Quick note from Minister Winde

Well done to Cape Town Routes Unlimited, the Western Cape's destination marketing organisation, for hosting a fantastic open day!

WORLD TOURISM DAY

I would like to urge all Capetonians to go for a walk on the beach or up a mountain trail this World Tourism Day. Afterwards, visit a restaurant in a different suburb or picnic at one of our botanical gardens - Go out and experience one of the varied cultures that the Cape has to offer.

Choo-Tjoe News - edition 5!

STILL WAITING FOR TRANSNET ...

In August, Transnet made assurances that they would have the Choo-Tjoe up and running by the 1^st of October. With that deadline fast approaching, we got in touch with them, and after apologising, they told us that there had been a further delay, and that the Choo-Tjoe will now be relaunched in mid-October.

We are anxiously awaiting the moment, and Minister Winde will travel to the Garden Route to see our icon in action again.

Ever since Minister Winde called on the public to come forward with suggestions on how to save the Choo-Tjoe, we have heard stories of volunteers’ efforts to restore the Rheilffordd Ffestiniog Railway in Wales. We found these anecdotes of collaboration and willpower particularly inspiring, and in November this year, Minister Winde will travel to Britain to see this beauty first hand, and hear about how its restoration was completed so successfully.

Minister Winde will also meet with Sir William McAlpine, best known for his work with the Flying Scotsman. From both visits, Minister Winde hopes to gain insight into the restoration and operation of steam locomotives like our own Choo-Tjoe, and will travel back to the Western Cape to inform his team about his discoveries.

As soon as we have a date for the expressions of interest meeting, we will communicate that to you. In the meantime, it would be great to see you at the re-launch of the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe in mid-October (we will send you an e-mail once the official date has been communicated to us by Transnet).

Please call at 021 483 3531, or e-mail finmin@pgwc.gov.za, to give your input on how we can save the train.

MEC Winde encourages learners at Careers Expo to become doctors, engineers and teachers

Top: Minister of Finance, Economic development and Tourism, Alan Winde and Alderman Belinda Walker from the City of Cape Town chat to a student signing up on the Career Planet job portal.

Bottom: Minister Winde and Alderman Walker discuss ways to create employment opportunities

Agribusiness Investment Unit boosts industry

Toasting the new initative (from left to right): Joyene Isaacs, Head of Agriculture Department, Minister Alan Winde, Minister Gerrit van Rensburg and Rameez Johar form WESGRO

Wesgro, the Western Cape’s official Trade and Investment Promotion Agency in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture launched an exciting investment initiative on the 1^st September 2009, referred to as the Agribusiness Investment Unit. Issued with the mandate of attracting domestic and foreign direct Investment into the Western Cape agricultural sector, the unit will renew interest in this dynamic industry.

The fledgling division will fall under the wing of both Wesgro and the Department of Agriculture (the unit’s primary sponsor) as these two major players in the agri-world align their vision to develop and promote this burgeoning sector.

The unit will be responsible for locating new direct investments in the Western Cape as well as retaining existing investments and supporting their expansions. It will target and identify potential investors through proposition-based marketing in order to attract them to the Western Cape through a comprehensive programme. One of the advantages of this unit is that is able to create a more conducive external environment while also being able to service investors’ individual needs.

Agriculture is one of the major sectors of the province and close to 40% of the exports of the Western Cape is based on agricultural products. The industry is identified as the mainstay of the economy in the rural areas of the Western Cape and attracting investment into this area will have positive spin offs for other sectors in the Western Cape.

The Agribusiness Investment Unit’s function will compliment Wesgro’s vision to promote the Western Cape as the leading business destination for local and international investment.

Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, MEC Alan Winde, expressed his delight at the coming together of the two provincial departments: “This is ground-breaking initiative that will certainly facilitate economic growth in our Province. I am very pleased to be working with MEC van Rensburg on this project, as our combined budgets will facilitate a far better service to potential investors”.

Choo-Tjoe News Update!

Earlier today, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Alan Winde, met with the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe Steering Committee. Present were the Mayors from Eden, George, Knysna and Mossel Bay, representatives from local tourism associations, provincial government and Transnet.

