City is ready for events in Cape Town
22 September 2020
Media Statement by the City's Mayoral Commitee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith
In light of the latest national disaster regulations allowing for gatherings with limited participants, the City of Cape Town’s Events Permit Office is ready to receive and process event permit applications.
Annual events hosted in Cape Town contribute more than R3 billion to the local economy and provide more than 30 000 permanent and temporary jobs for the value chain.
The office initially suspended operations in March and withdrew all event permits previously approved, following the national disaster declaration.
We have been working hard behind the scenes to prepare for the resumption of events.
The City, through its Events Coordination Committee (ECC), has compiled a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) document to be used as a guide for event organisers as part of the permit application process.
The SOP is in line with the Disaster Management Act and National directives.
We encourage event organisers to use the email channels for applications and should they want to meet, they should schedule an appointment by calling the Events Department.
All event organisers will be required to comply with the hygiene, health and safety protocols stipulated in the document in order for their events to be approved.
Events with more than 200 attendees or that require infrastructure build are required to apply for permits.
The City’s enforcement services will emphasise the sanitising of hands, social distancing and that masks be worn at all times during these events.
This will be applied to all events, including those with 250 people at indoor facilities and 500 people at outdoor venues to ensure the safety of participants, staff, service providers and patrons.
The events industry employs thousands of people across a wide range of direct and ancillary services, most of whom have been directly impacted by the lockdown and left without a source of income.
It is also a major catalyst for economic growth in other sectors including tourism and hospitality as people come to Cape Town from across the world to attend events here.
The announcement to allow gatherings under Alert Level 1 is welcomed and we believe it will assist both the industry and the City to kick-start its recovery in order to alleviate the economic distress.
As the City, we will continue our role as an enabler of the events industry and we have already begun discussions with partners in the sector to work on interventions that could get it back on its feet.
We remain committed to retaining our vibrant annual events calendar within the constraints brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
End
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
