The Western Cape exports over half of South Africa’s food and beverages, and is one of the largest exporters of agricultural goods in Africa.
Reasons to invest
The Western Cape’s agribusiness sector is healthy and growing, making up 8.5% of the province’s GDP (Western Cape business, 2018). A stand-out includes: food and beverages (including wine), which is the largest contributor to the Western Cape’s manufacturing sector, accounting for 28% in 2017. The agribusiness sector is also an important contributor to the Western Cape’s export earnings as the province is the largest exporter of agribusiness products among South African provinces, accounting for 43% in 2017. Over half of the Western Cape’s exports are from the agricultural and agribusiness sector (Quantec, 2018), and an estimated 70% of South Africa’s beverage exports come from the Western Cape (Western Cape business, 2018).
Why Cape Town and the Western Cape?
- The Western Cape has a world-class, well-connected transport infrastructure system. The province is prioritising extensive upgrades and investment in the improvement of public transport systems and transport linkages.
- Air Access - the Western Cape’s key airport is Cape Town International (CPT) Airport, the third largest airport in Africa, connecting the Western Cape to the rest of the world, and welcoming over 10 million passengers every year. It is also the winner of the Skytrax award for Best Airport in Africa multiple times.
- The port of Cape Town, situated on a significant trade route, is one of South Africa’s busiest container ports and is renowned for deciduous fruit and fish exports. The Cape has an established history in the food and beverage industry with some of the country’s largest firms in the sector.
- It has good proximity to a vast agricultural hinterland with distinctive agricultural yields and strong value chains.
- The Western Cape is ideally positioned to benefit from the fast growing African market, estimated to reach a population of 2.5 billion by 2050. The Western Cape already exports US$3.24 billion worth of goods to the rest of continent.
