Conference looks forward to a bumper year of major events in the Western Cape

On Friday, 3 February 2023, the Western Cape Events Forum hosted the Cape of Great Events conference in Cape Town, which spotlighted the growth of large events being hosted in the province in the coming year.    The forum is a committee that consists of representatives from the Western Cape Government Department of the Premier, Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Department of Economic Development and Tourism and Wesgro. The committee aims to work together to ensure a single, easily accessible channel for private sector and events organisers to engage with the Western Cape Government around the hosting of major events in the province.    The conference looked at the growth of events in the province, following on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also looked at the exciting events that will be held in the Western Cape this year, including the e-Prix Cape Town, T20 Women’s World Cup and Netball World Cup events. Various stakeholders from the private sector, tertiary institutions and government were brought together for the day to share ideas and best practice for events in the province.    Mireille Wenger, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, addressed the conference on the economic importance of these major events to the province.  “We have all worked hard to survive an unprecedented global pandemic which was devasting, especially for the events sector and we have all perservered to move from recovery towards growth in the Western Cape tourism, hospitality, and events sectors. Our mission now is to build on what has worked before, adjust to do even better, and, ultimately to set the agenda for the next decade on how we can take full advantage of what will a be a US$2 trillion events industry by 2028. We must carve out a great slice of this events pie because of the immense economic benefits and job creating opportunities this will bring to the Western Cape and her people. Without a doubt, we have everything we need to remain the best events destination in the world.” she said.   Anroux Marais, Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, emphasized the importance of major sport and cultural events for wellbeing. “Events such as these bring spectators together in a unified, safe space and are catalysts for building social capital. They offer individuals a feeling of connectedness and belonging by providing links to cultural identity or heritage, while sporting events especially encourage physical wellbeing and healthy lifestyles. Our cultural events bring a renewed feeling of hope and offer many people the chance to tell their own stories and these supportive spaces allow for the processing of past traumas and offer crucial support for mental wellbeing. We are especially excited to see the growth of women’s sport, as we want to empower our girls and women through the supportive and safe networks of sport.” she said.    The Western Cape Events Forum will continue to work closely with event organizers to ensure that the province continues to build on its successes of hosting these events, as they bring an important economic boost to the province while also providing world class entertainment to locals and international visitors.

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Media Enquiries: 

Tania Colyn Acting Spokesperson to Minister Anroux Marais Tel: 076 093 4913   Georgina Maree Spokesperson for the Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities Tel: 076 423 7541