Western Cape Premier Alan Winde and several other high-level dignitaries from the provincial legislature will be on hand to address nagging port-side issues at an event hosted by the Exporters Club Western Cape (ECWC) on June 30.
Said Terry Gale, the club’s chair: “We overcame Covid-19, re-invigorated our port and now it’s time for our exports to start flourishing again.”
He said he hoped that the event would be a conduit for positive change in the province’s export industry.
Planning the event comes at a time when the Port of Cape Town (PoCT) still often operates at under-capacity, with vessels bypassing the city for ports like Gqeberha and Ngqura further down the Cape south coast.
Fruit exporters in particular have been hit hard by not being able to ship produce through the port, forced instead to send product by cold chain to the aforementioned ports in the Eastern Cape.
Apart from Winde, newly appointed Finance and Economic Development MEC, Mireille Wenger, and Chief Director for Economic Support, Ilse van Schalkwyk, will also address the gathering.
Gale emphasised: “We are all aware of the lack of services and space constraints on all our major trade lanes, hence an invitation has gone out to all the major carriers imploring their attendance at this important event as our futures are at stake.
“We’ve worked behind the scenes to ensure the PoCT starts functioning at maximum capacity.
“Now it is up to the lines to be open and honest with us.”
Considering the Western Cape’s growing export figures, especially in relation to goods intended for the US, the lines should surely agree that the province’s export market was growing, said Gale.
For more information on the event of the 30th, please contact Noreen at the ECWC: noreen@exportersclubwc.co.za
