Cape Town - The Western Cape Tourism, Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Wesgro) has launched a retail exhibit showcasing premium products from 45 local exporters.
The retail showcase, Made in the Cape Market, was launched at the V&A Waterfront earlier this week, with a focus on providing exposure and market support to local exporters.
Wesgro said Made in the Cape Market was especially designed using audio, visual, and tangible elements, including augmented reality to illustrate the stories behind Cape products.
The agency said the market was one of the ways it was assisting provincial exporters to gain traction in high-visibility areas – showcasing premium products from the group of exporters selected from www.capetradeportal.com.
Speaking at the launch, Wesgro CEO Wrenelle Stander said the market brought together sustainably crafted Made in the Cape products from the five regions of the Western Cape to the V&A Waterfront.
“Trade innovation is a key focus for Wesgro. Exporters registered on the portal are reaping the rewards of a multi-year effort. Following the success of the highly targeted digital campaigns in key source markets, including the UK and the US, the market forms part of our domestic consumer awareness and drive to on-board new exporters,” Stander said.
Wesgro chief marketing and innovation officer Jean Scheltema said that through meticulously crafted miniature stage sets, shoppers were given a glimpse into what went in to the products available for purchase, who was behind the craft, and why it was geographically significant.
“Via prompts at each scene, they are encouraged to take out their mobile phones and scan the stage sets, where captivating stories are brought to life through augmented reality, reinforcing that if it comes from the Cape, you can expect quality and sustainability,” Scheltema said.
Economic growth Mayco member James Vos said the City, as local government, remained committed to building a stronger, more resilient, and inclusive economy.
“Increasing brand awareness of our local exporters, both internationally and domestically, is key in our quest to fulfil this commitment. We welcome the efforts of the Made in the Cape Market,” he said.
The market is situated outside H&M and Havaianas stores and will feature items from some of the most remote regions in the province.
Western Cape Finance and Economic Opportunities MEC Mireille Wenger said: “We are on a mission to enable a R1 trillion, jobs-rich, inclusive and thriving provincial economy. That means growing the economy between 4 and 6 percent in real terms. One of the key priority areas of this Strategy is to drive the expansion of proudly Western Cape exports.
“We do this because our research shows that if we can increase exports by 10%, we can generate an estimated additional R6 billion to the Western Cape Gross Domestic Product, creating many more jobs in the province.”