Khayelitsha entrepreneurs overcome load shedding challenges to take advantage of bumper festive season.
\nWith 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\u2019s economic recovery.
\nStarting 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.
\nNot 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 \u201cEmerging Entrepreneur of the Year\u201d prize at the 2022 Coffee Magazine Awards. \u201cI love what I do,\u201d he enthused as the Premier joined him for a coffee this week. \u201cWinning this prize will open up so many more possibilities,\u201d Dibela added. Premier Winded urged him to keep growing his business, \u201cExpanding economic activity in neighbourhoods across the provinces is exactly what the Western Cape Government wants to see. These gems, like Siki\u2019s Koffee, help uplift communities by creating jobs and inspiring other budding entrepreneurs,\u201d he said.
\nThe next stop on the Premier\u2019s 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.
\nPremier Winde said, \u201cThis 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\u2019s 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.\u201d
\nProvincial Finance and Economic Opportunities Minister Mireille Wenger said, \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Source: Government of South Africa<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"