What to expect from Premier Winde's State of the Province Address: Focus on jobs and growth

Premier Alan Winde says economic growth and job creation will dominate his upcoming State of the Province Address (SOPA), describing them as the Western Cape’s “apex priority”.

In an exclusive interview with the Cape Argus, Winde outlined what residents can expect when he delivers the address, saying lowering unemployment and accelerating investment remain central benchmarks for his administration.

“Because growth and jobs are our apex priority, I will be talking about the economy and what we have achieved in the last year and looking at how growth will continue to be our focus,” Winde said.

“The more we attract investment, the more entrepreneurs are able to start businesses and grow the economy, the lower our unemployment rate will become so obviously that will be a focus.”

The Western Cape has consistently recorded one of the lowest unemployment rates among provinces, a statistic the provincial government frequently highlights. It has also positioned itself as a key investment destination across sectors such as technology, agriculture, renewable energy and tourism. However, structural inequality and youth unemployment remain persistent challenges, with critics arguing that economic growth has not translated evenly across communities.

Winde said success would be measured against clear indicators.

“The measurable outcome would be: Has our unemployment rate dropped again? Have we built more schools and hospitals with additional classrooms and wards? Are we able to grow the economy, attracting investment? Is tourism able to absorb more jobs? Are we able to export more of our products? Are entrepreneurs finding it easier to open businesses in the Western Cape than in other parts of the country? These are the measures.”

Safety will be another central focus of the address.

“Crime is a big issue for us,” Winde said, adding that he would outline the province’s plans within constitutional limits.

“I will talk about our own plans within the constitution and how we go further than what the constitution allows us in the safety plan and continue to talk about how we can build partnerships.”

The provincial government has expanded its Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers and funded violence prevention programmes in identified hotspots. However, policing remains a national competency under the South African Police Service, and murder and gang-related violence in certain Cape Flats policing precincts have remained a concern in recent crime statistics.

Winde linked safety to broader social well-being.

“Then there are our violence prevention programmes and of course our big constitutional mandate which is the well-being of our citizens, which is linked to the Department of Health and Well-being,” he said.

Education will also feature prominently in the address.

“Preparing our citizens for a future of work would be the education component,” Winde said.

This comes amid ongoing debate around education funding pressures and teacher post allocations, with civil society organisations and unions raising concerns about classroom capacity and resource constraints, while the provincial government maintains it continues to expand infrastructure and improve performance outcomes.

Housing delivery and innovation will also be highlighted.

“I can’t remember the exact number of housing units we are targeting but we will continue to build more and more houses,” Winde said.

He pointed to the model at Conradie Park as an example of integrated, mixed-income development that could be replicated elsewhere.

“Data shows that the Western Cape outperforms other provinces but we are also focussing on new models which was the whole idea behind creating the model out at Conradie Park and determining how to replicate that,” he said.

Winde signalled a continued shift toward affordable housing linked to economic opportunity.

“At the end of the day, you need to get affordable housing linked to a job. The state simply isn’t able to give free housing across the country. We have to look at the alternative which is linking affordable housing to the economy with the state only stepping in when there is real desperation.”

Housing policy in the province has remained politically sensitive, including debates over well-located land such as the Tafelberg site in Sea Point.

By setting out his own performance indicators, lower unemployment, expanded schools and hospitals, increased investment and exports, tourism job growth and improved ease of doing business, Winde has framed SOPA as an exercise in measurable accountability.

As he prepares to deliver the address, the key test will not only be the commitments announced, but whether the data over the next year reflects movement on the benchmarks he has publicly identified.

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Cape Argus