City expands Business Retention and Expansion programme to industrial nodes

The City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, Alderman James Vos, has announced the latest rollout of the City’s Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) programme into the industrial areas of Paarden Eiland, Elsies River, and Beaconvale.  Read more below:

Initially launched in Atlantis, the programme now operates in several key hubs, including Blackheath, Epping, and Airport Industria. Its goal is to support existing businesses, improve industrial areas, and unlock investment and job creation.

‘Our mission is simple but powerful: to help existing companies expand, preserve jobs, and unlock new investment opportunities. These new programmes are part of a City-wide effort to make Cape Town the easiest and best place to do business,’ said Alderman Vos.

The BR&E programme is part of the City’s Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy and is mandated by national legislation. Managed by the City’s Investment Facilitation Branch, it offers business support systems, energy management initiatives, and targeted job-creation projects.

A recent survey of over 300 companies in industrial areas such as Epping, Airport, Paarden Eiland and Elsies River revealed that these hubs are home to more than 16 700 employees, excluding casual and part-time labour. Over half of these jobs are filled by unskilled labour, while 30% are skilled or formally trained. Notably, half of the surveyed companies operate nationally, with 30% headquartered in Cape Town.

Through the BR&E programme, the City works directly with firms to identify challenges such as infrastructure bottlenecks, regulatory delays, and energy concerns, then provides solutions. Interventions include:

• Energy security: More than 400 companies have already benefited from the City’s load curtailment programme.
• Infrastructure upgrades: From modernising truck embayments in Epping to facilitating land access for businesses along rail sidings.
• Investment facilitation: In Airport Industria, approvals paved the way for a R1 billion Truworths expansion.
• Local support: In Atlantis, businesses were linked to the City’s Jobs Connect programme, while in Blackheath, road safety and traffic flow upgrades are being pursued.

‘This approach ensures we remain responsive to business needs while building long-term stability. By retaining and growing local industries, we strengthen Cape Town’s position as a globally competitive, investment-friendly city. For every successful business we support, there are more opportunities for Capetonians to access meaningful work.

‘This programme has already delivered tangible benefits, from cost savings and faster access to infrastructure, to more resilient industrial ecosystems.

‘This is just the start. We are on a mission to expand this programme to even more industrial areas across Cape Town, each launch bringing us closer to an economy that works for all, with more jobs, more growth, and more opportunities,’ said Alderman Vos.