City’s industry support programmes equal real job growth
The City of Cape Town strategically funds and deploys Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to support high-growth sectors because these vehicles act as targeted, industry-specific instruments that simultaneously upskill individuals, support small businesses, and attract investment. By focusing resources where they can generate the most impact, the City ensures that public investment leads to sustainable job creation, economic growth, and a stronger, more resilient local economy.
‘Over and above the foundation of reliable service delivery, including a South African-record R40 billion in infrastructure over three years, the City government’s funding of Special Purpose Vehicles and their various programmes upskill individuals and small businesses while simultaneously promoting Cape Town as an investment destination within their respective industries. The result is tens of thousands of jobs created and billions of rands poured into the local economy, which then leads to greater employment opportunities,’ said Alderman James Vos, Mayco Member for Economic Growth.
The most recent jobs data from Statistics South Africa show that the City’s sustained focus on skills development alongside investment promotion of target industries continues to bear fruit.
According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for quarter four of 2025, 113 000 jobs have been added in Cape Town in the last year, the highest of the metros, with employment now at a record level of 1 895 million people working in the Mother City.
Industries that saw particularly notable growth in Cape Town include finance, real estate and business services, manufacturing, and community, social and other personal services.
Highlights of these City-funded SPV programmes include:
Over 300 learners have been trained in sought-after digital and biomanufacturing skills in the last six months through the CAPACITI and UVU Bio initiatives run by UVU Africa. A further 741 entrepreneurs and SMMEs were also supported during this time.
- The Cape Clothing and Textile Cluster’s Cape Acceler8 programme upskilled 40 SMMEs in 2025, representing over 600 employees across Cape Town, with 70% of businesses based in the Cape Flats. Currently, 100 participants are undergoing accredited NQF Level 2 and 3 training.
- In 2025, GreenCape assisted 33 SMMEs with programmes relating to the circular economy and smart agri-tech, facilitating R500 million in investments from green-focused companies.
- The Youth Skills and Employment Incubator, administered by CapeBPO and funded by the City of Cape Town and the Department of Labour, helped create more than 10 000 new contact centre jobs in Cape Town in 2025 alone.
- The Craft+Design Institute supported 908 SMMEs between July 2024 and December 2025.
- The Greater Tygerberg Partnership projects saw 229 people trained through their Skills Centre and over 30 circular economy entrepreneurs accelerated in 2025.
‘These support mechanisms have not only directly created jobs for residents but have helped to strengthen Cape Town’s investment profile in these industries, ensuring that we will continue to see small and large businesses take up residence in the Mother City,’ said Alderman Vos.Interested in connecting with one of the City-funded SPVs to develop your skills or those of your staff? Find their contact details below and at the links:
Blue Cape
CapeBPO; Email: info@capebpo.org.za; Phone: +27 (0)21 427 2900 or +27 (0)82 325 1134
Cape Clothing and Textile Cluster; Email: cctc@bmanalysts.com; Phone: +27 (0)21 552 0240
Craft+Design Institute; Email: info@thecdi.org.za; Phone: +27 (0)21 461 1488
GreenCape; Email: info@greencape.co.za; Phone: +27 (0)21 811 0250
The Greater Tygerberg Partnership; Email: info@gtp.org.za; +27 (0)21 823 6713
UVU Africa; Email: reception@uvuafrica.com; Phone: +27 (21) 409 7000
Wesgro; Email: hello@wesgro.co.za; Phone: +27 (0)21 487 8600
