The City is committed to the economic and human development of its residents, and has therefore tasked its Economic Development Department (EDD) with the responsibility of promoting economic growth, job creation, reducing poverty and monitoring inequalities. The department does this through a number of projects and programmes, such as Investment Promotion, Cape Town Entrepreneurship Week, Cape Town Activa, informal trading and business support facilities framework and local area economic development programmes.
The department's work is guided by its Economic and Human Development Strategy (EHDS), and aims to ensure a productive and globally competitive city and a vibrant economy that is able to provide the majority of its residents with a means to earn a reasonable living and benefit from its growth. The EHD is structured into different branches, which all work toward developing the economy and spreading its benefits.