Cape town at the forefront of satellite technology

Stellenbosch‚ one of the oldest towns in the country‚ has been on the forefront of satellite technology and is becoming a force within the tourism sector.

Stellenbosch recently played host to tourism and trade agency Wesgro CEO Tim Harris and MEC of Economic Opportunities Alan Winde.

They met with stakeholders from across the Cape Winelands to discuss investment opportunities in the wake of the dire economic situation in the country.

"This engagement follows a panel discussion held in Cape Town in June 2017 on the province's plan to maintain investor confidence in the regional economy following the recent spate of South African credit downgrades‚'' Wesgro said in a statement issued on Thursday.

"Towns across the Western Cape have an important role to play in facilitating investment‚ particularly in the technology industry.

"As the gateway to the Cape Winelands‚ and only a 40 minute drive from Cape Town International Airport‚ Stellenbosch has a booming tourism industry. Based on the research conducted during 2016 by Wesgro‚ Stellenbosch was the most requested wine route by international visitors.''

Winde had indicated that tourism could turn into an economic saviour.

On the tourism front‚ the Western Cape has performed well. Recent statistics by South African Tourism revealed that the province attracted 1.5-million foreign tourists who spent more than R18-billion in 2016. The 2.1-million domestic tourists spent R2.5-billion.

According to Winde's office‚ more than 20‚000 jobs have been created as a result.

"We are especially encouraged that the tourism sector has managed to achieve these successes despite troubling economic times for our country‚'' said Winde at the end of last month.

"We believe that the tourism sector‚ which is not rand hedged‚ has the potential to pull us out of recession‚ and to save and grow jobs.''

Among the top attractions were the V&A Waterfront‚ Robben Island‚ Cape Point and Camps Bay.