Why start your own business?

Starting your own business is an excellent way to take charge of your career. By working for yourself, you can follow your passions and even create jobs for others. The City believes in supporting and encouraging entrepreneurs and innovators. We do this by offering skills programmes to new business owners; linking entrepreneurs with resources, funding and opportunities; and creating an environment that can help grow local business and attract others.

City programmes and projects

We offer a range of programmes to support young entrepreneurs and new businesses in Cape Town. Speak to our business support office for more information.

Small business support

If you want to start or grow a business, our small business support service can connect you with the right organisation or programme from our network of more than 90 business development organisations – including financial organisations – in Cape Town. This means you don't have to waste energy, money or time dealing the wrong organisations or paying for help that might be available for free from someone else. Get in touch with us for more information about organisations that are helping businesses in Cape Town to grow. 

Visit a business incubator

We actively create strong networks between local government and professionals, businesses, and industries.

The following organisations and business incubators are important partners in supporting entrepreneurs, businesses and industries in Cape Town and the Western Cape.

• Bandwidth Barn: part of the Cape Information Technology Initiative (CITI), is a leading Information and Communication Technology (ICT) incubator
• Cape Craft and Design Institute (CCDI): established to provide support and services to more than 4 000 craft and design SMEs in Cape Town
• Cape Information Technology Initiative (CiTi): a sector body that focuses on the growth and development of the ICT industry in Cape Town
• Cape Town Central Improvement District (CCID): strives to create a CBD that is safe, clean, caring, open for business and inclusive
• Cape Town Fashion Council (CTFC): a sector body that focuses on the growth and development of the local fashion industry
• Cape Town Partnership: a non-profit organisation that brings people together around common goals for Cape Town’s transformation
• Creative Cape Town: facilitates the development of the creative and knowledge economy in Cape Town through key partnerships
• Furntech: for anyone looking for information on business incubation or skills development in furniture manufacturing
• GreenCape: supports the development of the green economy in the Western Cape
• Philippi Village: is an entrepreneurial development that provides a space for entrepreneurs and business to grow and where residents can develop skills and
• Silicon Cape Initiative: a non-profit organisation that aims to enable the development of more and better tech start-ups in the Western Cape
• South African Oil and Gas Alliance (SAOGA): dedicated to promoting the growth and development of South Africa based companies serving the oil and gas industry
• South African Renewable Energy Business Incubator (SAREBI): set up to help start-up businesses in the renewable energy sector
• WESGRO: the official destination marketing, investment and trade promotion agency for the Western Cape
• Western Cape Clothing and Textile Service Centre (CLOTEX): aims to increase employment by developing small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in the region’s textile industry
• Western Cape Economic Development Partnership: a nonprofit organisation that works to improve the performance of the regional economy by creating sustainable partnerships

Document downloads

• 1. IDP 2012-2017 Annexure 1: 2013/14 Five Year Intergrated Development Plan Review

     01/01/2013, IDP annexure - 2.9 MB

  2. Inclusive Economic Growth 2021 Strategy

     10/09/2021, Strategy - 2.1 MB

  3. ONECAPE2040 Development Strategy

     10/12/2012, Strategy - 1.2 MB