Media Release: Garden Route DM: Nineteen (19) youth being up-skilled for Food Handling
For Immediate Release 3 May 2021
Alderman Memory Booysen, Executive Mayor, and Ald. Rosina Ruiters, Deputy Executive Mayor for GRDM, recently visited nineteen (19) Cater Care students at the Francois Ferreira Academy (FFA) in George. Between the ages of 18 and 35, these students are currently busy studying a 3-month Food Handler Qualification (level 2). GRDM’s goal with this Programme is to address the high unemployment rate of South Africa and the Garden Route.
Ald. Memory Booysen, GRDM Executive Mayor (wearing a chain) and Ald. Rosina Ruiters, Deputy Executive Mayor (left of Ald. Booysen) with Cllr Rowan Spies (member of the Education, Training and Development Committee) with students and representatives from the Francois Ferreira Academy.
Alderman Memory Booysen also has a history of working in the hospitality industry and said: “The hospitality industry remains one of the key drivers of the Garden Route economy, and we will continue to fund these types of training initiatives to complement the industry”.
He further added: “The proof is in the pudding – we have supported the up-skilling of 82 youth since starting at this Council in 2016.”
“More than R1 million has been spent since 2016 on the Cater Care Programme,” Booysen said.
The Quality Council for Trades & Occupations (QCTO) accredited SAQA Course (110644) consists of the following subjects:
Introduction to Professional Cookery
Personal Safety
Workplace Safety
Food Safety
Numeracy and Units of Measurement
Preparation Methods
Production Methods
In addition to the seven (7) modules, each student will be allowed the opportunity to gain in-service training at a restaurant or hotel for ten (10) days. After that, students will officially graduate by the end of May 2021.
Feature Image Caption: Ald. Memory Booysen is shown how to safely handle a knife when cutting vegetables. With him is Mr Lwandile Green (left), Ms Siyamthanda Mahe (2nd from right) and Chef Jean-Marie Basson from Francois Ferreira Academy.
Anam Falake
Andrew Gwijila
Asithabele Maweni
Avuzwa Baleni
Axolile Rululu
Davidene Williams
Dylan Michaels
Justin Windwaai
Lwandile Green
Mechay Pieterse
Nosipho Sonti
Sibabalwe Winter
Sibongile Mkhosi
Simamkele Gulwa
Siyamthanda Mahe
Thandokazi Sambokwe
Thulisa Norushe
Tomonique Mathabatha
Zhane September
Editor’s note:
The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) is a Quality Council established in 2010 in terms of the Skills Development Act (Act 97 of 1998) as amended in 2008.
The Department f Higher Education and Training (DHET) oversees this part of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
The QCTO is one of three Quality Councils (QCs) responsible for a part of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
Rain: There is 60% chance of light rain along the south-coast from today morning, spreading to the adjacent interior and the Central Karoo District from this afternoon. The rainfall is expected to be cleared by the mid-morning tomorrow along the western parts of the south coast, but remaining everywhere else until in the afternoon. Light rain is also expected on Wednesday morning along with the eastern parts of the south-coast, spreading throughout the south-coast by the evening until the early hours of Thursday morning. No significant weather expected from Thursday afternoon until Saturday afternoon. A weak cold front approaching the Western Cape Province is expected to make landfall on Saturday evening, resulting in light rain over the south-western parts of the province, spreading to the south-coast by Sunday morning while clearing from the west, remaining only along with the extreme eastern parts of the south-coast by the evening.
Winds: are expected to be strong easterly to south-easterly over the Cape Metropole and along with the south-western coastal areas today until tomorrow in the afternoon. A Yellow level 1 warning for WINDS has been issued with possible impacts such as possible runaway fires over these areas and other possible impacts. Otherwise, light to moderate southerly to south-easterly winds are expected throughout the province for the most part of the week.
Temperatures: are expected to be cool to warm along the coastal areas, but warm to hot over the interior.
Coastal winds: Winds are expected to be moderate to strong easterly to south-easterly for the most part of the week, moderating along the West-Coast by tomorrow afternoon where it becomes south-westerly, spreading to the south-coast by Friday afternoon.
