DIVISION ECONOMIC GROWTH AND TOURISM
Drakenstein economy overview
The Drakenstein municipal economy, the largest municipality in the Western Cape outside the City of Cape Town, is estimated to have grown by 0.7% in 2018, down from 1.7% growth recorded in 2017. Stellenbosch shrunk from a 1.4% growth rate in 2017 to 0.8% in 2018, while Breede Valley declined from 3.3% in 2017 to 1.1% in 2018.
Economic Growth and Tourism (EGT) division overview
The Economic Growth and Tourism division provides an enabling and conducive economic environment to facilitate sustainable economic empowerment for all communities within Drakenstein through the implementation of economic development projects, programmes and initiatives.
The division is responsible for the implementation of the following projects, programmes and Initiatives to ensure economic growth:
Economic Growth sub-section
Drakenstein’s vision is to establish a regionally connected city, a Drakenstein that will create an enabling environment and provide client-centred services facilitating investment, small business development, employment, and skills opportunities which will lead to an equitable and sustainable city.
The Integrated Economic Growth Strategy is one of the municipality’s strategic master plans that outlines how economic excellence, growth and development will be achieved over a twelve year period until 2032. The Economic Growth section is responsible for the following:
Investment is a lever for economic growth and therefore one of the key focus areas of this sub-division. The ease of doing business within Drakenstein is facilitated within the Economic Growth section in order to attract and retain investors and ensure that the municipality becomes an investment destination of choice.
Small businesses are the cornerstone of the economy and form the backbone of our communities. The section supports small business development through:
• Provision of business advice;
• Facilitate access to funding;
• Provide entrepreneurship capacity building opportunities;
• Facilitate access to market intelligence; and
• Process business licenses.
An enabled, well-supported and dynamic informal sector plays an important role in the Drakenstein economy. The section is responsible for the procedures of issuing permits, regulating trading spaces, and the roles and responsibilities of the various role players involved in the management of informal traders in Drakenstein.
Skills development is a strategic enabler to facilitate sustainable and inclusive economic growth. The section supports capacity building initiatives aimed at improving entrepreneurship and business practices and also facilitates skills development initiatives mainly in the growth sectors of the Drakenstein economy.
The Tourism sub-section’s primary responsibilities are tourism planning and strategic co-ordination of specific tourism focus areas which include:
• Tourism Product Development;
• Tourism Regulation specifically Tourism signage regulation;
• Destination marketing in association with Drakenstein Local Tourism Association;
• Tourism Infrastructure;
• Human Capital Development;
• Tourism market intelligence; and
• Tourism Safety and Support.
The section also provides technical assistance to the Drakenstein Local Tourism Association (DLTA) in respect of tourism development, standard setting, regulatory enforcement and the gathering of statistical data. The Drakenstein Local Tourism Association is a not for profit organisation that provides the municipality with destination marketing services which include visitor information services and marketing support.
Economic Development and Tourism at the 2nd Floor, 1 Market Street, Paarl.
