and extension to
a Code 4F runway. It would be
capable of accommodating widebody
aircraft and new aircraft
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024
34 PHOTO: airspace-africa.com

OVERVIEW
Integrated plans
parking stands will be constructed. The airport was renamed the
Cape Winelands Airport when new owners bought the property
in 2020.
Several reasons have been advanced for the need for an
alternative to Cape Town International Airport. The huge volumes
being experienced at CTIA are expected to grow, both in terms of
cargo and incoming tourists. The Cape Winelands Airport is well
situated in terms of delivering tourists to attractive destinations
such as the West Coast, Paarl and Stellenbosch.
The airport also has the potential to make the Cape a more
attractive destination for long-haul flights. At the moment,
aeroplanes flying to Cape Town must carry enough fuel in reserve
to be able to fly to an alternate airport if for some reason their
intended destination is not able to accept them. This adds to the
amount of fuel and therefore the weight of the plane. With the
Cape Winelands Airport being only 25km from CTIA, noteworthy
savings could be made in terms of weight and fuel consumption.
Additional advantages include the fact that the site’s elevation
at 400 feet means that it does not attract winter fog and the fact
that the northern suburbs of Cape Town are growing fast.
A new terminal, additional hangars and a cargo-processing
facility are planned as part of the core development. In addition,
hotel accommodation for passengers and flight students and a
heliport are envisaged.
The Cape Winelands Airport development team includes some
experienced aviation hands. Board Chairman Dirk Ackerman was
CEO of ACSA from 1995 to 2000 and Managing Director Deon
Cloete ran CTIA between 2008 and 2021.
The City of Cape Town
conducted a feasibility study
in the course of 2022 on taking
over the management of
passenger rail services from
PRASA. The city wants to have
a fully-integrated system,
which would include rail.
In 2022 the city’s Urban
Mobility Directorate published
an updated Comprehensive
Integrated Transport Plan
(CITP), outlining the strategies
and plans for improving the
transport environment in the
metropole for five years to 2028.
A range of new factors
were considered in drafting
the plan, such as the virtual
disappearance of passenger
rail as an option, the impact
of the Covid-19 pandemic and
the new trend towards remote
working. According to the
document, 58% of commuters
use private vehicles to get to
their destinations; 22% use
minibus-taxis; 9% use bus
services such as the MyCiTi
and GABS; 2% use rail (a decline
of 95% for the period 2012 –
2022); and about 10% walk. ■
ONLINE RESOURCES
Airports Company South Africa: www.airports.co.za
Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa: www.prasa.com
South African National Roads Agency: www.sanral.co.za
Transport and Urban Development Authority: www.tct.gov.za
PHOTO: MyCiTi
35
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024

OVERVIEW
Tourism
Capetonians can now fly direct to São Paulo.
SECTOR INSIGHT
Airport and cruise liners
set records.
The 317 000 two-way passengers who passed through
Cape Town International Airport in December 2023 set
a new record, as did the 145 000 cruise-ship passengers
who docked at the Port of Cape Town between October
2022 and May 2023.
Both numbers attested to the attractiveness of the Western
Cape as a tourism destination, but also to the success of dedicated
programmes designed to make travelling to the Cape easier for longhaul
destination visitors. The Air Access Cape Town campaign, an
initiative to entice airlines to Cape Town, created more than 750 000
new inbound seats between its inception in 2015 and 2020, adding
something like R6-billion to the provincial economy. Since then,
several airlines have added Cape Town to their rosters, with LAM
Mozambique Airlines’ inaugural flight from Maputo, Mozambique,
touching down in December 2023. Bombardier CRJ-900s will fly the
route three times per week. South African Airways (SAA) announced
in June 2023 a direct, non-stop flight connecting Cape Town with São
Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo, Brazil.
Annual numbers for the airport also created a new record
in 2023, with more than 2.8-million passengers passing the
benchmark set in 2019.
The Cruise Cape Town initiative saw a doubling of cruise ship
visits in 2022/23, up to 75. Like Air Access, the cruise ship programme
is led by Wesgro, the province’s investment promotion agency. On
the last weekend of January 2024, three cruise ships were docked at
the Cape Town Cruise Terminal, releasing 3 100 passengers and 1 400
crew to spend their foreign currency in the region.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Cape Nature: www.capenature.co.za
Garden Route and Klein Karoo: www.visitgardenrouteandkleinkaroo.com
George Tourism: www.georgetourism.org.za
Wesgro estimates that
R1.9-billion in foreign direct
tourism spend was injected
into the Western Cape
economy in December 2023.
Southern Sun reported good
figures for that month across all
segments, including leisure and
business travel. The Southern Sun
Cullinan, adjacent to the Cape
Town International Convention
Centre (CTICC), will undergo a
full winter refurbishment in 2024.
The CTICC enjoyed an excellent
year in 2023.
The Western Cape Provincial
Government wants to promote
education in the arts. Based on
research which found that 6%
of employment in South Africa
is in the cultural sector, the
Western Cape will expand the
traditional STEM emphasis to
include two additional As: Arts
and Agriculture.
Grand Parade Investments
(GPI), which has sold some of its
non-core assets such as Burger
King, will delist from the JSE.
The company intends to exit
the gaming business where
it has a minority share in Sun
Slots, which operates limited
payout machines (LPM). GPI is a
shareholder in companies that
operate casinos in the Western
Cape and, with a 15% stake
in SunWest International, GPI
is connected to the Table Bay
Hotel and the CTICC. ■
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024
36
PHOTO: Design Lab