Sea state: Mostly 2.0 to 3.0m wave heights, reaching 4.0 to 5.0m along the south-western coastline from Sunday afternoon, mostly south-westerly swells but easterly along the south-coast.
Most recent spring tide date: 12 April 2021
Issued by the South African Weather Service.
Report any severe weather-related incidents to the Garden Route Disaster Management Centre at telephone number 044 805 5071.
Media Release: 2021–2040 Garden Route Growth and Development Strategy approved by Council
For Immediate Release 30 March 2021
The Garden Route, similar to other parts of South Africa, continues to illustrate stark contrasts of spatial and economic circumstances. In fact, the haves and the have nots are still living worlds apart, although in many instances, spatially less than a kilometre away from one another. It is for this reason that the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) spearheaded the process of changing, not only the trajectory of the Garden Route economy, but also to build prosperity with equity. At the centre of this vision is a finalised and approved long-term strategy known as the Garden Route Growth and Development Strategy (GDS). This key document has been successfully developed in collaboration with the Western Cape Economic Development Partnership (WCEDP) and was finalised today when the GRDM Council approved it.
Alderman Memory Booysen, GRDM Executive Mayor
Mr Monde Stratu, GRDM Municipal Manager
Ald. Rosina Ruiters, Portfolio Chairperson: Economic Development and Tourism
Mr Lusanda Menze, GRDM Executive Manager for Planning and Economic Development
Ms Melanie Wilson, GRDM Manager: Local Economic Development and Tourism
According to Executive Manager for Planning and Economic Development at GRDM, Lusanda Menze, “COVID-19 delayed many of the consultative engagements, but this was expected in the formulation of the strategy because such a strategic document has to be consistent with internal resources and external environments”.
“The first stakeholder workshops took place on 29 and 30 October 2019, while the draft Garden Route GDS was presented to all Garden Route Local Government Mayors and Municipal Managers on 11 February 2021,” he said.
Executive Mayor, Ald. Booysen elaborated, the Garden Route GDS encompasses a few objectives, including: “A shared 20-year vision for the regional economy stretching until 2040; how to do things differently; developing a common economic agenda to improve the economic development and system relating to it.”
“What makes this strategy different is that it is intended to be a ‘living strategy’ and a ‘risk-driven strategy’”. Ald. Booysen explained: “By the descriptions we mean that the implementation, monitoring and evaluation forms part of our collective ongoing learning and ability to adapt, while at the same time the Garden Route GDS requires a collective approach in order to efficiently navigate through challenges and changes.”
The strategy is shaped by the profile and regional priorities of the district, which are divided into themes such as; water secure future, circular economy, resilient agriculture, sustainable tourism, support for well-being and resilience, sustainable local energy transition and a connected economy. The document is further grounded in several core-principles such as being people-centred; valuing cultures; preserving ecological heritage; approaching change collaboratively; recognising uncertainties of innovation and responsiveness; being conscious of sustainable and resilient factors directly impacting the region; good governance; being mindful of constraints; and open to a changing yet interconnected and interdependent region.
The GDS for the Garden Route articulates the region’s development path. This Garden Route GDS would not have been possible without broad consultation, which greatly assisted the GRDM to build a collective and shared strategy for the Region/District. It is an aspirational strategy, which would need to align to the GRDM five-year Integrated Development Plan (IDP) going forward. This means that the Garden Route GDS frames the IDP and ventures the GRDM’s long-term ambitions, strategies and overarching decisions that will bring to effect that change the region wants to see by 2040.
Access the Garden Route District Growth and Development Strategy here. Access the Garden Route Investment Prospectus here.
MEDIA RELEASE: Thembalethu Bridge upgrade will boost Southern Cape economy Issued on behalf of SANRAL and George Municipality, Tuesday 9 March 2021
Western Cape, 9 March 2021 – With road infrastructure being prioritised in South Africa’s economic recovery plan in a post-COVID environment, the upgrade of the Thembalethu Bridge in George, bodes well for the Southern Cape economy. This project is a collaborative venture between SANRAL and the George Local Municipality, with the Department Transport having provided R82,127 million towards the funding of the project. SANRAL is the Implementing Agent working closely with the George Municipality.
