From 4 to 5 August 2025, Premier Alan Winde undertook a trip to the West Coast, where he conducted oversight visits, toured several businesses, and met with business owners.
“I must see for myself how services are being delivered to our residents and to engage with local business owners to better understand the challenges they may face. There may be many west coasts in the world, but there is just one Weskus in the world – and it is right here in our beautiful province,” said Premier Winde.
At the Lalie Cleophas Clinic in Hopefield, Premier Winde engaged with staff and patients. The queue inside the facility was well-managed, with all patients seated and the line moving at a consistent pace. Healthcare worker Sister Jennifer Maarman explained that while the clinic does come under pressure, staff are resilient and support one another. Another staff member told the Premier that the clinic does need to expand its chronic medication dispensary and that access to patients in rural communities, especially in the winter months, remains challenging.
The Premier praised Sister Maarman and her team for their dedication to treating patients. He said, “Nationally, the healthcare system is under immense strain. But our health officials continue to show resilience and step up in confronting challenges head-on. In everything we do, any decisions we take, our residents must come first and benefit from improved services. While I am pleased to see our facilities being managed well, I am always willing to hear from residents and staff as to how we can strive to do better.”
Premier Winde also witnessed the many ways in which West Coast communities have become adept at leveraging the natural beauty of their region. From 28 to 31 August 2025, the town of Hopefield will host the annual Fynbos Show, an event that has become a firm favourite of the Western Cape’s already bustling social calendar. An estimated 20 000 people attend this event each year, bringing a massive boost to the local economy and local job creation. Premier Winde met with the show’s organisers at a local business, Simply Bee, whose owners, Pierre and Helena van der Westhuizen, have played a central role in growing this event.
The Premier expressed his appreciation for the hard work and effort Hopefield’s residents put into making the show a success. “The Fynbos Show is the perfect platform to promote the region’s unique floral beauty, its awe-inspiring fynbos and wildflowers, while also helping to drive the region's economic growth, tourism prospects, and associated job creation.”
Job creation remained a priority in Vredenburg, where the Premier was taken on a tour of the site of the Stoneridge Shopping Centre, which is scheduled to officially open its doors in late August 2025. The development will include a renewable energy system, comprising 600 solar panels, with a capacity of 399.8 kWp solar photovoltaic (PV), along with a 215 kWh battery energy storage system. Once completed, the centre will employ more than 600 people, while furthering the province’s goal of becoming ever more energy resilient.
Job creation, economic growth and crime remained top-of-mind at a public meeting in Langebaan, where the Premier engaged with business owners. He said that the Western Cape Government works hard to build a vibrant job creation ecosystem, and the private sector should take full advantage of its policies and programmes, chief among them the Growth for Jobs (G4J) strategy, to generate employment. “But as a government, we must also keep building a skills development pipeline that is future-fit and includes training in technological advancements such as artificial intelligence.”
He also explained the budgetary pressure the province has been under due to the fact that it receives the fifth largest budgetary allocation in South Africa despite being the nation’s third most-populous province. “We are learning to do more with less. This is the reality of the situation all provinces find themselves in. While we will keep fighting for our fair share of the national budget to keep building more schools and medical facilities, we must continue to be nimble and innovative with our finances,” he told the group.
On the issue of crime and safety, the Premier added, “Crime is a significant impediment to our growth aspirations. That is why we continuously reassess our efforts to combat and prevent crime. Where we need to improve, we do so. We are currently reassessing the Western Cape Safety Plan to see what more we can do to make communities safer, to transform more areas into economic hubs. We have seen how pivotal partnerships and collaboration are in tackling this scourge.”
The Premier’s next stop was at Die Tolhuis, an iconic building in Langebaan that houses the Team Langebaan Neighbourhood Watch and local Community Policing Forum. But the building also serves as a hub for more than 40 other local businesses and initiatives.
At the Siyabonga Huis van Danksegging, in Saldanha Bay, Premier Winde engaged with staff, expressing his deep gratitude for all they do for vulnerable residents. This non-profit organisation, funded by the provincial Department of Social Development, runs numerous initiatives, including:
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An early childhood development centre
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Disability programmes
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A shelter for survivors of gender-based violence
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A family preservation programme
The Premier thanked the staff, “You make a huge difference in the lives of everyone who relies on this centre. For everything you do in giving so much of your time and resources to those most in need, I am deeply thankful.”
The final visit was at WOW eBikes in Paternoster. WOW eBikes is a partner organisation of the Premier’s Cycle Tour, an annual event where Western Cape Government Cabinet members and officials donate bicycles to rural schools and neighbourhood watches.
He stated, “We are privileged to have such a diverse tourism industry in our province, enhanced by businesses like this. It is part of my job to regularly meet with people who are committed to helping us grow our economy. It is always a privilege for me to tour this remarkable province of ours and see for myself what we are capable of doing when we work together with a common vision in mind – to grow our economy and create many more jobs.”
Enquiries:
Regan Thaw
Media Liaison Officer to the Premier
Cell: 083 627 7246
E-mail: Regan.Thaw@westerncape.gov.za
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