PRESS RELEASES
City pressing ahead with plans to expand trade routes for Cape Town
4 April 2023
Business Brief by the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, Alderman James Vos
The City of Cape Town is pressing ahead with plans to expand trade routes for Cape Town, thereby increasing exports of Cape products across the globe, Alderman James Vos, the Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth said at the opening of the Western Cape Air Cargo 2023 conference hosted by Wesgro this past week.
‘I will be heading on a trade mission to South America to engage with airlines, tourism operators, and investment agencies to open up a South to South travel and trade corridor. Through direct flights between Cape Town and key markets such as Brazil and Argentina, we will increase the exposure of local producers to new buyers and attract more visitors,’ said Alderman Vos.
Through City-supported initiatives, air cargo volumes in December last year reached 98% of that of the same month in 2019, he noted. And in terms of air cargo in all of 2022, the Cape’s two-way air cargo volumes reached over 52 000 metric tonnes, representing an 83% recovery compared to 2019.
‘It is through innovative platforms such as Air Access and the Cape Trade Portal that travel and trade to Cape Town and the province has taken off again. Through the Air Access initiative, we are landing more flights and taking the Cape to more markets across the globe, and with the Cape Trade Portal digital marketplace, we are connecting local exporters with more international buyers. Through City-supported initiatives such as this, R2.5 billion in export declarations were reached,’ said Alderman Vos.
With trade agreements in Africa, Europe and the US, South Africa can realise even greater export gains worth hundreds of billions of rands, he pointed out.
‘This is why connectivity is so important and why aviation is a cornerstone of our trade and travel value proposition. This is why I will continue to lobby for further opening up the air transport market. Improved connectivity in air cargo enhances the level of productivity, opens up new markets and boosts exports, and increases competition,’ Alderman Vos said.