The total construction period is between 24 and 30 months, which should create project participation opportunities for SMMEs as well as both direct and indirect jobs for the local community.
The scope of works involves the widening of the Thembalethu Bridge across the N2 from a single carriageway to accommodate two lanes in each direction, with additional turning lanes as well as extra space for pedestrians and cyclists.
“A new bridge will be constructed on the Western side. Once completed, the existing bridge will be raised and stitched to the new bridge, to ensure that the upgraded structure complies with the minimum bridge clearance of 5.2 metres,” explained Petronella Theron, SANRAL Project Manager.
Detailed design works are currently being finalised and the tender for a contractor will be out by June 2021. Taking the procurement processes into account, the contractor should be appointed by November 2021.
All SANRAL projects are guided by a 14-point plan that sets the tone for project liaison, sub-contracting and labour sourcing, as well as a commitment to its transformation policy that seeks to prioritise economic empowerment of black businesses in South Africa.
“With 30% of the project value being committed to targeted enterprises for subcontracting, there are huge opportunities for start-ups and emerging SMMEs to benefit from project participation,” said Thembinkosi Mosobela, SANRAL Stakeholder Coordinator in the Western Region.
A process of engagement with relevant stakeholders is already underway and SANRAL, together with the George Local Municipality will explore opportunities to provide training and development of SMMEs in the road construction sector, to ensure that they are equipped, capacitated and ready to tender for work packages that become available on this project.
“These information-sharing and training sessions are of cardinal importance to ensure we broaden the scope of economic opportunities to businesses in the surrounding communities. Our transformation objectives are particularly aligned to facilitate the participation of persons with disabilities, women-owned business as well as youth-owned operations,” continued Mosobela.
– Ends –
Issued on behalf of SANRAL by FTI Consulting. For assistance please contact Melany Kühn on 078 8877 004. For editorial content or additional information contact: pressoffice@nra.co.za
During the PPE handover ceremony, Local Economic Development (LED) Managers and representatives from five (5) of the (7) local municipalities (Hessequa, Mossel Bay,George, Knysna, Bitou, Greater Oudtshoorn and Kannaland) in the Garden Route were in attendance. Each toolkit contains facemasks, hand sanitisers, face shields and awareness material. Toolkits will be distributed by the respective municipal LED managers to Informal Traders and Spaza Shops.
The breakdown of the number of toolkits per municipality is as follows: George, Knysna, Mossel Bay, Bitou and Hessequa will receive 50 face shields each, while Kannaland will receive 20 and Oudtshoorn 30. Each municipality will receive 200 x 1 Litre hand sanitisers as well as the same number of face masks.
GRDM Executive Mayor thanked SALGA for the intervention also shared that the GRDM and its local municipalities are fortunate to receive the first batch of PPE toolkits from SALGA in the Western Cape. “It is a very huge task that lies ahead of local municipalities to ensure that the PPE toolkits land up at the correct recipients – Informal Traders and Spaza Shops.” He also said that the “the world is in dire need of PPE at the moment”.
SALGA Provincial Executive Committee Member, Dr Annelie Rabie delivered the keynote address at the handover-ceremony.
GRDM Executive Mayor, Ald. Memory Booysen (3rd from left) and GRDM Tourism and LED representatives with support staff from local municipalities.
Each PPE toolkit contains the items displayed above.
The SALGA Provincial Executive Committee Member, Dr Annelie Rabie, said: “This initiative is currently being rolled out throughout South Africa and is meant to keep smaller informal food traders safe during this pandemic.” She highlighted that small businesses are all facing difficult times, “they do not all have backup plans, live from hand-to-mouth, and therefore find it difficult to purchase all the required PPE materials to keep safe”.
“As we stand here today, it is true that the whole of South Africa is responding to the challenges posed by COVID-19,” Dr Rabie said. She stressed that revenue at local municipalities is already an ongoing problem, which is why this type of funding by the UNDP, can help communities, which in essence, fills the gaps where Local Government do not necessarily have the funding to do it.
Each municipality today completed an “acknowledgement of receipt” form and will also be responsible for capturing details of each recipient and communicate the details to SALGA.
