The City of Cape Town has announced the launch of Maya, an AI-powered investment concierge designed to make it faster and easier for businesses from around the world to invest in the Mother City.

Mayco member for economic growth, James Vos, launched the platform yesterday (10 August) as part of the City’s new global investment positioning campaign, ”Cape Town. Built for Business”. The campaign will showcase Cape Town as Africa’s leading business destination while highlighting the practical reforms the City has introduced to create a more competitive investment environment.

Vos said attracting investment involved far more than promoting Cape Town’s natural beauty.

”The world already knows Cape Town as one of the world’s great tourism destinations. This campaign tells another side of our story, that Cape Town is also a city where businesses can invest, innovate, grow and create jobs,” he said.

How Maya works

According to the City, Maya is available 24 hours a day in eight languages, including Afrikaans and Xhosa, and serves as a single-entry point into Cape Town’s investment ecosystem. It helps investors navigate municipal processes, identify opportunities, access business support programmes and connect with City officials, and provides information on industry bodies and special purpose vehicles (a separate legal entity created by a parent company).

The name was inspired by Maia from Greek mythology, a figure associated with growth and new beginnings. The platform was developed by the City’s economic development and investment department.

Vos described Maya as an example of practical innovation in government.

”We wanted something practical and responsive that could answer questions immediately, guide investors and connect them with the right people. Innovation in government doesn’t need to be complicated. It simply needs to solve real problems, save people time and make it easier to do business,” he said.

Investment reforms

The City said the launch builds on a series of reforms to strengthen Cape Town’s investment environment, including the Ease of Doing Business programme, the Business Support Policy, the Manufacturing Support Policy and a new Tourism Strategy focused on growing visitor value, improving geographic spread and expanding international air connectivity.

The City has also continued advocating for wider economic reforms, including an Open Skies aviation policy to increase international air access and greater private sector participation in the Port of Cape Town to improve efficiency, strengthen trade and enhance competitiveness.

Vos said these initiatives were delivering tangible results.

“Through our Special Purpose Vehicle Programme alone, just under R16 billion in new investment was facilitated during the last financial year. By partnering with industry in high-growth sectors such as technology, business process outsourcing, marine manufacturing and the visitor economy, we are helping businesses expand, attracting new investment and creating more jobs for Capetonians. It shows what can be achieved when government and industry work together with a shared focus on growth,” he said.

Global rollout

The Cape Town. Built for Business campaign will roll out across more than 60 cities in key investment source markets spanning North America, Europe, South America, Africa, China, India and the Middle East, showcasing Cape Town’s competitive advantages to investors, entrepreneurs and multinational companies looking to establish or expand their operations.

Vos will next week lead a City delegation to engage business leaders and investors at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, before meeting exporters and manufacturers at the Dube Trade Port in Durban as part of a broader drive to strengthen investment partnerships.

The campaign is underpinned by the City’s R120 billion infrastructure investment programme over the next decade, which will strengthen water security, energy resilience, transport networks and other essential services needed to support long-term economic growth.

The launch also coincided with the 10th anniversary of Invest Cape Town, which has spent the past decade supporting investors, facilitating investment projects and promoting Cape Town as a globally competitive business destination.

Vos said the campaign was about creating meaningful partnerships and ensuring Cape Town remained part of global investment conversations.

”This is about opening doors, building relationships and making sure Cape Town is part of investment conversations wherever they are happening. Every investment starts with an idea. Our job is to create the conditions that help that idea grow into a successful business that creates opportunities for others. Cape Town isn’t just open for business, it’s built for business,” he said.

More information is available at www.investcapetown.com.

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