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Exciting new opportunity awaits the local food industry
5 August 2020
The V&A Waterfront, in collaboration with the National Treasury’s Jobs Fund, has invested R63 million in a food market which will create employment opportunities as well as develop new talent and enterprises within the South African food industry.
Makers Landing is a food emporium focused on the rich flavours and cultures of South African cuisine —a dining experience at its most authentic, creating meals from sustainable and locally sourced ingredients.
V&A Waterfront CEO David Green said, “Makers Landing will be an inspiring, edgy space for new food concepts and ideas to flourish in the spectacular setting of an active port, with its dramatic backdrop of Table Mountain. It will capture the rich story of South African cultures, foods, flavours and food producers for locals to enjoy and for visitors to discover. We are repurposing what was a cold storage facility into a food incubator that will generate more than 150 much-needed jobs and will build connections between foodpreneurs.”
Green added; “We came across this idea internationally, having seen the success of food incubators in providing food at accessible pricing and creating jobs. We are incubating opportunities on a platform that lends itself to year-round operation, offering food at very affordable prices, with the chance to turbocharge interest during peak tourism season when local and international visitors flock to the Western Cape.”
“When we presented our plans to the Jobs Fund, they saw the same potential for job creation and skills development as we did. There is an obvious synergy between our vision for Makers Landing and the Jobs Fund mission, so we are pleased to be partnering with them. We were also able to present our popular Watershed development as proof that when SMMEs are placed in a nurturing environment with the right trading conditions, they can thrive.” Said Green.
Head of the Jobs Fund, Najwah Allies-Edries said “The V&A Waterfront provides a perfect environment for caterers, local producers and quality food startups to grow their businesses efficiently and smoothly under the guidance of seasoned professionals in an already highly successful commercial space.”
Allie-Edries added: “Partnerships like this one demonstrate the immeasurable value of assembling the right partnership ecosystem, skills and resources. It is these intangibles that are fundamental in equipping and empowering SMMEs to overcome hurdles to development while effectively accessing real market opportunities.”
The market will open to the public in December 2020 and is the next phase of the V&A Waterfront’s broader plan to evolve the Cape Town Cruise Terminal area. Once completed, Makers Landing will add a further 4,348m2 to the already existing world-class cruise terminal developed by the Waterfront in 2015 for Transnet.
The development of Makers Landing will promote year-round activity in the port area. It is located within walking distance from the Waterfront’s Silo District, making it conveniently positioned to attract foot traffic from within the Waterfront, as well as those who work from the Port of Cape Town harbour. It is also accessible from the Cape Town Convention Centre by a short water taxi ride on the canal.
Located just behind the Cruise Terminal’s Departures Hall, 15 metres from the quay edge, Makers Landing retains the existing structure that dates backs to the 1920s with its original industrial harbour feel while still enhancing the visitor experience.
The structure of the building is scheduled for completion by September when the interior construction will begin—comprising of a shared incubator kitchen, a demo kitchen, eight maker production stations, food market with approximately 35 flexible market stands, eight small co-op eateries and five anchor restaurants of various sizes all cleverly positioned, allowing visitors to dine in front of glass windows while watching ships enter and leave the harbour.
The V&A Waterfront is calling for applications from small food businesses, entry-level to top chefs, food producers and everyone in between. In addition to bright talent, the curators’ focus will be on authentic South African foods and diversity, quality and freshness, variety of flavours, ethical and local sourcing, and affordability and value.
Green concludes, “Beyond showcasing South Africa’s incredible variety of cultural dishes and foods, we also see Makers Landing as a catalyst for creating employment, transferring skills through our planned incubator programme and nurturing and growing SMMEs. Small startups and suppliers of food will work alongside experienced players, and in this way, they will gain first-hand knowledge from watching and learning from them.
“We envisage that our SMMEs will at some point outgrow Makers Landing and leave to open their own eateries or work elsewhere – in the Waterfront, the city, the country or even overseas – and their places will be filled by new talent looking for a start in the industry.”
Originally written by Bizcommunity
