Cape Winelands Airport gets Growthpoint backing to boost tourism

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Nicholas Ferguson, managing director of RSA Aero, says: "This partnership represents a step-change for Cape Winelands Airport. Growthpoint’s partnership provides the institutional foundation and delivery capacity needed to build an airport precinct of global quality that will serve the region for generations to come."

The airport team will lead aviation strategy and master planning, while Growthpoint brings institutional capital, property expertise, and sustainability leadership. Together, they aim to create a commercially driven, world-class airport precinct that meets rising passenger demand, strengthens regional tourism, and supports trade and logistics.

Sustainable development at the heart

Growthpoint will manage property and assets across the precinct’s logistics, commercial, and hospitality components, with rights to co-invest in future developments. The airport is designed to be the greenest in the world, operating largely on renewable energy and water reuse systems to drive a carbon-neutral agenda.

Norbert Sasse, Group CEO of Growthpoint Properties, says: "Cape Winelands Airport and its visionary partners have set in motion a powerful catalyst for long-term value creation and a legacy asset for the Western Cape that enhances South Africa’s broader growth story."

Economic impact and phased development

The airport is expected to sustain about 35,000 direct and indirect jobs initially, growing to over 100,000 across 20 years. Pending environmental approvals, construction could start in early 2026, with phased development targeting full commissioning by 2028 and capacity for more than five million passengers annually by 2050.

Supporting Western Cape growth

Once operational, Cape Winelands Airport will relieve pressure on existing aviation infrastructure, reduce costs and carbon emissions for operators, and anchor tourism, hospitality, and business investment along the Cape Winelands corridor.

Werner van Antwerpen, Growthpoint’s head of corporate Advisory, notes: "Tourism and foreign direct investment are powerful economic multipliers. When infrastructure works sustainably and at scale, jobs follow, cities thrive, and communities benefit."