Cape Town named in yet another list of the worlds greatest cities
15 August 2018
SEEING Cape Town named in yet another list of the world’s great cities is an important boost for business confidence at a time when there is a shortage of good economic news, says the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Cape Town was featured as the best city of opportunity in Africa and the 24th best in the world, in a report compiled by the international auditing firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers.
“I think one of the main reasons for this new success is the co-operation between the private sector and local and provincial government in industries like tourism,” said Ms Janine Myburgh, President of the Chamber.
“We are fortunate in that a lot is being done to create a more enabling environment for business and to reduce red tape. This makes the city more attractive to investors and that creates further opportunities and jobs.”
Cape Town’s other great advantage was the way in which it was connected to the world particularly in the age of the internet. “The world is shrinking and that means we are no longer an isolated city on the southern tip of Africa.”
Ms Myburgh said it was clear that this connectedness would increase and pointed to the redevelopment of the International Airport. “In 10 years most of the international airlines will operate from Cape Town and we will become the gateway to Africa.”
She said this would happen naturally as airlines preferred to operate from coastal airports rather than the hot and high airports like O R Tambo. This was especially true in a time of global warming.
A major benefit from the report was that it identified Cape Town’s strengths and weaknesses and that should be the basis for our “to do” list for the next few decades.
The report praised Cape Town’s infrastructure and transport systems but Ms Myburgh said we should not be comforted by this. “Transport is an enormous challenge and we are a long way from solving our problems.”
Cape Town’s greatest advantage, however, was its natural beauty and its skilled, innovative and enterprising people.
Issued by Dean Le Grange, Media and Digital Co-ordinator, Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 15 August 2018
