After an initial investment by real estate investment company Growthpoint Properties, the privately owned Cape Winelands Airport (CWA) – which is owned by private airport operator RSA Aero – has received environmental authorisation from the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning.

RSA Aero MD Nicholas Ferguson says the investment agreement, which includes a right to co-invest and develop, is one of several pillars in a long-term partnership for the design, development, delivery and management of the properties within the CWA precinct.

Under the agreement, Growthpoint will be assuming long-term property and asset management responsibilities across the 450-ha aviation precinct’s logistics, commercial and hospitality components, which excludes the terminal buildings, with the right of first refusal to co-invest in future property developments.

Additionally, Growthpoint will oversee the development’s main contractor to ensure that it meets institutional standards for transparent governance, financial discipline, positive environmental and social impact integration and development delivery.

The environmental authorisation – which was officially issued on October 27, 2025 – marks a major milestone in the progression of the CWA expansion project and follows an extensive environmental assessment and consultation process undertaken in full compliance with the National Environmental Management Act.

“The granting of environmental authorisation is an important validation of the extensive work and consultation that has gone into ensuring this project meets the highest environmental and community standards,” states CWA MD Deon Cloete.

Ferguson adds that the most significant environmental sensitivities include endangered plants and 3 ha to 4 ha of indigenous vegetation that is unique to the area.

As such, RSA Aero will be reserving about 100 ha for conservation purposes. Aside from this, Ferguson explains that, despite being a unique site, it did not have many significant environmental sensitivities – a key factor in attaining environmental approval.

Infrastructure Expansion

The planned expansion of the CWA – which will be built on the site of the former Fisantekraal Airport, located just outside Durbanville – is expected to boost the economy of the Western Cape and is anticipated to open in 2028.

The development, according to Ferguson, represents an expected initial investment of about R8-billion in Cape Town, with city-based companies and employees delivering the terminal buildings, runway and a 450-ha developable estate.

The development will proceed in phases, starting with the runway and safety infrastructure, followed by the terminal, cargo and industrial precincts.

Ferguson states that the runway, which will be 3.5 km wide, will have an additional side strip that will bring the total paved surface to about 75 km2.

“The volumes of materials required are immense – roughly 2.5-million cubic metres of soil just to create the platforms, with the steel and concrete requirements similarly substantial. It is the kind of scale you rarely see in South African developments,” he explains.

Moreover, the CWA is aiming to be the greenest airport in the world, embedding sustainability at every phase in its development. The airport will be predominantly powered by renewable energy, while being supported by water reuse systems to further drive a carbon-neutral agenda.

Moreover, the airport is expected to sustain about 35 000 direct and indirect jobs, with the potential to further sustain just over 100 000 direct and indirect jobs throughout its initial 20 years of operation.

Cloete states that the CWA sees this as an investment in people, opportunity and long-term regional growth – it is not merely an investment in infrastructure.

“By creating tens of thousands of jobs and establishing a world-class aviation and logistics hub, we’re helping to unlock the full potential of the Cape Winelands and greater region,” he emphasises.

Additionally, Ferguson highlights that the CWA is committed to ensuring that the surrounding communities are beneficiaries of the airport expansion especially from an employment perspective. It will work with the contractor to ensure that surrounding communities are registered on the contractors database for work opportunities.

“Additionally, in our contract with our main contractor, we will specify how many jobs must go to these [residents], and realistically, we will make a massive impact on these local and regional communities,” Ferguson concludes.