Dec / Jan 2012
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REPORTBACK CEO’S FORUM
Business leaders
87.4%
support plan for a new economic partnership
is the percentage that the Cape Town city region contributes towards the Western Cape GDP. The region also houses 78% of the provincial population.
City Views spoke to Andrew Boraine – who is leading the EDP charge – to find out what the Economic Development Partnership means for you and me.
Photos by Lisa Burnell
Why do we need an EDP?
The EDP project management team From back left: Terri Carter of the Cape Town Partnership, Theuns Olivier from KPMG, Karin Palmer from the City of Cape Town, EDP convenor Andrew Boraine, Stuart Watson from KPMG, Matt Cullinan from the National Treasury Technical Advisory Unit
O
ver 70 leaders from business and industry associations like the South African Black Entrepreneurs Forum and Accelerate Cape Town, as well as municipal managers and economic agencies across the Western Cape, gathered at the CTICC on 21 November 2011 for the first CEO’s Forum. Hot topic? How to redesign our provincial economic delivery system to grow opportunities, not inequality. “The provincial government’s number one goal is to grow the economy and create jobs,” explains Western Cape Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism Alan Winde. “And we need to find mechanisms to bring the economy together, which is why we’re creating the Economic Development Partnership. The EDP will be a cross-sector partnership between government, business, labour and civil society, with the overall purpose of ensuring a cohesive economic delivery system to achieve this goal.”
What will the EDP do?
The EDP will be launched in April 2012 as a not-for-profit company, with the overall purpose of creating greater cohesion in the regional economic delivery system.
From front left: Bongi Dayimani from the Provincial Government of the Western Cape, Alison Goldstuck from the City of Cape Town, Dilshaad Gallie from the City of Cape Town, Thembinkosi Siganda from the City of Cape Town and EDP project manager Yumnaa Firfirey
Why?
So that the Western Cape achieves its full economic growth potential. So that economic growth is inclusive – helping create jobs and reduce inequality
How does it plan to do this? 1. Better economic information
Access to evidence-based economic information is important if you’re going to make good decisions. The EDP will coordinate the analysis and sharing of economic research and data, to help those
“We need a way of addressing jobless economic growth and relentless poverty. The provincial economy grew by about 45% between 2001 and 2010, but the regional workforce only grew by about 16% during that time. That kind of jobless growth needs to change.” – Andrew Boraine
whose decisions make a significant impact on the economy make more informed decisions. 2. A common economic agenda and delivery plan
Getting everyone reading the same book (and preferably the same page) is vital. The EDP will coordinate the development of a common economic vision, strategy, agenda and action plan. 3. Business expansion
In order to attract, retain and grow businesses and deliver more jobs, the Western Cape needs a wellorganised business and investment climate. The EDP will identify current gaps in the economic delivery system and work in partnership to improve performance.
“We need a way of addressing jobless economic growth and relentless poverty. The provincial economy grew by about 45% between 2001 and 2010, but the regional workforce only grew by about 16% during that time. That kind of jobless growth needs to change. Sustainable social development must include access to jobs and incomes otherwise it becomes a welfare trap. Access to employment not only reduces dependence on social services but also increases social development, cohesion, and aspirations. Building the breadth and depth of the labour market is the only way to bring more people into it. Without economic development, the most skilled people move on and the least employable and dependent are left behind. The EDP is a response by provincial government – and the role-players who are supporting this process – to tackle the challenge of jobless growth.”
Why a “partnership” for economic development? “No one organisation can, on its own, successfully resolve the structural problems of unemployment, inequality and poverty, or address the need for basic services and shelter in informal settlements, or the challenges faced by communi-
4. A strong regional brand
The Western Cape currently has a strong leisure and tourism brand but lacks a strong business brand and an integrated economic development strategy. The EDP will work towards creating a unified business brand for the Western Cape. 5. The monitoring and improvement of economic performance
While the economic delivery system will not be transformed overnight, the EDP will lead a process of performance monitoring to support continuous improvement.
Hard at work at the CEO’s Forum
ties wracked by gang violence and drugs: Government organisations have the statutory mandate and possess many of the resources, but are not always sufficiently in touch with fine-grained community issues, or the business and investment environment. Civil society organisations are usually powerful advocates of the rights and needs of specific constituencies and sectors, but often lack both the resources and the strategic capacity to translate mobilisation into effective delivery. Private sector organisations often have resources, but are in many instances out of touch with the complexities of community needs and sometimes do not fully appreciate the structural nature of economic exclusion and underdevelopment. But a partnership – a network of people who place high premium on teamwork and networking, who are able to work in a flexible and responsive structure – can help to change that.”
A partnership is only as strong as its partners, and a plan is only as good as its implementation and results. So if you’d like to be involved in the process, then get in touch with Lindiwe Mavuso: info@edp.co.za.