SA ECONOMY online

In January of 2008, Mr Angelo Manzoni was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Wesgro, the official Trade and Investment agency of the Western Cape.

 

SA Economy caught up with him to ask him about planned developments and what business sectors he would focusing on.

 

 

What assistance does Wesgro offer to Exporters and Importers?

 

Wesgro is the official investment and trade promotion agency for the Western Cape. We aim to attract local and foreign direct investment into the Western Cape, grow the number of exporters and market the province as a competitive business destination.

 

Wesgro’s services are geared towards exporters rather than importers. We have a Trade Promotion Unit that offers a variety of services to exporters, with the view of increasing exports and providing sustainable access to global markets for Western Cape products and services through the development of export capabilities, stimulation of international demand and education on market access.

A key activity of this unit is the Export Development programme (EDP) which aims to train new exporters, and provide a networking and mentoring opportunity for new exporting firms, especially small, medium emerging and women owned businesses that show export potential.

Our Export Promotion programme aims to grow demand of Western Cape products and services in global markets. This is achieved through outward selling missions to key markets such as the USA, Europe, China, Brazil and Western Africa, participation in international trade fairs and exhibitions and through inward buying missions.

Wesgro also links local exporters with international trade leads identified through our extensive international networks and cutting edge intelligence sources and assists exporters to take advantage of the Export Marketing and Investment Assistance scheme provided by the Department of Trade and Industry.

 

How can small and emerging business benefit from Wesgro?

The greatest benefit to small and emerging business is that Wesgro provides them with an international networking platform.  Through its inward and outward trade and investment missions, Wesgro assists local business to access vast international business networks. Companies are also invited to join Wesgro on missions to key markets, where Wesgro will match them with their international business counterparts. 

Wesgro also runs a successful Exporter Development Programme that is aimed at assisting new and established exporters to access new markets and to develop their export potential. This programme is comprised of various levels, which are geared to suit the needs of potential exporters and help them grow their business and gain a competitive edge in the international export arena. These workshops are supplemented with various workshops and seminars that focus on topical business issues.

Wesgro also provides cutting edge business intelligence on the latest trade and      investment local and international trends. 

 

Wesgro obviously has a plan in place to attract FDI to the Western Cape. What sectors are Wesgro looking at to attract FDI and how does the Western Cape stand apart from other provinces and the rest of the world?

 

A strategic decision was taken to de-focus from sectors which other government agencies are actively promoting and to target sectors that have demonstrated high growth potential. These include the boatbuilding, agribusiness, creative industries, ICT, renewable energy and tourism sectors.

 

The following factors were taken into consideration when determining the sectors, the prioritisation by the City of Cape Town’s Economic & Human Development Strategy (EHDS) and the Western Cape’s Microeconomic Development Strategy (MEDS) and the growth potential of the sector.

 

With an average GDP growth of 5.9% in 2007, the Western Cape has consistently grown at a more rapid pace than the national average. This could be attributed to our diversity and our shift towards the tertiary sector (in line with international trends) while many provincial counterparts still rely heavily on primary activities such as mining and quarrying.

 

With a GDP of $ 37.25 billion (2006) the Western Cape has a sizable economy, comparable with countries around the world.  The Western Cape economy is bigger than that of Uruguay and Bulgaria. The province makes up approximately 14.6% of the national economy, making it the third biggest regional economy behind Gauteng and Kwazulu-Natal. In addition, in 2006, the Western Cape was the second fastest growing economy behind Gauteng.

 

Of the nine provinces the Western Cape scored the highest overall ranking in the recent Business Times analysis of the South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) report on development indicators for South Africa. In addition the province boasts the highest average household income and lowest unemployment rate according to the analysis.

 

The Western Cape also excels in areas of healthcare, education and economic infrastructure. With a good bed-to-population ratio, the lowest HIV infection rate, and as the leader in the provision of formal housing, water, electricity and telephones, it bodes well for the province. The Western Cape has one of the most advanced constitutions in the world and Cape Town was ranked by Newsweek as one of the 8 most creative cities in the world.  The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) MBA is ranked top in the Southern Hemisphere by Financial Times.

 

The province boasts 3 export-oriented ports and is a prominent stop on some of the world’s major shipping routes. In addition Cape Town International Airport has direct air links with major global cities such as Amsterdam, London, Buenos Aires and Frankfurt.

 

 

Wesgro can be contacted :

 

Tel: 021 -  487 8600

Fax: 021-  487 8700

 

12th Floor Waldorf Arcade

St George’s Mall

Cape Town

Www.wesgro.co.za