Connect’d Cape Town launches online

For a long time, there has been a feeling among business leaders in the Western Cape that the region is not capitalising, commercially, on the large number of visitors to the area.  There is also strong evidence, elsewhere in the world, that a concerted effort to showcase the business possibilities of a region to visitors, whatever their reason for visiting, can be extremely effective.  

Connect’d Cape Town was therefore established to do exactly that.  Being powered by Accelerate Cape Town, it is backed by a strong business-led initiative which aims to bring Cape stakeholders together to develop and implement a long-term vision for sustainable, inclusive economic growth.  (Specific sponsorship, and support, for the first phase of this project was in fact provided by Chevron South Africa.)

Connect’d Cape Town aims to showcase local skills and expertise, and to attract and facilitate significant investment and business opportunities to the Cape Town region.

An international visitor’s first contact with Connect’d Cape Town is through the internet at www.connectdcapetown.com. The aim is not for this website to represent a complete listing of businesses in the Western Cape ; instead, events (primarily conventions and sports events) will be used to drive applications from interested business people or businesses, and to build communities of interlinked organisations.

Events for inclusion in Connect’d Cape Town have been carefully selected to help drive the business vision for the Cape Town region.  This is elaborated on Accelerate Cape Town’s Vision 2030 website (www.vision2030.co.za) which details the vision for Cape Town to be Africa’s Global city : a city of inspiration and innovation.  Fundamentally, industries that help achieve any of the eight key goals for the region will be highlighted.  These key goals for the Cape Town City Region are that it should be :

Local (to the Cape Town City region) companies can apply to be listed on Connect’d Cape Town’s website.  There will be some verification of their details before they appear on the website, to ensure a credible local business community is created.

Visiting business people or businesses, whether international or from outside the Cape Town city region, can similarly apply to be listed.

Listed businesses will be able to search the website for suitable commercial organisations with which they wish to connect.  Connect’d Cape Town will then help make these connections possible – either directly through the website, or by facilitating meetings in person at the associated event(s).

These face-to-face meetings form the second part of Connect’d Cape Town.  It is proposed to have dedicated space at the CTICC at which interested parties can use the Connect’d Cape Town website, and meet potential business investors.  This space will be manned for key events and conferences, but will be open for use, whether manned or unmanned, around the clock.

Work is also under way on the proposed design of this space. 

 

Connect’d Cape Town aims to provide a welcoming, vibrant and innovative ‘connection’ service to business visitors to the Cape Town city region.

For further information, please contact Libby Ferrandi at Libby@acceleratecapetown.com, or on (021) 408 7335.