We were honoured to host Minister Willie Aucamp, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment at our recent CEO Engagement, providing business leaders with an opportunity to engage on the intersection of environmental stewardship, investment, economic growth and regulatory reform.
Opening the discussion, Ryan Ravens, CEO, Accelerate Cape Town (ACT) noted the Western Cape’s strong institutional performance and growing attractiveness as a destination for investment, tourism and business.
While recognising the province’s strengths, he emphasised that the Western Cape is deeply connected to the national economy and that collaboration between government and business is essential to unlocking South Africa’s full economic potential.
Minister Aucamp acknowledged that bureaucracy and regulatory delays remain a challenge, but stressed that the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) is committed to improving efficiency while maintaining its core mandate of protecting and conserving South Africa’s environmental and natural resources.
“Our role is not simply to protect and conserve, but also to enhance investment and help the country grow,” he said.
A recurring theme throughout the discussion was the need to reject the notion that environmental protection and economic growth are competing objectives. According to the Minister, the real opportunity lies in finding the ‘sweet spot’ where sustainable environmental management becomes a catalyst for growth, job creation, innovation and long-term prosperity.
He highlighted the importance of ensuring that conservation delivers tangible benefits for communities. Referring to the recently signed Beneficiation Scheme Framework Agreement for the Kruger National Park, the Minister noted that local communities have now become formal partners and beneficiaries of the park’s success.
“If people have economic opportunities and financial stability, they become active participants in conservation rather than spectators,” he explained.
Minister Aucamp also outlined several significant opportunities available to South Africa. These include the dramatic increase in global shipping traffic around the Cape of Good Hope, creating a potentially transformative opportunity for ports, logistics and maritime services.
He also highlighted growing international support for South Africa’s Just Energy Transition, including substantial investment commitments from the European Union aimed at supporting clean energy and sustainable development.
However, he cautioned that opportunities of this scale require coordinated action.
“These opportunities will not unlock themselves. They require investment, partnerships and a regulatory environment that moves at the speed of opportunity.”
The Minister highlighted the Oceans Economy as one of South Africa’s most promising growth sectors. Through initiatives such as Operation Phakisa and the Oceans Economy Master Plan, government is working to coordinate investment opportunities across marine transport, coastal agriculture, tourism, ocean governance and related industries.
Particular attention was given to Cape Town’s strategic position as one of only five internationally recognised Antarctic gateway cities and the only one on the African continent. The Minister identified significant opportunities linked to Antarctic research programmes, logistics, marine services, hospitality, tourism, fuel supply and related support industries.
Fisheries also featured prominently in the discussion. Minister Aucamp emphasised that government seeks to enable a sustainable fishing industry and encouraged greater collaboration between commercial and small-scale fishing operators.
The Minister further identified the circular economy as a major area for future growth. He noted that South Africa is increasingly recognising the economic value of waste streams and circular value chains.
The country’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Programme has already contributed to the creation of approximately 24,000 jobs while supporting around 47,000 waste pickers through formalised value chains.
To further support investment and business growth, the Department is pursuing reforms to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. These include digitising submissions and approvals, as well as introducing a more flexible, risk-based approach that better aligns regulatory requirements with the scale and complexity of projects.
He encouraged business leaders to participate actively in the consultation process surrounding the proposed reforms to ensure that practical industry perspectives are included.
Climate change formed another key focus area. While acknowledging that South Africa contributes relatively little to global emissions compared to developed economies, Minister Aucamp stressed that the country remains highly vulnerable to climate-related impacts.
He emphasised that climate action should not be viewed solely as a compliance obligation, but rather as a significant investment and industrialisation opportunity. The Climate Change Act of 2024, together with related policy frameworks, is intended to mobilise climate finance and unlock investment across renewable energy, waste management, battery storage, electric vehicles and other emerging sectors.
Throughout the engagement, Minister Aucamp repeatedly emphasised the importance of partnership between government and business.
“Government cannot achieve this on its own. We will make mistakes, we will disagree at times, but what matters is our willingness to walk this road together.”
Concluding the engagement, he extended an open invitation to business leaders to continue engaging with the Department and to collaborate in building what he described as a greener, more prosperous and investment-friendly South Africa.
The morning’s session ended with an interactive Q&A session, providing attendees to discuss issues pertinent to their business, and the industry at large, in greater detail.
This engagement reinforces the value of open dialogue and practical collaboration in addressing shared challenges and capitalising on emerging opportunities. Accelerate Cape Town will continue to facilitate these conversations, helping to build stronger partnerships that support a more competitive, resilient and inclusive economy.
Our thanks to Minister Aucamp, our members and guests for their participation, and to Santam, our sponsor, for partnering with us on this important engagement.
