The economic value of the Port of Cape Town for the Western Cape economy

[摘要] ENGLISH SUMMARY: The Port of Cape Town is one of the six commercial ports in South Africa and serves alarge natural hinterland which covers the entire Western Cape as well as an economichinterland which stretches as far as Gauteng and into Southern Africa.The purpose of this study was to illustrate the economic importance of a port such as thePort of Cape Town to the economic development and growth of a regional economy.The Western Cape economy can be regarded as relatively stable and prosperous with theagricultural sector as one of the most important contributors to the gross regional product.The port as catalyst in international trade contributes significantly to the growth andcompetitiveness of sectors such as agriculture and other manufacturing industries in theregionThe importance of the port community in the Port of Cape Town has also been analyzedin its contribution to the creation of employment and the multiplying effect of moniesspent by that community. That multiplier effect for the port was calculated at 2,27 whilethe number of jobs created within the boundaries of the port is estimated at 5305.The Port of Cape Town being a full service port contributes a substantial amount to theregion's economy through its core business of cargo handling. During 1997 the totalvalue of cargo moving through the Port of Cape Town amounted to R 32,3 billion.However, that contribution is further expanded through ancillary services such asship repair and the accommodation of fishing fleets and cruise vessels. The Port of CapeTown as a preferred bunker port is also of significance to the port community and theregion, which it serves.The conclusion is reached that the economic impact of the activities of the port community on the various sectors in the Western Cape economy is substantial.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University