The Western Cape Government has emphasised its commitment to maximising the potential of the province’s tourism and hospitality sectors in order to boost economic growth and job creation by increasing the number of flights into the province, particularly from North and West African regions.
Also read: International passengers inject R24.3 billion into Western Cape economy
According to the most recent data, international tourists who visited the Western Cape in the past year contributed an impressive R24.3 billion to the local economy, supporting a substantial 10 600 jobs.
This equates to a direct tourist spend of R2.1 million for every 100 international tourists, adding R500 000 to the provincial gross domestic product and facilitating the creation of two local jobs. Additionally, this influx of tourists supports the movement of R1.4 million worth of air cargo.
These figures were revealed by the minister of finance and economic opportunities, Mireille Wenger, in partnership with the WCG’s tourism, trade and investment promotion agency, Wesgro.
Since 2015, Cape Town and the broader Western Cape have established direct air links to ten new African destinations, including Addis Ababa, Harare, Victoria Falls, Maun, Maputo, Livingstone, Kigali, Nairobi and, as of June this year, Manzini and Lusaka.
This has expanded the total number of cross-border African destinations served out of Cape Town to 15, operated by 11 different airlines, in addition to the province’s existing global destinations.
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Minister Wenger emphasised the collaborative efforts of the Cape Town Air Access team, powered by Wesgro, to attract more flights to the Western Cape, recognising that an increase in tourism leads to a corresponding surge in job opportunities.
‘Together with the Cape Town Air Access team, powered by Wesgro, we work hard to attract more flights to the Western Cape, because more tourists mean more jobs,’ she said.
African seat capacity has also shown substantial growth, with a compound annual growth rate of 10% from 2015 to 2023, resulting in 555 000 inbound seats compared to 250 000 in 2015. This expansion is supported by the emergence of seven new African airlines, including Ethiopian Air, Kenya Airways, Fly Namibia, RwandAir, EswatiniAir, Proflight Zambia and the recently announced LAM from Mozambique.
Minister Wenger highlighted the importance of enhancing air connectivity to the rest of the African continent.
‘Not only do these flights boost tourism, but they also provide great opportunities to export proudly Western Cape products via air cargo, as well as easier access for business travel, which can boost investment into the province,’ said Minister Wenger.
She added, ‘This is why I am very pleased with the significant increase in air connectivity with the rest of the continent and would like to congratulate the Air Access team for their hard work and thank them for the work they are doing to boost tourism and investment in the province.’
Minister Wenger commended the Cape Town Air Access team for their dedication and contributions to boosting tourism and investment in the Western Cape.
The Cape Town Air Access project’s objective is to enhance air connectivity to the Western Cape, increasing international passenger traffic and air freight capacity, thus improving business competitiveness and positioning the region as a global access hub.
Wrenelle Stander, CEO of Wesgro and the official spokesperson for Cape Town Air Access, emphasised the growing significance of connectivity between Cape Town and the rest of the continent, with passenger numbers showing an 80% year-on-year increase from 2021 to 2022.
‘Cape Town’s strategic location, combined with its well-connected airport, positions the city as a central player in Africa’s aviation landscape, facilitating seamless travel and contributing to the continent’s overall development,’ said Stander.
As part of their comprehensive economic action plan, ‘Growth for Jobs’ (G4J), the Western Cape Government is dedicated to increasing exports, with tourism being a pivotal component of this strategy. The aim is to achieve breakout economic growth that generates more job opportunities, alleviates poverty and provides residents with the chances they need to succeed, aligning with the province’s overarching goals.
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