Minister Winde was informed that the maintenance presently being undertaken by Transnet on the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe is nearing completion. It is anticipated that the operations of the OCT from George to Mossel Bay will re-commence by the middle of October. We will use this occasion as an opportunity to re-launch the Choo-Tjoe, in coordination which the Municipalities and Tourism Associations in the region.

Transnet has assured Minister Winde that it will continue to operate the current service until it can be handed over to an appointed operator through an open and competitive tender process, preceded by an information and awareness session

that will be jointly facilitated by the Provincial Government of the Western Cape and Transnet. The purpose of the information and awareness session will be to provide a briefing to all stakeholders, affected parties and the private sector on the call for Expressions of Interest.

It is envisaged that the process will be separated into two phases: phase one will deal with the George to Mossel Bay line, and phase two the George to Knysna line. Although the processes culminating in the handover will be operated by Transnet, agreement has been reached that the Provincial Government will be meaningfully engaged on all matters leading up to the handover.

Minister Winde is pleased with the outcome of the meeting, and said that in order to increase patronage and boost interest in the Choo-Tjoe, he will ensure that the current service is marketed extensively at provincial and local level.

First for Province as Minister Winde draws in stakeholders to discuss Tourism Investment Recruitment for the Western Cape

In a first ever for the Province, this morning (7 September 2009), Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Alan Winde, called together representatives of government, civil society, business and labour, to strategise possible ways in which to recruit tourism investment into the Western Cape. The result of the full-day workshop, held in the very heart of the rejuvenated city centre at Mandela Rhodes Place, will be a strategy detailing where investment in the industry currently stands, where we want to go, and a plan on how to get there. The participants, gathered under the common name of the Western Cape Tourism Development Partnership, included major players such as Peter Bacon, Chairperson of the board of CTRU and Martin Kearns, CEO of Eurocape Holdings.

Minister Winde expressed his vision for tourism growth in the Workshop’s opening address: “In order to grow our slice of the tourism cake, we need to understand where we are, and how we fit into the larger economy. We need to decide on our unique so as to establish our competitive advantage, and target investment in line with that”, said Winde. “We need to decide whether we want to be a party city, a beach city or a business city. I am in favour of the combination, with business playing the lead role. In order to be taken seriously, we need to shrug off our “Slaapstad” reputation, and prove to the world that we are indeed a serious location with an excellent quality vs cost value proposition”.

Tourism contributes around 10% to the GDP of the Western Cape, a figure which illustrates the strength of this sector in generating economic activity for our Province. Globally, Africa draws a mere 3% of the US$1500 billion foreign investment market, lagging well behind Europe, South and North America, and Asia. We must look toward developing around our competitive edge, which includes our broader tourism offerings, such as craft, music, film, visual and performance arts, so that we can increase our slice of the FDI pie. In order to do so, our strategy must become more focussed, understanding of investors’ contexts’, and tailor-made.

The Western Cape Tourism Development Partnership will strive to establish the Western Cape as a destination for new markets, and as a place to do serious business.

Minister Winde issues warning to liquor traders: “The Government of the Western Cape will support responsible traders, but will nail rule breakers"

Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Alan Winde, has embarked on a Province-wide blitz to ensure that night clubs and liquor outlets are sticking to the rules.

Last Friday (28^th August 2009), MEC Winde came to the rescue of dozens of homeowners in Oudtshoorn when he dropped in at Lev Cupid Sports Bar after midnight and confronted the management for operating outside of their licence hours. Minister Winde enraged the manager when he insisted that his sound system be turned off immediately. Police were on stand-by to provide assistance should it have been required.

Residents of the area, many of whom are teachers and school children, complained that they were suffering from ill-sleep because of the club’s habit of playing loud music into the early hours of the morning. One concerned mother informed the Minister that she had sent her daughter to her grandmother’s house during exam times because sleep-deprivation was affecting her ability to study.

While Minister Winde and the Provincial Government support operators who stick to the rules, irresponsible traders will no longer be tolerated. He emphasized that his focus will be on shutting down clubs in residential areas that he found to be in contravention of the law. Over the coming months, MEC Winde will be performing random late night raids on clubs that appear suspicious. Infringements include selling alcohol, and playing unacceptably loud music after midnight without licence to do so.