SPECIAL FEATURE The Western Cape stretches to the north along the Atlantic Ocean about 400km north of the provincial capital, Cape Town, to Plettenberg Bay in the east. Beaufort West on the N1 highway is the biggest town in interior. The province is very well served with infrastructure such as the N1 and N2 highways, and the N7 which services the West Coast. Three ports at Saldanha Bay, Cape Town and Mossel Bay serve different markets. Cape Town International Airport and George Airport see to air travel needs. Cape Town also hosts an oil refinery (Chevref) and a gas-to-liquids refinery at Mossel Bay run by the national oil company, PetroSA. Koeberg nuclear power station is South Africa’s only such power station. Wind and solar power are being installed rapidly across the province as South Africa tries to end its dependency on fossil fuels. The national parliament is located in Cape Town and there is a separate provincial legislature.
economy. A truly remarkable piece of innovation has come out of the coastal town of Mossel Bay. The Times newspaper reported in October 2017 that fish skin, previously regarded as a waste product, is being used to make handbags and shoes. Ocean Hide also makes wallets and bowties. The company is part of Afrishore Fishing, and was formed in 2016 to try to avoid retrenching people when the global oil and gas industry slowed down. The company’s founders noted that with ostriches nearby and an existing leather tannery in Mossel Bay, the potential was there to start producing a leather-like product. Innovation is also taking place in the energy sector, especially in the green economy. Atlantis is being promoted as a green economy manufacturing hub and biogas and the use of waste for energy have huge potential.
Economy
Innovation As another article in this journal notes, innovation in the medical field involving diagnostics and medical devices is another growth area for the Cape
Finance, business services and real estate combined contribute 28% to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Western Cape. The financial services and insurance sector are key components of the
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WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2018