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In celebrating the City of Cape Town's commitment to preserving our natural heritage, enhancing service delivery, and invigorating our tourism sector, the DA in the Western Cape calls on President Ramphosa to urgently introduce the Remote Working Visa.

Cape Town's beaches have reaffirmed their international appeal by achieving the prestigious Blue Flag status. This Blue Flag is not just a badge of honour; it symbolises the dedication to upholding stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility standards. Only those beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators that adhere to rigorous international benchmarks receive this recognition.

Eight of our pristine beaches now wear this badge of excellence, positioning Cape Town prominently on the global tourist map. Complementing this, Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) anticipates a striking 25% surge in international seat capacity for the 2023/24 summer season. This projects that, for the first time ever, inbound international seats this summer will cross the 1 million threshold.

As Cape Town's coastlines earn worldwide praise, there's an untapped inland opportunity awaiting. The city attracts digital nomads—global professionals with disposable income. With our immaculate beaches, ideal weather, attractive exchange rate, and unparalleled quality of life, who wouldn't want to work from Cape Town?

That is why I have written to President Ramaphosa, specifically about Operation Vulindlela and the advancements towards the Remote Working Visa. As we approach our peak tourism period, clarity on the visa's implementation is crucial. We need to understand the associated timelines, potential obstacles, and concrete measures from Operation Vulindlela aimed at speeding up the visa process.

A response from the Presidency has been requested by 30 October 2023.

Unwavering in its mission, the DA remains committed to creating a thriving economic environment that fosters job creation. While Cape Town promotes environmental and touristic excellence, the ANC-led National Government must expedite the launch of the Remote Working Visa. That is why we are calling on the President to seize this invaluable opportunity.

Issued by Cayla Murray, MPP - DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Finance, Economic Opportunities and Tourism