The Western Cape government has officially launched Project Khulisa, following Cabinet approval in August.

Project Khulisa had identified agroprocessing as a key sector for the province, along with tourism and oil and gas, for the next five years. Agroprocessing alone was expected to, under a high growth scenario, increase its gross value add from R12-billion to R26-billion over the period.

“We’re currently in the process of getting final budget approval so that we can start implementing our action plans,” advised Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunities Alan Winde in a statement.

A R10-million centralised testing facility was in the pipeline for the Western Cape to improve local capacity to process goods to service domestic and international markets.

“This new facility, which we aim to establish by 2018, will allow us to increase the volume of goods we are able to test so that they can be released to international markets which have strict quality criteria,” explained Winde.

The facility was part of a set of targeted interventions that had been outlined to reach the objectives of Project Khulisa, a “bold” strategy to double the size of the province’s agroprocessing sector, adding up to 100 000 jobs to the economy.

Other interventions included capturing a larger share of the global Halaal market, increasing exports of wine and brandy to China and Angola, and improving local capacity to process agricultural produce.

Winde advised that the Western Cape sought to double the value of South African wine exported to China and Angola by 2025.

China was the fastest growing emerging market for wine, with the Asian country’s imports growing by 80% year-on-year. “We need to tap into this market,” Winde stressed.

Angola, on the other hand, was the fastest growing export market for South African wine in Africa.

To reach its target for the export of wine to these two destinations, the Western Cape proposed the roll-out of focused marketing campaigns in both countries.

“As demand for our product grows, we will need to develop appropriate irrigation infrastructure to ensure we can increase production. This includes supporting efforts to increase the volume of water in the Brandvlei dam. In this regard, we have established an intergovernmental and industry task team,” Winde noted.

“In another major infrastructure boost, we’ll be collaborating with national [government] to develop agriparks in strategic locations.

“The parks will be a hub for farmers, where they are able to receive the business support they need to grow their [agricultural enterprises]. Part of the process will include selecting commodities and the development of comprehensive plans for farmers.”

Minister Winde added that a key priority of Project Khulisa’s agroprocessing strategy was the promotion of access to markets for emerging farmers.

The agroprocessing sector also had the potential to offer significant economic opportunities to residents of all skill levels in urban and rural areas, he added.