During 2020, the UNDP and SALGA launched a Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME) development assistance programme to assist up-and-coming local manufacturers of fabric facemasks. The idea was to strengthen South Africa’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of these donations received on 22 February 2021 included products manufactured by SMMEs from that initiative.
Caption of feature image at the top of this article: SALGA, GRDM and Local Municipal representatives (front, fltr): Shanon Louw (Mossel Bay), Sandy Esau (Mossel Bay), Dr Annelie Rabie (PEC: SALGA), Ald. Memory Booysen (GRDM Executive Mayor), Cllr Grant Riddles (Hessequa Executive Mayor), Joan Shaw (George Municipality Acting Deputy Director: Strategic Services), Nkosinathi September (SALGA Senior Advisor: Financial Resilience), Mvuleni Mposelwa (Knysna Municipality). Back (fltr): Greg Baartman (Oudtshoorn Municipality), Lesley Jacobs (Bitou Municipality), Lerato Tshefu (Hessequa Municipality) and Brandon Du Plessis (George Municipality).
Save the Date: WebiPanel: Panel discussion on “The Role of Associations and Chambers in post-COVID-19 economic recovery – a local and international perspective
This WebiPanel is scheduled for 17 February 2021 at 09:00 to 11:30 (SA time) and will take place via a virtual Zoom meeting.
Traditional business membership organisations (chambers of commerce and business associations) were already facing a crisis of relevance in the 21st century knowledge and sharing economy. Chambers of all sizes from across the globe are facing similar challenges and are in a continuous struggle to remain relevant in an ever-changing world. On top of this, the COVID-19 pandemic has created additional challenges and further disrupted all industries. But, despite all, there is also an opportunity for businesses and individuals to serve and represent the business community in its hour of greatest need. Also, to help drive the Garden Route Economic Recovery Plan which is so critical to a prosperous period that must be revitalised. Governments the world over and in the Garden Route, specifically require the inputs of the business fraternity to strike the best balance between appropriate restrictions to protect public health and the imperative of economic activity that underpins sustainable livelihoods.
Given the circumstances facing many businesses and the private sector as the life-line of economies around the globe, the role of business membership organisations has never been as essential. But, with the question of relevance on the line coming into the crisis, it begs the question of whether such organisations can rise to the occasion. Join the panel of international and local experts to learn how you as a business association or chamber, can re-imagine your organisation in a world where the same is now different.
Garden Route District Municipality Executive Mayor, Alderman Memory Booysen
Media Release: Invest in our region – Message by Mayor Booysen and a background of the Garden Route
Growth and development is a key strategic pillar for the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) and the GRDM has therefore compiled a Garden Route Growth and Development Strategy (GRGDS) to facilitate development in the Garden Route district (GRD). Local Economic Development (LED) Departments in each municipality plays a pivotal role. LED is globally, but especially in developing countries, seen as the solution to improved quality of life, unemployment, poverty and inequality. Executive Mayor, Alderman Memory Booysen said: “Through a local economic development process, the GRDM seeks to empower local participants in order to effectively utilize business enterprise, labour, capital and other local resources to achieve local priorities, including promoting quality jobs, reducing poverty, stabilizing the local economy and generating municipal taxes to provide better services”.
“The result is that more and more local businesses are now geared and ready for South African, African and international investments. The GRDM Planning and Economic Development Department encourages the public, private and civil society sectors to establish partnerships and collaboratively find solutions to common economic challenges,” said Booysen.
According to Booysen, the GRDM is approaching growth and development in a holistic nature looking at all sectors of the economy and how they are interlinked to achieve socio-economic growth. In doing this, the GRDM is looking at achieving the following:
Attraction of both outward and inward investment
Investment in both hard and soft infrastructure
Making the business environment more conducive to business
A participatory approach to LED
Public Private Partnerships (PPP)
A move towards community-based LED.
The GRDM has developed a Garden Route Investment Prospectus containing regional catalytic investment opportunities across the Garden Route. The purpose of the prospectus is to display the region’s investment-friendly climate and its economic activities and opportunities to the national and international business community and in so doing, attracting new investments and retaining and expanding existing investments in the Garden Route region. The prospectus includes the investment opportunities of all seven (7) municipalities within the boundaries of the region, as well as the District Municipality’s specific opportunities.
