Pretoria - As African Utility Week gets underway in Cape Town, the Western Cape government will exhibit at the conference in efforts to grow the green economy.
On Tuesday, Economic Opportunities MEC Alan Winde said GreenCape, which was established by the Western Cape provincial government to grow the green economy, will exhibit at the three-day conference, which kicked off today.
“This year’s African Utility Week comes at an exciting time for the Western Cape’s green economy. In the year ahead, we anticipate the designation of the proposed Atlantis Special Economic Zone (SEZ), which will be used for infrastructure development, skills development for residents and the promotion of the SEZ to potential investors. The SEZ will promote the location of green technology companies in the Cape,” said MEC Winde.
Around 7 000 delegates are attending 17th annual conference.
MEC Winde said the province has selected energy security as a provincial government game changer.
“[This is] because we know that a sustainable and affordable energy supply is essential to attracting even more job creating local and foreign investment. We are making good progress.
“South Africa is the world’s fastest growing green economy. And in partnership with GreenCape, we are establishing the province as the hub of this growth, with two thirds of South Africa’s green manufacturing taking place in the Western Cape,” said MEC Winde.
Renewable energy sector expert at GreenCape, Maloba G Tshehla, said African Utility Week is a key opportunity for businesses and investors in the water and electricity space to stay abreast of developments and to network with key players.
“The event is not only for people who work for utilities but also for businesses, investors and other players active within these value chains. GreenCape, a key source of knowledge and market intelligence in the sector, will have a stand again, and businesses and government can chat with the team about work they have been doing to create demand in the embedded generation space,” Tshehla said.
The team at the GreenCape stand will also offer market insight and advice on the water development nexus as well as advice on overall sustainability for retailers.
The 17th annual African Utility Week that is taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre will conclude on Thursday, 18 May. – SAnews.gov.za
