Helen Zille, premier of the Western Cape, and Beverley Ann Schäfer, Western Cape minister of economic opportunities, will jointly deliver the keynote address at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on 6 March 2019.
Conference organiser Sonya Kuhnel comments: “We are fortunate to have Premier Zille and Minister Schäfer as our keynote speakers in Cape Town. The Western Cape government is clearly committed to learning more about emerging technologies such as blockchain and its potential for economic growth and job creation.”
Zille adds: “Our Vision 2040 is of a highly skilled, innovation-driven, resource-efficient, connected, high-opportunity society for all. Our five strategic goals aim to achieve these objectives so that we can create an enabling environment for higher economic growth and increased jobs, and improve education and health outcomes, and build better living environments for our citizens.”
The focus of Schäfer’s term is creating pathways for youth to access job opportunities. These pathways include skills development and education, especially around emerging technologies such as blockchain.
“The economy and creating jobs is at the centre of what we do in the Western Cape government and as such, my focus will continue to be on the programmes that have made it possible to create 95 000 new jobs in the province in the past year,” Schäfer adds.