Cape Town’s creative industry is consolidating in the city and it’s crucially important to strengthen it, say city and provincial interest groups.

Located in a key area of the central city, connected to education centres, transport facilities and criss-crossed by a network of fibre cables, an area called The Fringe was demarcated with the primary aim of stimulating economic growth and creating jobs.

The Central City Partners Forum met on Wednesday to discuss the project and to update stakeholders on the thinking around the area.

Designed to create jobs

“See the Fringe Innovation District not as a real estate project or development project, but an economic project that can stimulate economic growth,” says Andrew Boraine.

The purpose of The Fringe is to group creative companies in an environment that supports them, exposes them to smarter thinking and provides them with facilities, like good affordable office space and internet. Of course it must be accessible, and so the several BRT stops that are to be included in the area and its location next to Cape Town station are also important.

“It is also based within the central city improvement district, which means that it will benefit from the services of extra security, cleaning staff and social workers that the CCID provides,” says Yehuda Raff, a projects co-ordinator at The Fringe.

“Central to all of this is the considerable amount of fibre that is available to companies to plug into in the area.”

“The Fringe will incubate the pool of design talent attracted to the area, enable design innovation and produce design excellence, with the help of Cape Catalyst,” says Zayd Minty the project manager of The Fringe.

Cape Catalyst to help businesses

Picking up on the groundswell of business, civil society and educational interests in the area, provincial authorities have appointed the Cape Catalyst, a body that makes it easier for businesses to flourish to work alongside the Cape Town Partnership to help create the Fringe.

Creative industries have the potential to feed into more traditional sectors such as manufacturing, clothing, textiles, furniture and the auto-motor sector, said Olivia Dyers of the state body.

‘A catalytic environment’

“An environment of that helps nurture projects that spark growth and excitement can be helped through the creation of shared office space, regular or temporary events, broadband infrastructure and urban space improvements,” says Guy Briggs of USPD.

“That a science park is hosted in the heart of the city with an emphasis on design adds to the focus and effect of this catalytic environment.

“We will look to bring in the new without chasing the area’s gritty character and heroic modern style of architecture out.”

The manner in which the area is designed also impacts on the way people use the area, says Adam van Niewenhuizen of Earthworks Landscape Architects.

“We are looking at what water is available to encourage natural life in the area and will also encourage people to get out and about in the space through public benches and ensuring that the area is accessible for all – young and old.”

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