The elections are done and dusted, the GNU has been established and we have a new provincial cabinet in the Western Cape. For the regional business community, it is hugely encouraging that Premier Alan Winde has secured another 5-year mandate in the Western Cape. We have built deep working relationships with his administration and look forward to continuing the great spirit of collaboration that has assisted the Western Cape to achieve the lowest unemployment rate in the country – 21% compared to the national unemployment rate of 33%. In addition, over the past five years, 4 out of every 5 new jobs in SA were created in the Western Cape, and ACT will be amplifying our focus on youth employment over coming months to ensure that this positive trajectory continues.
Given that connecting business to government is key to our value proposition, elections are traditionally a quiet time for Accelerate Cape Town. We have however used the time productively to secure an excellent events pipeline for the next few months. Having already hosted the Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, and the Deputy Mayor, Eddie Andrews, we’ll be following up shortly with Ald. James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth. Following that session, we’ll be hosting a CEO breakfast with Premier Winde, followed by sessions with Minister of Infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers, and later this year with Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, Dr Ivan Meyer.
Of course, for business in the region, despite being immensely valuable there is much more to consider beyond engagements with political leadership. Technologies such as generative Ai and large language models (LLMs) are evolving rapidly and having a profound effect not only on the way in which companies do business but also with respect to the talent pipeline companies need to develop in order to remain competitive. We’ll be reviving our ‘Workplace of the Future’ series to take a closer look at how technology is driving change in a post-Covid environment, and what the implications are for future recruitment. We’ll also be convening sessions with our tertiary education sector (TVETs and universities) to continue closing the gap between the talent being produced and the talent needed by business.
In conclusion, it gives me great pleasure to welcome our newest members, ACCSO and African Bank. Please have a look at our Leadership Spotlight with Adam Wayland, Managing Director of ACCSO International, to learn more about their business.
Thank you for your continuous support and contribution towards the development of our region! Please keep an eye out for invitations to the above-mentioned events and we look forward to some meaningful and productive engagements.
