Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Bulelani Magwanishe is set to host a career expo and business engagement session in Atlantis at the weekend.
The event, which is aimed at sharing information and business opportunities with residents and businesspeople in Atlantis and the surrounding areas, will be held in partnership with the Western Cape government, the City of Cape Town and the Departments of Telecommunication and Postal Services, Small Business Development, Economic Development, Home Affairs and Water and Sanitation.
Friday’s session will kick off at 2pm at Protea Primary School. The career expo is expected to get underway at Saxonsea Primary School at 10am on Saturday.
The Deputy Minister is expected to address both sessions.
He said the session with the community, in particular those with business interests including youth and women-owned businesses, will create a platform for collaboration between the public and the private sector in creating and opening up support mechanisms for the local economy.
It will focus on areas related to market access, incentive support, company registration, Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) compliance and other areas of business.
“The session provides an opportunity for our department to share more information on the Atlantis Special Economic Zone [SEZ] that is anticipated to be designated before the end of 2018,” said the Deputy Minister.
He said the SEZ will be an enabler to drive the local economy and create sustainable jobs.
“As government, we are committed to attracting international investments to the Atlantis SEZ which will take the lead on the renewable energy space and support local entrepreneurs, Small and Medium Enterprise (SMMEs) and the youth in the Atlantis area,” he said.
Western Cape MEC of Economic Opportunities Alan Winde said the creation of the Atlantis SEZ will create a green economy in the province.
“The establishment of the Atlantis SEZ will create a green economy hub that is set to provide an economic boost to Atlantis through investment and job creation. The SEZ has already created hundreds of jobs, but once fully functional it will provide even more opportunities for local suppliers and job creation, which the residents of Atlantis and the surrounding areas will greatly benefit from,” said MEC Winde.
Saturday’s expo will see learners interact with government officials and agencies that offer various services to the community.
National, provincial and local governments together with their agencies and the private sector will exhibit their products and services on the day.
Deputy Minister of Small Business Development Cassel Mathale and Deputy Minister of Telecommunication and Postal Services Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams are expected to join Deputy Minister Magwanishe at the two sessions. – SAnews.gov.za
