The Western Cape Government has launched a bold strategy to double the size of the province's agri-processing sector, adding up to a further 100 000 jobs to the economy.

Alan Winde, MEC of Economic Opportunities, said Project Khulisa had identified agri-processing as a key sector for the province.

Tourism and oil and gas are the Western Cape's other priority sectors for the next five years.

"In August, Cabinet approved Project Khulisa. We're currently in the process of getting final budget approval so that we can start implementing our action plans.

"Under a high growth scenario, the agri-processing sector's Gross Value Add (GVA) could grow from R12 billion to R26 billion in the next five years. The agri-processing sector has the potential to offer significant economic opportunities to residents of all skill levels in urban and rural areas."

MEC Winde said Project Khulisa had outlined a set of targeted interventions to reach these objectives.

This includes capturing a larger share of the global Halaal market; increasing exports of wine and brandy to China and Angola and improving local capacity to process agricultural produce.

"China is the fastest growing emerging market for wine. Year on year their imports are growing by 80%. We need to tap into this market. Angola is the fastest growing export market for South African wine in Africa. This is why we are seeking to double the value of South African wine exports to these two destinations by 2025.

"To reach this target, we have proposed the roll out of focused marketing campaigns in these destinations. As demand for our product grows, we will need to develop appropriate irrigation infrastructure to ensure we can increase production. This includes supporting efforts to increase the volume of water in the Brandvlei Dam. In this regard, we have established an inter-governmental and industry task team."

MEC Winde said a R10 million centralized testing facility was also on the cards.