Facilitating sustainable growth in the Grabouw and Elgin Valley.
Lifting people out of poverty through economic empowerment.
Our mission is to break the cycle of poverty through coordination and integration of development initiatives in Grabouw and Elgin (the Valley).
“The Grabouw Development Agency (GDA) has been set up to grow and diversify the economy of the Grabouw/Elgin Valley through sustainable, inclusive commercial investment.”
— Hon Mcebisi Jonas, Chair: GDA
Economic Realities of the Valley.
Agriculture and agri-processing make up more than 85% of the Valley’s local economy, creating a high demand for seasonal workers. However, this also creates high levels of unemployment for large portions of the year. Government’s economic development efforts have so far been insufficient to solve this employment crisis. Hence the GDA.
Who Are We?
The Grabouw Development Agency (GDA) was established in 2020 through a collective private sector-led response in the Grabouw and Elgin region (the Valley) to address conditions of increasing inequality and rising unemployment. The GDA’s board is chaired by Mcebisi Jonas, and its CEO is Cornelis van der Waal, seconded from Wesgro.
“I am really encouraged by business and citizens coming together. The Grabouw Development Agency is a private sector initiative with the main aim of promoting economic development and job creation. The establishment of the Grabouw Development Agency illustrates the power of partnership between government, civil society and the private sector. It is encouraging and easier to engage with regions that have this kind of leadership and vision, and Grabouw Development Agency is leading by example. Grabouw is a town with immense potential. Most in the Western Cape know it for being the home of delicious apples, but it is so much more than that. In fact, it boasts the largest single export fruit-producing area in Southern Africa. Here to harness that potential is the Grabouw Development Agency.”
— Premier Alan Winde