Home / News & Events / U.S. and Western Cape trade and investment partnership launched US Acting Consul General, Will Stevens and Western Cape Minister of Finance, Economic Opportunities, David Maynier at the the Trade and Investment Partnership Launch.
Press Release / United States Consul General Cape Town / February 4th, 2021
U.S. and Western Cape trade and investment partnership launched
On 5 February 2021, the U.S. Consulate General in Cape Town and the Western Cape government jointly launched a Trade and Investment Promotion Partnership which will build on the momentum of the existing economic relationship to promote shared prosperity and economic development.
At the launch event, Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier, and U.S. Acting Consul General in Cape Town, Will Stevens, pledged to deepen cooperation and coordination to promote and increase bilateral trade and investment through various engagements, events, and high-l
Can UIF TERS help save struggling SA tourism sector?
By Travel Reporter
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Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities David Maynier said while the relaxation of restrictions provides a lifeline to many businesses, the payment of UIF Covid-19 TERS remained vital to save businesses. Last week, we published tourism industry performance data that unsurprisingly reflects a sector that has been hammered by the Covid-19 pandemic and the related lockdown restrictions. So, it is good news that the change in the curfew, the reopening of the beaches, parks, swimming pools and other public spaces, and the easing of the alcohol ban will certainly bring some relief to businesses in the Western Cape.
The Plaatjie family - like more than a million households in South Africa - lives in an informal settlement. But unlike most such households, the Plaatjies’ shack is warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and it has an independent electricity supply as well as an alarm system.
It is the iShack - or improved shack - and it is envisaged as a stepping stone that will raise living standards in informal settlements while residents wait to move into brick-and-mortar government housing. A 2009 government report estimated about 2.3 million households lived in inadequate housing; of these, some 1.2 million were living in shacks in more than 2,500 informal settlements across the country.
An SA Tourism Survey shows 58% of tourism and hospitality businesses were unable to service their debts in October last year.
Almost all of the top tourism attractions in the Western Cape reflect a more than 60% drop in visitors over the peak December tourism season.
International travel bans, cancellations by airlines and the adjusted Alert Level 3 lockdown have had a severe impact on the tourism and hospitality sector in the Western Cape.
There is still an opportunity to ensure the survival of businesses and jobs in the Western Cape by urgently relaxing the lockdown restrictions, says the MEC for economic opportunities.
WC request for some restrictions to be lifted to save jobs This request was based on evidence and data, setting out our current Covid-19 statistics, the fact that we have exited our second wave peak, as well as details of our health platform interventions. Source Wednesday, 20 January 2021, 18:54 The Western Cape Government has not yet received the details on when the first vaccine doses, announced by the National Government, will arrive in the Western Cape.
WESTERN CAPE NEWS - Update on the coronavirus by Premier Alan Winde:
Yesterday I announced that I had written to the Minister of Health, Dr Mkhize, to request that some restrictions, declared under the national Disaster Management Act, be relaxed in the Western Cape so that we could save jobs in our province.