| City shares knowledge with University of Manchester | The Open Data Portal promotes the use of the City’s data for broader social and economic benefit | <span><p>Executive Mayor Dan Plato set the tone for an enthusiastic and meaningful information exchange when he surprised the visitors with a warm Cape Town welcome.</p><p>Now in its fifth year, the sharing of ideas and knowledge through this exchange programme empowers the students with a wealth of information on how to implement an open data portal. In addition, students are given an in-depth peek into the elements that make up a Smart City.</p>
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<img class="responsive" src="http://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/open%20data%20portal%20seminar1.jpg" alt="" style="width:751px;" /> </figure></span><span><p>‘This is a proud moment for us to be able to share what we have learnt about all things data. The Open Data Portal promotes the use of the City’s data for broader social and economic benefit,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services, Councillor Sharon Cottle.</p><p>The students then take back the knowledge they have gained on the City’s systems and try to apply it in their home countries, either through policy changes, or upgrades to their own systems.<br></p>
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<img class="responsive" src="http://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/open%20data%20portal%20seminar2.jpg" alt="" style="width:749px;" /> </figure></span><span><p>‘The portal functionality has been incrementally enhanced. Additional plans are afoot to further improve the user experience of the portal as well as the content. One of the initiatives aims to create a collaborative space on the portal for users to share information or case studies on how they have made use of the City’s data. To this end we can tap into the group of students for their ideas,’ added Councillor Cottle.</p>
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<img class="responsive" src="http://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/open%20data%20portal%20seminar3.jpg" alt="" style="width:919px;" /> </figure></span><span></span><p>The Open Data Portal makes government data and information available in order to advance the ideal of government transparency and also to stimulate social and economic benefits in the use of the published data. Data is made public while protecting the information of the residents involved, i.e. no names, and identity numbers are revealed. </p><p>The students’ research interests lie in information and communication technology for development. </p><p><strong>End </strong></p> | 2019-01-17T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| Cruise tourism brings wave of economic opportunities to our shores | In recent years, the City of Cape Town has had the pleasure of welcoming numerous cruise ships to the city | <p></p><p>In recent years, the City of Cape Town has had the pleasure of welcoming numerous cruise ships to the city. The City's Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Assets Management, Alderman James Vos, visited the cruise liners to personally extend a warm welcome on behalf of the City.</p><p>The Queen Elizabeth cruise liner is no stranger to the city’s shores and carries 2 068 passengers and 996 crew members.</p><p>The MSC Musica has 1 268 passenger cabins which can accommodate 2 550 passengers in double occupancy and is served by about 990 crew members.<br>‘Cape Town is fast becoming the preferred port of call for inbound and outbound international cruise travellers to South Africa. We had the honor of welcoming the Aida Aura from her world cruise last week and she was carrying 1 200 passengers and 390 crew members. Today, we welcome two cruise liners who have collectively brought in over 4 000 visitors to our shores. We trust they will enjoy the day in Cape Town and take time out to visit some of the city’s world-class tourist attractions,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, Alderman James Vos. <br>The cruise industry has experienced significant growth from just 6 050 passengers in 2012, to 29 269 passengers in 2016, and 31 035 passengers in 2017. During the 2016/17 cruise season, approximately 19 vessels visited the Cape Town harbor. There is also a significant increase in local cruising along the South African coastline (Source: V&A Waterfront).</p><p>The cruise tourism industry has shown significant year-on-year growth and makes a substantial contribution not only to this city’s economy but to the South African economy at large.<br>‘This sector has the potential to grow even further with huge economic spin-offs for the city and its residents. I will work with our tourism partners and the V&A Waterfront to promote the city as a destination of choice globally for cruise tourism. For every 12 tourists visiting our shores, one job is created. We will continue to invest in tourism programmes and projects that drive demand and make business sense, as tourism sustains about 150 000 jobs in Cape Town,’ said Alderman Vos.<br>The recent construction of a dedicated cruise terminal, funded by the V&A Waterfront, has proven to be a worthwhile venture and it is already showing a massive return on investment. The City is proud to promote this as an economic driver. </p><span><div class="image-gallery-slider img-gal-1" id="img-gal-1" data-slide="1" data-slides="3" style="height:493.5px;"><div class="image-gallery-content" style="height:414px;">
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<b></b></a>The MS Queen Elizabeth and the MSC Musica luxury cruise liners </p> </figcaption> </figure>
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<b></b>The MS Queen Elizabeth and the MSC Musica luxury cruise liners </p> </figcaption> </figure>
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<b></b>The MS Queen Elizabeth and the MSC Musica luxury cruise liners </p> </figcaption> </figure> </div><div class="image-gallery-control"><div class="image-gallery-caption"><p>