The GRDM is one of five District Municipalities (DMs) in the Western Cape Province of South Africa and the second largest economy outside of the Cape Metro. The Garden Route district (GRD) covers an area of 23 331 km² in the south-eastern part of the Western Cape, covering the regions known as the Garden Route and the Little Karoo. The N2 is a valuable transport route for goods and tourists alike and connects the GRD to the Overberg District and the Cape Metro area in the west and the Eastern Cape Province to the east, while the N12 and the R62 links the GRD with inland areas to the north.
The GRD is the Western Cape’s largest and most significant rural district. The area covers one of the country’s best-known scenic tourism areas and boasts a relatively broad-based, steadily expanding regional economy. Agriculture, tourism, wholesale and retail trade, business and financial services, construction and manufacturing are key sectors of the regional economy, in terms of value addition, The largest sectors of the GRD economy are finance, insurance, real estate and business services, followed by wholesale and retail, and manufacturing. Combined, these three sectors contributed 60, 07 per cent to the total Gross Value Added (GVA) generated by the GRD economy in 2015, an increase from 57,78 per cent in 2001. The increase in the GVA is attributed to a sharp increase of 104, 2 per cent in the contribution of finance, insurance, real estate and business services to the GVA. Over the same period, the contribution of the manufacturing sector to GVA decreased from 16, 19 per cent to 13, 96 per cent. Wholesale and retail trade contribution to the GVA of the GRD economy remain relatively stable over the period, hovering between 17 per cent and 18 per cent from 2001 to 2015.
The economic growth and development of the GRD depends on monopolising on its competitive advantages. The GRD has a wide range of competitive advantages namely the coastal line, with opportunities of ocean economy and coastal tourism; large forestry; arable land for agriculture and farming, and effective natural resources.
The GRDM is pursuing projects that include the establishment of a development agency, bulk infrastructure provision, products value chain development, renewable energy, enterprise development, integrated waste management and other projects as identified within the GRGDS. These projects and programmes will enable the GRDM to fulfil its constitutional mandate and also address the UN-SDGs, but above all address the three critical issues of poverty, unemployment and economic growth.
The district is well-known for its tourist’s attractions and natural beauty. Pristine beaches (many with ‘Blue Flag’ status) and warm waters dissolve inland into picturesque lagoons and lakes, tropical forests, rolling hills and, eventually, the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma mountain ranges. The GRD hosts two of the three biodiversity hotspots that have been identified in South Africa. These are the Cape Floristic region (CFR) and the Succulent Karoo (SK) region.
The Garden Route is ideally located in terms of its competitive advantages of a diverse economy expanding towards a technologically apt and industrialised district, attracting investors and industries because of its location, existing infrastructure, good governance and growth potential.
Key contact person for investment opportunities
Are you interested in investing in any of the investment opportunities offered by Local Government in the Garden Route District? Contact the Manager: District Economic Development and Tourism, Ms Melanie Wilson, melanie@gardenroute.gov.za
News Release: We invite holidaymakers to the Garden Route district
For Immediate Release 3 December 2020
Many businesses and tourists have been asking if travel to the Garden Route will remain permitted during the festive season. The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) would like to allay stakeholders’ fears.
“The GRDM welcomes holidaymakers to visit the Garden Route over the upcoming holiday season,” said Alderman Memory Booysen, Executive Mayor of the GRDM.
“After months of restricted movement, it is expected that more people will flock to the Garden Route over December and January. Tourism remains one of the region’s biggest GDP contributors and job creators – the industry assists Garden Routers to make ends meet.”
“It remains important for everyone visiting the region to adhere to the COVID-19 health and safety protocols,” Booysen explained. “The GRDM observed that Garden Routers diligently adhered to these protocols during the peak of the pandemic earlier this year. This new period of mobility means that the risk of transmission will be greater and not limited to areas that currently experience a big surge in caseload.”
The Garden Route and Klein Karoo Tourism office also welcomed the Western Cape Government’s statement. “Western Cape municipalities are open for tourism this festive season, with all visitors requested to work with the authorities in curbing the spread of the Covid-19 virus,” it said.