International Public Art Festival
comes to Cape Town
SPECIAL FEATURE
The city became an open-air gallery for the eighth edition of a global showcase.
Cape Town is stepping into the limelight
as a global art destination. The eighth
edition of the International Public Art
Festival (IPAF), a transformative celebration
of public art and creative collaboration,
was held in city in February 2024.
Baz-Art, a pioneering non-profit organisation,
proudly presented the festival with the theme “CoACT
| C0LLAB”. This year’s edition aimed to redefine Cape
Town’s cultural landscape and highlight its emergence
as a prominent global art destination.
Local and international artists converged to create
large-scale murals, turning the city into an openair
gallery of diverse artistic expressions. The theme
emphasises creative collaboration, breaking down
barriers between different art forms, disciplines and
cultures. This collaborative approach aims to redefine
public spaces, making them vibrant hubs of cultural
connection and community engagement.
A highlight of IPAF 2024 was the blending of
art and activism (“artivism”) to raise awareness on
critical issues. The Rhino Project, featuring artist
Roa from Belgium, unveiled a mural inspired
by his time in a rhino conservation project in
South Africa. The support from the Delegation of
Flanders in South Africa was significant in realising
this impactful initiative.
Guided tours, starting at the Company’s
Garden, offered an immersive experience, allowing
participants to explore the city’s creativity. During
the festival days, attendees witnessed the live artistic
process of local and international artists. Additionally,
Art in the Park Workshops catered to kids and seniors,
making art accessible to all ages and fostering
community engagement.
About Baz-Art: Baz-Art is a non-profit organisation
established in 2016, dedicated to producing art in
public spaces and creating opportunities for street
artists. Through initiatives like IPAF, Baz-Art aims to
grow awareness of the impact of public and urban art,
fostering creativity and community engagement. ■
PHOTOS: Kyle Judd Smith, Filmshark Studios

OVERVIEW
Education
Climate change is trending in academic circles.
SECTOR INSIGHT
UCT’s Neuroscience Institute has
received a R200-million donation.
A Cape Town mountain fire.
A
consortium has been launched to study urban health
in African cities in the time of climate change.
The Cascading Climate and Health Risks in African Cities
(CASCADE) consortium was officially launched in November
2023 with a mission to advance the understanding of critical urban
health challenges faced by African cities and to suggest effective
interventions. CASCADE is led by two University of Cape Town (UCT)
academics, Dr Chris Jack and Professor Bruce Hewitson of the Climate
System and Analysis Group (CSAG).
With nearly 60% of Africa’s population expected to be living in cities
by 2050, the challenges brought by local and global climate change
will make the delivery of clean water and services even tougher than
at present. Cape Town has experienced the extremes of drought and
regular fires in recent years, with the spectre of “Day Zero” in terms of
water availability in 2017 proving a wakeup call that garnered international
attention. Partners in the CASCADE project include the University of
Ghana, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Makerere University, the Global
Change Institute (University of Witwatersrand) and the Nairobi-based
African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC).
News from two of the Western Cape’s other tertiary institutions
supports the idea that climate-related studies are gaining more
attention. Additional funding for postgraduate students in the fields
of energy and water-related studies has been made available by the
Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA).
In terms of an agreement with the South African Institute for Advanced
Materials Chemistry (SAIAMC) at the University of the Western Cape,
EWSETA has extended bursary
funding to eight students in
exciting and diverse areas of
study. These include a cellphone
application that processes thermal
energy storage data to a shearenhanced
flotation technology,
a primary wastewater treatment
technology capable of removing
99.7% of suspended solids from
winery wastewater in seconds.
The Chemical Industries
Education and Training Authority
(CHIETA) has collaborated with
the Centre for Entrepreneurship
Rapid Incubator (CFERI) at False
Bay TVET College to offer a
six-month entrepreneurship
programme with a focus on the
opportunities on offer in the
green economy. CFERI is based at
the college’s Westlake Campus.
Old-fashioned libraries
continue to provide the public
with access to the world of
books. The Western Cape has
the country’s biggest library
network with 377 public
libraries, all but seven of which
have free Internet facilities.
The province’s I-CAN centres
allow for public access to digital
skills programmes, WiFi and
business services. The centres
are divided into zones (including
Create, Study and Learn) and
printing, graphic design and
laminating services are available.
The Provincial Government
of the Western Cape has invested
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024
38
PHOTO: Sky Pixels/ Wikimedia Commons

