As the Western Cape emerges from the economic devastation of the Covid-19 response, it will need to draw on the strength of Wesgro
The ability of Cape Town and the Western Cape to compete globally puts the region in a class of its own in SA. The uniquely structured provincial parastatal Wesgro — its trade, tourism and investment agency — has played a major role in building the regional brand as a top global destination.
At the heart of the issue is the difficulty of designing and managing a public-private partnership to grow the economy. Such public-private institutions are critical in all successfully developed and developing economies, and SA has struggled to develop an effective model. Wesgro is governed by a board comprising ex-officio representatives from leading municipalities, including the City of Cape Town, the provincial government and private sector leaders. The agency’s funding is sourced predominantly from the city of Cape Town and the Western Cape government, which have responsibility to strengthen the economy in the region.
This is unfortunate. The board played its role as intended by legislation, and if the province is to retain this excellent institution it needs to respect the respective roles of the board and stakeholders. When SA’s new constitution established “investment and trade promotion” as a provincial competence, the Western Cape government sought to build on this existing institution rather than seek to create a new one. Taking advice, they established an institution modelled on international experience in Ireland and elsewhere that inspanned provincial and municipal government together with business to drive the development of the local economy.
Wesgro’s track record has enabled it to draw senior, experienced public and private sector leaders to its board, and to attract excellent managers and staff. Multiple international bodies have lauded Wesgro, its achievements and its multi-stakeholder structure. Other SA provinces have sought to copy the Wesgro model.
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