Going forward, apart from regular handwashing and sanitising, Garden Routers are advised to keep wearing their masks when in public and to wear them properly – covering both their mouth and nose. Gatherings are best avoided, and if you must attend a gathering, the GRDM advises that you keep it short, and ensure that the room or area is well ventilated.
SMME Support & Development Programme – Call for business proposals
Garden Route District Municipality is embarking on a programme to help dynamic and committed entrepreneurs to grow their business. A broad scope of non-financial assistance will be provided, which will include required business development interventions (equipment and input material) and trainings. Only serious applicants with a workable business concept or business profile that they believe in and with which they want to expand their business operations with, must apply.
IMPORTANT
Applicants must complete an application form (obtained from the District Economic Development Office, 54 York Street, George, 6530, from Mr. Johannes Jafta via email at johannes@gardenroute.gov.za) and submit with the following supporting documents attached:
Company Profile/ Business Proposal or Business Plan;
6 months Profit and Loss Summary or (recent Financial/Bank statements, if available – will be treated confidentially);
Tax clearance certificate;
Confirmation of employees (Document attached on the application form);
Certified ID copy;
Certified copy of proof of residence (where business is situated)
CRITERIA
Must be a registered and viable business operating for at least 2 years with clear direction/deliverables;
Must be available to do a presentation to a selected panel and to attend the compulsory business development interventions and trainings identified by panel.
Must be tax compliant. (If not, submit tax matters with the application for assessment);
100% South African owned;
Applicant must be in full control of business and operations.
Formally registered or incorporated e.g. with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC);
Operating in the Garden Route;
Classified as a micro or small enterprise in terms of the National Small Enterprises Act;
Individuals/Businesses that have previously participated in any skills development/training programmes rolled out by the LED & Tourism unit of GRDM can apply.
All applications must be submitted via email to Mr. Johannes Jafta at johannes@gardenroute.gov.za or placed in an envelope and physically delivered to the Garden Route District Municipality, 54 York Street, George, 6530. All applications must clearly state GARDEN ROUTESMME SUPPORT & DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME 2020.
Shortlisted applicants will be required to present their business concepts to an evaluation panel.
The Garden Route District Municipality reserves the right to evaluate and select only the highest ranking business concepts according to the above criteria.
PLEASE NOTE
At the end of the programme all participating businesses must be tax compliant.
Applications will close at 12h00 on 06 November 2020.
For further information, please contact:
Ms Natalie Raubenheimer
Senior Economic Development Officer
Garden Route District Municipality natalie@gardenroute.gov.za or 044 803 1458
The tourism and hospitality sector’s survival is dependent on international leisure travellers in the summer season and for this reason it is critical that we look at smart ways to open our international borders, especially for our key source markets, so that we can save jobs and save the economy in the Western Cape.
And so, we will be engaging with national government and preparing a further submission proposing an alternative to the risk-based approach for international travel.
We believe firmly that the safety precautions of a 72 hours PCR test and screening protocols should be applied across the board, regardless of purpose of travel and country of origin.
In fact, this approach is already adopted by national government with business travellers and so it makes little sense to exclude leisure travellers in this way.
Indeed, it is unfair to restrict leisure travellers from high-risk countries as there is simply no greater risk of transmission based on the purpose of travel.
South Africa’s airlines, hospitality and tourism companies have shown that travel and tourism can resume safely and, with stringent health and safety systems in place, it should not be necessary to impose additional country-based travel restrictions.
We are also concerned that the two-week review period of the leisure “no-travel list”, together with the requirement that business travellers from high-risk countries email the Department of Home Affairs for permission to travel, will create a barrier to bookings from visitors in traditional key source markets during the critical summer season. It also does not allow for enough lead time on which airlines can base their decisions to fly, creating further uncertainty for a sector that has already been hard-hit.
We have worked hard to ensure that Cape Town and the Western Cape is safe for travellers and ready to welcome international visitors, because our leisure travellers from key source markets such as the United Kingdom, United States, Netherlands and France make the most of our favourable exchange rate and have a high spending potential which positively impacts our local economy.
We are open and we are ready to safely welcome travellers from around the world to experience our world-class and affordable experiences in Cape Town and the Western Cape.