OVERVIEW
Dispersed-air-flotation rig with shear-induced flotation.
more than R1.6-billion in e-learning over the last five years in response
to Covid and the demands of remote learning. A total of 1 290 schools
within the province now have broadband connectivity and there are
1 316 with computer labs and 9 992 smart classrooms (SOPA).
The CHIETA SMART Skills Centre has been launched in Saldanha
Bay. The Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority intends
for the R3-million facility to help citizens learn digital skills.
The University of Cape Town joined the trend with the creation of an
online high school. The school hopes to close the opportunity gap for
poor students in under-resourced areas.
The University of Cape Town has more than 21 500 students, 720
permanent staff and 39 A-rated researchers (40% of South Africa’s
total). In 2024, a donation of R200-million from the Donald Gordon
Foundation to the university’s Neuroscience Institute was announced.
Stellenbosch University is linked to Stellenbosch’s growing
reputation as a technology hub. The University of the Western Cape is
home to several national research bodies. These three institutions, plus
the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, produce approximately
12 000 science, technology, engineering and mathematics graduates
every year and host 11 000 students from other African countries.
University education is available in George through the Nelson
Mandela University (NMU): Saasveld is home to the School of
Natural Resource Management and the York Street Campus delivers
ONLINE RESOURCES
Apprenticeship Game Changer: www.westerncape.gov.za
Centres of Specialisation: www.dhet.gov.za
SA Renewable Energy Technology Centre: www.saretec.org.za
TVET colleges: www.tvetcolleges.co.za
courses in business and social
science, accounting and business
management.
Unisa, the country’s biggest
distance-learning institution, has
a campus in Cape Town and a
service centre in George. SARETEC
offers industry-specific training
in a new economic sector. The
South African Renewable Energy
Technology Centre is managed by
the Cape Peninsula University of
Technology (Bellville campus) but
it collaborates with several other
institutions and private companies.
A Centres of Specialisation
Programme has been introduced
by the Department of Higher
Education and Training to tackle
priority skills. The College of Cape
Town TVET concentrates on
plumbing and automotive motor
mechanics. A welding academy
in Thornton has been opened
with support from the merSETA
(Manufacturing, Engineering and
Related Services SETA).
Outside of the Cape metropole,
Boland College looks after
Stellenbosch, Worcester, Paarl
and Caledon, while the Southern
Cape College covers a wide area,
from George to Beaufort West. The
West Coast College also has a big
catchment area.
Two business schools have
taken up new premises in
Cape Town. Henley Business
School is offering four of its
accredited qualifications, three
at undergraduate level, and its
honours-level Postgraduate
Diploma in Management Practice
from its Brickfield campus in
Woodstock. Students at the Regent
Business School in The Boulevard
Office Park also have full access to
the iLead lab and Black Umbrellas
business incubation hub. ■
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024
40
PHOTO: SAIAMC

WECBOF
makes it happen!
The Western Cape Business
Opportunities Forum (WECBOF)
provides a platform for businesses
to establish and maintain contact with
fellow entrepreneurs; to have access to
opportunities, information and training;
and to have representation on a number
of relevant forums of government and
other associations focussed on growing
and enhancing the commercial sector,
with a specific focus on small-, medium-,
and micro enterprises (SMMEs).
WECBOF is widely recognised and
respected as a powerful voice for
business in the Western Cape; we are a
provincial service organisation with our
focus and attention firmly on the national
and international business pulse.
CALL US TODAY.
+27 21 946 2519
office@wecbof.co.za www.wecbof.co.za
www.facebook.com/wecbof/
@wecbof
A powerful voice for business.
Where entrepreneurs excel.

