Gauteng misses out on R170.3 million in investment opportunities, while the unemployment rate remains sky-high

16 October 2023

Red tape in the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) is preventing the private sector from partnering with the government to create much-needed employment opportunities in the province.

Currently, there over 2.6 million people unemployed in the province, and this number is expected to rise due to the ongoing load-shedding. Partnerships with the private sector are critical to creating more employment opportunities in the province.

For the 2022/2023 financial year, the Gauteng Department of Economic Development (GDED) was meant to leverage R200 million through partnerships. However, the department only managed to leverage R29,7 million.

According to the department, this target was not met because there was no commitment from the strategic partners due to a change in leadership.

This is unacceptable, as a change of leadership should not have any impact on the core mandate of the department.

GDED’s core mandate is to promote economic growth within the province, and this can only be done if the correct environment is created.

A DA government would ensure that all obstacles that hinder the private sector from partnering with the government are removed. This is the only way in which the economy can grow, and more job opportunities can be created for our unemployed residents.

The DA will be submitting questions to the MEC for Economic Development, Tasneem Motara, to determine exactly what plans are being put in place to ensure that this target is met in the future.

Issued by Patrick Atkinson, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Economic Development, 16 October 2023