Atlantis Poised for Economic Boom

"Strategically located about 40 km north of Cape Town and 76 km south of Saldanha, Atlantis is fast becoming an important industrial hub," says Councillor Simon Grindrod, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic, Social Development and Tourism.

With a population of 100 000, Atlantis Industria currently forms the southern focus of the West Coast Growth Corridor, a future urban growth area stretching from Cape Town towards Vredenburg/Saldanha.

To gear up for the boom, the City of Cape Town recently put 24 City-owned properties to tender, 16 of which have been sold to private investors for the establishment of industrial plants and commercial activities.

Other City initiatives include the development of urban agriculture, assistance with the Mamre land reform project, management of the business hives in Atlantis and Mamre, and funding of the small business support voucher programme which is accessible through the Atlantis Red Door offices.

"Tourism also plays a vital economic role, as Atlantis is a mere 30 minute drive from the Cape Town city centre, and is just inland from Langebaan and other popular West Coast beaches," says Cllr Grindrod.

Other key attractions in the area include the annual Atlantis Arts and Crafts festival and Camphill Village - a working community farm that produces herbs, vegetables, nursery plants and dairy products.

Witsands, a new housing development area - which currently only has spaza shops - has the potential of attracting retailers to the area. The City is sub-contracting local residents to help install street signs to guide tourists to craft centres and bed and breakfast establishments.

According to Mansoor Mohamed, the City's Executive Director: Economic, Social Development and Tourism, the City is developing an economic development action plan for the area.

"The plan will look at the cross spectrum and sequence of activities that need to be pursued by government, private sector and communities in order to address deficiencies within the economic system of the area and to generate options which when put together will be able to shape an integrated local action plan to re-establish local economic cycles
within the area.

An over arching strategy for the area would enable the City to align local development strategies with the City's Integrated Development Plan (IDP)," he says.

Issued by:
Communication Department
City of Cape Town
Tel: 021 400 2201

Media Queries:
Councillor Simon Grindrod
Cell: 084 200 6060

Mansoor Mohamed
Tel: 021 400 2589
Cell: 084 421 4428