Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has recently returned from a trip to the United States, where he met with various government officials and congressional leaders to advocate for stronger trade and investment relations between the US and both the Western Cape and South Africa. Winde’s main proposal to the US is an investment in a gas-to-energy plant at Saldanha Bay, along with potential investments in agriculture and tourism.

During his trip, Winde met with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s investment adviser, Alistair Ruiters, who is also South Africa’s chief trade negotiator with the US. Winde praised Ruiters as the country’s “greatest asset” and suggested him for the position of SA ambassador to the US. Winde also discussed the importance of the US investing in a gas-to-energy plant at Saldanha Bay, which could provide energy for the power-peak generator at Atlantis and the Saldanha Steel plant.

In addition to investments in energy, Winde also pitched the idea of US investment in battery manufacturing in sub-Saharan Africa, which holds a significant amount of the raw materials needed for batteries. These investments could help reduce South Africa’s high import tariffs from the US, which are currently at 30%, making agricultural exports from the Western Cape uncompetitive.

The Western Cape’s agricultural sector has strong ties with the US, with the country being the largest foreign investor in the province, its second-largest trading partner, and a major source of tourists. Winde also discussed the importance of US tourism for the Western Cape economy, with 163,000 tourists from the US visiting the province last year. He also met with Delta Airlines, who have agreed to increase their flights from Atlanta to Cape Town to five a week, with the potential for daily flights in the future.

During his trip, Winde also attended the annual Climate Week in New York City, where he voiced his concerns about developed countries not meeting their agreements to cut carbon emissions. He highlighted the impact of climate change on the Western Cape, including droughts, fires, and floods, which have cost the province billions of dollars.

Winde also delivered the same message to the G20 climate ministers during their meeting in Cape Town on October 16th. He emphasized that the Western Cape has experienced significant challenges due to climate change and urged other countries to take action to reduce carbon emissions.

In conclusion, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde’s trip to the US was focused on strengthening trade and investment relations between the US and the Western Cape. He highlighted the importance of US investment in the province’s energy and agricultural sectors, as well as the potential for increased tourism and flights from the US. Winde also used his platform to advocate for action on climate change and the impact it has on the Western Cape.