OVERVIEW
Development finance
and SMME support
Access to funding is being prioritised.
Small-business owners chosen to attend a Capital Matching
event in 2023 had to put in some sweat equity before they
could get in the room with potential funders.
A collaboration between the Western Cape Department
of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT) and the JSE aims
to improve access to capital for SMMEs over a three-year period.
The 2023 event was five months in the making, with business
owners having to meet certain qualifying criteria before being
expected to attend “rigorous capital-readiness workshops”.
More than 80 SMEs were then exposed to funders such as
African Bank, ABSA, Nedbank, the National Empowerment Fund
(NEF), Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), Esquared,
Creative GrowthCap, Business Partners, Sourcefin, EdgeGrowth,
AltVest, DEDAT and JSE Private Placements. These funding
institutions offered products ranging from debt solutions,
equity solutions (angel and venture capital), enterprise supply
development (ESD) and grant funding.
Another DEDAT initiative saw 1 000 students selected for
training in Business Process Outsourcing, a sector which created
about 10 000 new jobs in the year to March 2023. The “Day of 1 000
Opportunities”, pictured, attracted many young people to Athlone
Stadium in August 2023 and was an illustration of the provincial
government’s “Growth for Jobs” strategy.
Among the initiative’s other partners were CapeBPO, the Jobs
Fund through the National Treasury, the College of Cape Town, the
BPO Skills Academy, Futur-Ed and the City of Cape Town. Futur-Ed
is a support structure consisting of a blended e-learning model for
youth who excel at STEM subjects at school.
The Business Hub is a City of Cape Town initiative that gives
advice to entrepreneurs. In the first six months of 2022, 973
entrepreneurs participated in skills training offered by the Hub.
The Hub partners with Productivity SA and the South African
Renewable Energy Incubator in promoting SMMEs. Access to the
Hub is free via Smart Cape Services at libraries in the city or where
ONLINE RESOURCES
Cape BPO: www.capebpo.org.za
SA SME Fund: sasmefund.co.za
Small Enterprise Development Agency: www.seda.co.za
Small Enterprise Finance Agency: www.sefa.org.za
SECTOR INSIGHT
College of Cape Town offers
training in BPO skills.
free Wi-Fi is provided in all city-run
buildings.
Two of the Western Cape’s
universities, Stellenbosch and
Cape Town, are among the first
collaborators with the University
Technology Fund (UTF) which aims
to commercialise innovations and
inventions coming out of tertiary
institutions. The UTF has financial
clout as it is a part of the South
African SME Fund, an offshoot of
the CEO Initiative which brought
together 50 major corporations, the
Public Investment Corporation, the
Unemployment Insurance Fund and
the Compensation Fund. Among
the businesses receiving support
from the SA SME Fund is Hyrax, a
company which emerged from
research done at the University of
the Western Cape into which HIVpositive
people were resistant to
certain drugs. ■
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024
42
PHOTO: Futur-Ed

