Khayelitsha entrepreneurs overcome load shedding challenges to take advantage of bumper festive season.
With the festive season upon us, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde visited two Khayelitsha businesses that are gearing up for what looks set to be a bumper tourism season. This festive period should serve as another springboard to the Western Cape’s economic recovery.
Starting and running a business can be difficult at the best of times. But with the country continuously lurching from one stage of load shedding to the next, it can be especially tough.
Not so for Sikelela Dibela, who in 2016 brewed up his own coffee shop in Khayelitsha. Over the years, he expanded into roasting his own coffee beans on the premises of his shop. He now also supplies other coffee shops with his ground beans. By 2021, despite Covid-19 restrictions, he was doing so well that he ground on to open a second shop in Claremont. And his passion for coffee and entrepreneurial spirit has paid off: he was recently awarded the “Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year” prize at the 2022 Coffee Magazine Awards. “I love what I do,” he enthused as the Premier joined him for a coffee this week. “Winning this prize will open up so many more possibilities,” Dibela added. Premier Winded urged him to keep growing his business, “Expanding economic activity in neighbourhoods across the provinces is exactly what the Western Cape Government wants to see. These gems, like Siki’s Koffee, help uplift communities by creating jobs and inspiring other budding entrepreneurs,” he said.
The next stop on the Premier’s visit was the 4-star hotel and spa nestled in the middle of Khayelitsha. The Skaap family set-up the Spade Boutique Hotel and Spa in Mandela Park. The hotel opened last December and can be added to the wide array of holiday options for visitors to the province and Cape Town.
Premier Winde said, “This time last year the country was dealt a blow when multiple countries imposed travel bans on South Africa due to the identification of the omicron Covid-19 variant by our leading scientists. We now have an opportunity to not just further but to also grow our economy. But while we are free from Covid-19 curbs, the energy crisis remains a major impediment. It was encouraging to see how both Siki’s and The Spade have taken the necessary measures to limit the impact of power cuts. Both establishments have generators. I applaud all our entrepreneurs for their bravery and ingenuity in the face of such adversity. Through various measures the Western Cape Government has nurtured an enabling economic environment for business owners while at the same time intensifying our efforts to end load shedding.”
Provincial Finance and Economic Opportunities Minister Mireille Wenger said, “We continue to work hard to attract visitors to the Western Cape because of the significant economic contribution the sector brings as well as the thousands of jobs that it supports. I am so pleased that we continue to see an upward trend at both the Cape Town International Airport and George Airport, as well as attractions across the province. In fact, Cape Town International Airport hit 7 million two-way domestic and international passengers as of the end of November, which is fantastic news, and will increase further over our bumper summer season. We continue to work with all stakeholders across the entire tourism and hospitality sector to create even more jobs and critically, to spread the benefits of tourism far and wide, across our stunning province.”

Source: Government of South Africa