The multibillion-rand Cape Winelands Airport has partnered one of South Africa’s leading JSE-listed property firms as the project gathers pace.
RSA Aero, which owns and operates the planned airport expansion project, announced on Thursday it had joined forces with Growthpoint Properties, co-owner of Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront and holder of property assets worth R155.8bn across retail, office and logistics sectors.
The privately owned airport, to be developed on the former Fisantekraal airfield site, is designed to enhance the region’s logistics, trade and tourism infrastructure.
RSA Aero said Growthpoint’s initial investment formed part of a long-term partnership for the design, development, delivery and management of the Cape Winelands Airport precinct.
“Under the agreement, Growthpoint will assume long-term property and asset management responsibilities across the 450ha aviation precinct’s logistics, commercial and hospitality components — excluding the terminal buildings — with the right of first refusal to co-invest in future property developments,” RSA Aero said in a statement.
“It will also oversee the development’s main contractor to ensure institutional standards in transparent governance, financial discipline, and positive environmental and social impact.”
RSA Aero MD Nicholas Ferguson said the partnership marked a major step for the airport’s development.
“Growthpoint’s partnership provides the institutional foundation and delivery capacity needed to build an airport precinct of global quality that will serve the region for generations to come,” he said.
Ferguson said RSA Aero would lead the aviation strategy and master plan, while Growthpoint contributed capital, property expertise and sustainability leadership.
Growthpoint Properties CEO Norbert Sasse said the project would create long-term value and become a key asset for the Western Cape, supporting South Africa’s broader growth.
“We are pleased to be part of this opportunity and to contribute to Cape Town’s and South Africa’s sustainable growth,” he said.
The R8bn development is expected to create about 35,000 direct and indirect jobs, rising to more than 100,000 over its first 20 years of operation. It will include terminal buildings, a runway and a 450ha development estate.
The airport aims to be the world’s greenest, operating mainly on renewable energy and water reuse systems. Growthpoint’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) expertise will guide its sustainability framework.
“Our commitment to Cape Winelands Airport aligns with Growthpoint’s purpose of creating space to thrive. The project is centred on aviation, but it’s also about unlocking inclusive growth and setting new standards for sustainable development,” said Sasse.
Growthpoint’s head of corporate advisory, Werner van Antwerpen, said the success of the V&A Waterfront demonstrated how well-planned tourism infrastructure could drive inclusive economic growth.
“Tourism and foreign direct investment are powerful economic multipliers that go hand in hand. When tourism infrastructure works sustainably and at scale, jobs follow, cities thrive, and communities benefit,” he said.
Subject to environmental impact assessment approval, construction could begin in early 2026. Development will be phased, starting with the runway and safety infrastructure, followed by the terminal and cargo precincts. The airport is expected to open by 2028, with capacity for more than 5-million passengers a year by 2050, and full development unfolding over two decades.
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