Banking and financial services
Acquisitions accelerate in the financial sector.
OVERVIEW
SECTOR INSIGHT
Assupol will delist
from the CTSE.
The purchase by Sanlam of Assupol means that the smaller
company’s ordinary shares will be delisted from the Cape
Town Stock Exchange, pictured, left.
Cape Town-based Sanlam, South Africa’s biggest insurer,
paid R6.5-billion for Assupol, which started life as a burial society for
the South African police and continues to have a strong presence in
the country’s northern provinces although it now offers life insurance
and other financial products.
Sanlam, established in 1918 as a life insurer, is now a financial
services company with five main divisions, including Corporate,
Personal Finance and Emerging Markets. Santam focusses on shortterm
insurance. With its headquarters in Bellville, Sanlam is Africa’s
largest insurance company.
Sanlam Investments has launched a Sustainable Infrastructure
Fund which primarily invests in senior or subordinated debt across a
wide range of South African infrastructure assets, with the ability to
invest up to 10% in equity.
Another large financial services group, Alexforbes, which has more
than R450-billion in assets under management, acquired 100% of
OUTvest in 2023. OUTsurance has decided to concentrate on its shortterm
insurance business while the addition of OUTvest to Alexforbes’
portfolio gives that group enhanced digital capability.
The Western Cape’s evolution into a technology hub is one of the
reasons why one of South Africa’s newest stock exchanges chose to
move to the Cape and rebrand as Cape Town Stock Exchange.
This trend is also persuading banks, insurance providers, asset
managers and venture capitalists to choose to relocate. There are
more than 40 000 jobs in the technology sector (more than double
ONLINE RESOURCES
Financial Sector Conduct Authority: www.fsca.co.za
Insurance Institute of South Africa: www.iisa.co.za
South African Institute of Chartered Accountants: www.saica.co.za
the total of Nairobi and Lagos
combined, Wesgro) and formal
employment in the financial
sector exceeds 50 000.
Together with business
services, the financial sector
comprises the biggest
contributor to the provincial
economy. According to Wesgro,
75% of the venture capital deals
that happen in South Africa
originate in the Western Cape.
Most financial firms based in
Cape Town have a long history,
some going back as far as
1845 when Old Mutual started.
One of the most successful
disruptors in recent times has
been Stellenbosch-based
Capitec Bank.
The head offices of
financial firms are dotted
all over Cape Town. These
include Old Mutual and Foord
(Pinelands), Futuregrowth
and Coronation (Newlands),
Prudential (Claremont), Sygnia
(Green Point), Sanlam (Bellville)
and Allan Gray (Waterfront).
PSG has its headquarters
in Stellenbosch and is well
represented in rural towns.
Insurers such as Santam and
Metropolitan Life are based in
Bellville. Nomura, a Japanese
financial holding company,
has a presence in the Cape
through Nomura South Africa
which offers investment
banking services. ■
PHOTO: John Young
43 WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024

INDEX
INDEX
Cape Chamber of Commerce & Industry...................................................................................................IFC
College of Cape Town...............................................................................................................................................39
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).............................................................................23
Lesedi Nuclear Services................................................................................................................................... 28-31
Nedbank.............................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Telkom............................................................................................................................................................14-15, OBC
Vinpro.................................................................................................................................................................................21
Western Cape Business Opportunities Forum (WECBOF)..................................................................41
Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism.....................................8-9
WEST COAST
CAPE WINELANDS
CENTRAL KAROO
GARDEN ROUTE
OVERBERG
WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2024
44

FOCUS
Save our Beach Huts
A campaign is underway to restore Cape Town’s
colourful landmarks.
Credit: A Gorman Photography
The Beach Huts of Cape Town have been
around since the late 1800s. Over their lifetime
they have changed significantly, eventually
becoming the colourful huts we see today.
They have always been a feature of our beaches.
These structures have risen to iconic status,
outgrowing their practical usefulness. Their true
value lies in being an instantly recognisable image
and arguably South Africa’s most iconic man-made
structures. They occupy a significant portion of
South Africa’s global brand image. The importance
of this for attracting tourism to our country cannot
be overstated.
Tourism, a large source of foreign direct income,
has an important role to play in alleviating poverty
and creating opportunities for all South Africans.
Tourism is everybody’s business.
The Beach Huts have been falling into disrepair
for some time. A harsh environment, complex
Contact details
The Beach Hut Trust:
Angela Gorman
Mobile: 079 504 1933
Email: info@beachhuts.org.za
municipal structures and more pressing socioeconomic
issues have resulted in the nearcollapse
of this iconic infrastructure. The Beach
Huts are as important to South Africa as the
Statue of Liberty or the Eiffel Tower is to New
York and Paris.
The SAVE OUR BEACH HUTS campaign, run
by The Beach Hut Trust, is a public and private
collaborative initiative. The objectives are to
Preserve, Protect and Promote the Beach Huts,
Cape Town’s most iconic structures. To us, they
represent opportunity and hope for South
Africa. To the world, they represent a reason to
travel here.
We aim to create employment, restore an
icon, promote tourism and generate a Beach
Beach Huts-inspired industry that will sustain
them indefinitely. The opportunities are endless
and we are calling on all businesses to see
how they can help support the programme to
#SaveOurBeachHuts. ■
Daniel Blaauw
Mobile: 081 776 6522
Email: info@beachhuts.org.za
39 WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2021

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