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<i class="icon arrow-white-prev"></i></div></div></div></div></span><p> </p><p>Without a doubt, the cruise liner industry offers enormous potential for tourism growth. With the average daily tourist spend of between R501 – R1 000 (excluding accommodation), one can appreciate the boost this gives to our city’s economy. </p><p>The average spend by an international tourist per trip is R8 400 in-destination (while in Cape Town), and a R10 600 prepaid spend (before a traveller arrives on our shores). </p><p>The domestic average spend per trip is R1 280 and can be broken down as follows by purpose of travel:</p><ul><li><div style="text-align:left;">R2 780 for business purposes</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">R2 290 for holiday visitors</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">R1 740 on medical expenses</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">R890 when visiting friends and relatives</div></li></ul><p>Figures from Cape Town Tourism indicate that the projected value of the cruise tourism industry between 2017 and 2027 is estimated to be in the region of R220 billion.</p><p>Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, Councillor James Vos, said the cruise industry had the potential to provide substantial economic benefits. These economic benefits arise from a number of sources such as the spending power by cruise passengers and crew, the shoreside staffing by cruise liners for tour operations, the spending by cruise liners for goods and services necessary for cruise operations, and the spending for port services and maintenance.</p><p>‘Based on the number of confirmed bookings for the 2019/20 cruise season, we can already see a dramatic increase in the number of vessels due to visit our port and city,’ added Alderman Vos.</p><p><strong>End</strong></p><p> </p> | 2019-01-17T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| Community support drives efforts to improve living conditions in Enkanini | The proposed Enkanini human settlements upgrade project is expected to kick off in 2020 | <p>The proposed Enkanini human settlements upgrade project is expected to kick off in 2020. Progress has been delayed due to the illegal occupation of parts of the earmarked project land as well as challenges related to the temporary relocation of people to enable the sites to be cleared for the proposed project. </p><p>Following meetings on 9 and 13 January 2019 which were held between the relevant community members, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Malusi Booi, and Ward Councillor Andile Lili, it was agreed that the illegally erected unoccupied structures on the earmarked land would be removed in order to get the development off the ground. </p><p>‘Many residents in the area have been patiently waiting for this kind of project for many years but work has been delayed as the City struggled to relocate those who had illegally occupied a piece of land required for the development. The hold-up has primarily been by a small group of people whose actions have impacted on thousands of people who have been waiting for a housing opportunity. We have a few examples of this happening across the metro. While we understand that the housing need is acute, we really have to start thinking of the bigger picture to ensure that we are able to provide a greater number of housing opportunities for our people. It is only through grassroots cooperation and partnership that we will be able to tackle the challenge of human settlements and ensure that the living conditions of our people in informal settlements and backyards are improved. A small group of dissenters with unknown agendas will not be allowed to stand in the way of such development – not here or elsewhere,’ said Councillor Booi. </p><p>The site of the proposed development will be cordoned off by the site preparation contractor and an official survey of residents legitimately residing permanently in Vosho informal settlement will be undertaken for the relocation process. Engagements will continue as the process moves forward. </p><p><br><strong>End</strong><br></p> | 2019-01-16T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| City mural project makes its mark in Athlone | The project consists of the painting of four ground-to-roof wall murals at the City owned flats in Kannabast and Strandroos Close in Kewtown, Athlone. | <p></p><span><p>The project consists of the painting of four ground-to-roof wall murals at the City owned flats in Kannabast and Strandroos Close in Kewtown, Athlone.<br><br>'With these murals the City hopes to demonstrate the ways in which art can contribute towards transformation in vulnerable communities; establish a positive and stronger neighbourhood identity; and make art more accessible to everyone and thereby improve our public facilities and spaces. <br><br>'Around the world, one can see the growth and value that street art can bring to a community and I would like to see some international street artists visit Cape Town in the near future so that we can draw the attention of tourists, and then share with them the many beautiful public murals that our local artists have done in our city,' said Cape Town Executive Mayor, Dan Plato. </p>
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<img class="responsive" src="http://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/mural1.jpg" alt="" style="width:1871px;" /> </figure></span><span><p>Artists who lent their creative flair to the project are Eugene Bezuidenhout from Wynberg, visual artists Roscoe Masters and Grant Jurius from Diep River and Elsies River respectively, and part-time arts teacher at the Zonnebloem Children’s Arts Centre, Gary Frier from Kuils River. <br><br>Local emerging artists who took part in the project are Lance Coetzee, Royden Croy, Landen Davids, Matthew de Lange, Julian Wagner, and Kyle Murphy.<br><br>‘Public art has become an important focus and brings cultural, social and economic value to neighbourhoods. It reflects our society and can enrich communities. As a creative City, we are committed to enabling all forms of public art as well as nurturing and promoting local artists,’ said the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.<br><br>The greater Athlone area is rich in culture and history and the four themes aim to reflect this.</p>
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<img class="responsive" src="http://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/mural3.jpg" alt="" style="width:949px;" /> </figure></span><span><p>These four themes pay tribute to the anti-apartheid struggle and depict the faces of icons; the various sporting traditions of the area; a celebration of the local cuisine; and the arts and culture history of the area, especially in terms of music and theatre.</p>
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<img class="responsive" src="http://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/mural2.jpg" alt="" style="width:1745px;" /> </figure></span><span><br>‘Mural projects can play an important role in the city because they assist in transforming spaces and communities and make a contribution to social and economic development. We will prioritise storytelling through murals by commissioning local artists; involving community participation including consultation and collaboration; as well as promoting skills transfer and development for community-based artists and emerging artists in communities,' added Councillor Badroodien. </span><p>The large-scale mural project at public housing facilities will be rolled out in all four areas of the city during the next financial year.</p><p><strong>End</strong></p> | 2019-01-16T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
