Accelerate Cape Town CEO Ryan Ravens addressing delegates at the International Business Forum hosted by Investissement Québec International & Invest Cape Town
FROM THE CEO
The infrastructure numbers for this province read well. R40 billion committed by the City over three years, in addition to R9.86 billion from the Western Cape Province this financial year. The largest MyCiTi expansion in the country, into the Cape Flats where it is most needed. Environmental authorisation secured for Cape Winelands Airport and cranes going up all over the city. This is a region that has decided to build.
The capital is committed, the question now is execution, and whether these projects carry the communities they run through.
The V&A Waterfront is a useful illustration. Their long-term expansion is significant but read their message below and notice how much of it is about enterprise development, skills, public space, and participation. That is not corporate courtesy. It is the recognition that the projects that endure are the ones that carry people with them.
Last year R18.9 billion in investment was facilitated through the City’s growth-sector partnerships, and City-funded projects supported nearly 16,000 direct jobs. No single institution produced that. It is what alignment looks like and why this network exists.
FOCUS ISSUE
Building Confidence, Unlocking Growth
Infrastructure is not just about what gets built. It is about what becomes possible. Every investment decision, new development, tourism opportunity, logistics route, and job created depends on the infrastructure that connects people, businesses, and markets.
Across the Western Cape, significant investments are helping to shape the region’s future. From the continued development of the V&A Waterfront as a world-class mixed-use precinct to the proposed Cape Winelands Airport, infrastructure is creating new opportunities for tourism, trade, investment, and regional connectivity. These projects are not only reshaping places; they are strengthening the foundations for long-term economic growth and competitiveness.
For ACT, this reinforces the importance of bringing business leaders together around the issues that enable economic growth, strengthen regional competitiveness, and create opportunities for communities across the Western Cape and beyond.
Infrastructure matters because it reduces the cost and complexity of doing business. It enables trade, supports business growth, improves resilience, unlocks investment, and creates confidence in future growth. It also helps connect communities to opportunities and supports a more inclusive economy.
As competition for investment intensifies globally, regions that invest in the foundations of growth will be best positioned to succeed. For the Western Cape, infrastructure is not simply about building for today. It is about creating the platform for the next generation of economic opportunity.
Question for members: Which infrastructure investment or development do you believe will have the greatest impact on the Western Cape economy over the next decade?
MEMBERSHIP SPOTLIGHT
Strengthening the Network
ACT is pleased to welcome the V&A Waterfront to the network, one of the city’s most recognisable destinations and a significant economic anchor.
Below, they reflect on joining and share an update on the precinct’s next chapter.
The V&A Waterfront is pleased to join Accelerate Cape Town and contribute to the collective effort of building a more inclusive, innovative and competitive Cape Town economy. As one of South Africa’s leading mixed-use destinations, the Waterfront continues to invest in creating spaces and opportunities that support entrepreneurship, skills development, cultural expression and sustainable economic growth.
While we are progressing a significant long-term expansion of the precinct, our focus extends beyond physical development. Through partnerships, enterprise development initiatives, community programmes and investment in public spaces, we are working to create an enabling environment where businesses can thrive, jobs can be created and more people can participate meaningfully in the city’s economic future. We look forward to collaborating with fellow ACT members to help shape a prosperous and inclusive Cape Town.
🤝 We look forward to the insights and perspectives the V&A Waterfront will bring to the ACT network and the opportunities for collaboration that lie ahead.
👀 WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Investment in Place-Making and Economic Hubs
World-class precincts, innovation districts, ports, and mixed-use developments continue to play an important role in attracting investment, supporting business activity, and creating vibrant economic ecosystems.
NUMBER OF THE WEEK
R18.9 billion
R18.9 billion in investment was facilitated through Cape Town’s growth-sector partnerships during the 2025/26 financial year, supporting nearly 16,000 direct jobs (City of Cape Town). Investment remains one of the strongest indicators of economic confidence. These figures highlight the impact that collaboration between business, industry bodies, and government can have in attracting capital, creating jobs, and strengthening the region’s long-term competitiveness.
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