We were honoured to host Minister Tertuis Simmers, the Western Cape Provincial Minister of Infrastructure, as part of our series of ongoing Thought Leadership engagements. As a pivotal figure shaping the region’s infrastructure landscape, this event offered a unique opportunity for our members and corporate leaders in Cape Town to gain valuable insights into how the infrastructure agenda will drive economic development and create new business opportunities across the province.

Ryan Ravens, CEO of Accelerate Cape Town, underscored the importance of leveraging a collective voice to create a sustainable business environment. He noted that while the Western Cape is the fastest-growing region in the country, it still faces significant challenges—water, sewerage, power, and transport—exacerbated by natural disasters and ongoing geopolitical tensions. Despite these obstacles, Ryan highlighted the province’s tremendous growth potential and reiterated Accelerate Cape Town’s commitment to fostering public-private partnerships and convening workgroups for deeper collaboration.

Omeshnee Naidoo, Director and CIO Programme Leader at Deloitte, echoed the call for action and innovation. She expressed a keen interest in learning how businesses can actively contribute to achieving the region’s infrastructure goals.

Minister Simmers outlined his vision and strategic plans for the next five years, sharing upcoming projects, investment opportunities, and their anticipated impact on various sectors. As Minister of Infrastructure, he emphasised his department’s central role in the province, where infrastructure affects all key areas. He detailed the province’s 15-year infrastructure plan, which aims to maximise delivery through short-, medium-, and long-term goals.

Key focus areas include:

• Developing an integrated visual infrastructure pipeline for all infrastructure projects across the Western Cape, combining private and public sector initiatives for better transparency and efficiency.
• Partnerships to increase affordable housing.
• Investing in rural areas, particularly the Overberg and Garden Route, which are experiencing rapid growth and are on track to becoming metros.
• Broadening the scope of infrastructure development to include climate and environmental considerations.
• Establishing sustainable and blended funding sources.

Minister Simmers also highlighted the role of innovation and investment in smart technology as key to structuring future projects for quicker, more cost-effective delivery. He noted how technology can strengthen future planning, sustainability, and resilience in the wake of natural disasters, which recently affected the province.

Throughout his address, the Minister emphasised the importance of partnership and collaboration. He encouraged open dialogue between the provincial government and the private sector and invited feedback on infrastructure development. He also stressed that the private sector has a critical role in accelerating projects and developing innovative funding models to ensure profitability across various risk levels.

Addressing skills deficits is another priority for the Minister. Additional budget allocations are being directed to embed the necessary skills programmes within his department, particularly in emerging sectors such as energy and grid capacity.

Minister Simmers also touched on several key projects, including:

• A new delivery model for roads, inspired by European best practices, to improve the Western Cape’s 28,000 km gravel road network—the largest in the country.
• The limitations of Cape Town’s port and the potential for Saldanha as a second major port.
• The need for affordable rental housing in response to increased migration to Cape Town. This includes piloting deferred ownership, where tenants rent for three years before purchasing.
• Addressing the energy crisis, particularly its impact on poorer communities through ‘load reduction.’ The province’s energy resilience programme aims to make more municipalities grid-independent.

Minister Simmers expressed confidence that the lessons learned over the past few years, along with his involvement in the GNU (Government of National Unity), will enable him and his team to fully leverage available opportunities. He reaffirmed that partnerships will be key to shaping the future of the Western Cape.

The session concluded with an open discussion, where attendees explored topics such as roads and the gravel road network, blended finance models, housing, sustainability, and data-sharing between public and private entities.

These insightful networking engagements not only inspire confidence but are essential for fostering collaborative partnerships that will drive long-term economic growth and stability. Accelerate Cape Town remains dedicated to facilitating continued dialogue between local government and the business community, working toward shared goals of prosperity for our city and country.

Our sincere thanks to our speakers, guests, sponsors, and members for their continued support.