Article by: Tian van Taak
“We love this town, all the plants all the sand even the wind!“; these are the words of our front-page group when we placed them at the Stompneus lookout point for our cover shoot. Our cover team is the dynamic and successful team of Specsavers Langebaan and the equally phenomenal deputy mayor Charmaine Laubscher of Saldanha Bay municipality.
Charmaine is down to earth and gets really excited about the future of the West Coast. We approached her with the question of what, in her opinion, keeps a small-town economy booming and thriving.
A Small-Town economy is built and sustained by the residents supporting locals. We are a seasonal town, mostly dependent on Tourism to keep our economy afloat. This is where we, as a community, can make a significant difference in the lives of the small business owners, by supporting them all year-round and alleviating the strain between seasons.
I myself had a retail business many years ago when the Laguna Mall was just completed.
Recession and rental, struggling to have a local workforce, as well as lack of local support, crippled many businesses those days. Today the Mall is flourishing, and most businesses in town survive. But we need to support local to move the scales from SURVIVE to THRIVE.
Businesses depend on us the community, for their livelihoods and we have a responsibility to support local to keep our town the Tourism Haven it currently is. We cannot afford businesses to close and lose their livelihoods.
My plea to our residents is to keep on SUPPORTING LOCAL, as much as you can. It is a “My Town My Responsibility” action that has a domino effect and the local currency stays local to be invested again at another local outlet. I am proud of our Langebaan people in the way they support small businesses at this stage and also the investment made by businesses into our Town, by offering assistance to beautify our Town and taking responsibility for our Town in a responsible manner, giving back to the communities that support them.
It has been noted, that many a time small towns lose their charm and security when big industries and businesses start taking over, what is your opinion on keeping the identity of a town but still achieving economic growth?
I believe that Langebaan has grown from a sleepy hollow little village into a full-fledged Town over the past 17 years. Even though the growth was enormous and at a speed that left a few fighting against the growth, it had a positive outcome in my opinion. Many landscape changes occurred and in some ways the town’s charm changed for some for the better, for others not so much. The changes that came about, enhanced the beauty of the town and development made it more attractive for tourists and investors. There is now a buzz in Town, an electrified excitement about what’s to come.
Just one example of how SBM’s forward thinking is implemented to enhance economic growth is the Baobab project, bringing Fibre to YOUR door. Ease of doing business, learning, and development.
The business landscape changed a lot during and after COVID-19. More professional businesses moved to a home office. Investors looking for investment or emigrants now working from home need reliable connections, and we are the FIRST MUNICIPALITY to offer that service, of which Langebaan, I’m proud to say, was the first to be switched on.
With investment and business growth, infrastructure upgrades and installation must be done. Our Roads are well constructed, well maintained, and a joy to use. Service delivery to residents ensures that visitors want to return, and some become residents.
With growth and development come a price, it is said. Crime lately escalated and due to a lack of personnel at our local SAPS, which is being addressed by the relevant authorities, more and more Neighbourhood Watches have been established. More residents are taking responsibility for our Town’s safety and this helps to protect the economic growth. Without a Town being safe and secure, economic growth cannot be guaranteed. Therefore I urge residents to contact Neighbourhood Watches and to get involved. We are the creators of our own destiny. As a close-knit community, we can be the change we want to see in our areas. We just need to all work together towards one common goal and that is to ensure the safety of our town and to create a sustainable ground for investment and businesses to flourish. The time for saying it’s not my responsibility and to wait for someone else to pick up the litter or address the crime issues in our neighbourhoods is long gone. We need to, as residents, become proud of where we live once again and work together to ensure our Town remains the number one preferred Tourism destination of choice.
It’s Woman’s Month and as a strong leader in our local community where does female empowerment start according to her?
Female empowerment starts at home, with your young children. Teach your sons to respect your daughters, and all women, ALWAYS. Teach your daughters to stand up and speak up in a respectful manner. To never accept defeat or failure, but to use every loss or failure as stepping-stones in building their dreams. In fact, I believe that there is no such thing as failure, it is lessons learned, building blocks towards what you ultimately want.
A woman must find their purpose and drive the dream to achieve that ultimate purpose in life. We are long past the days when we must accept a life that was chosen for us. We as women need to move the crowns of our fellow sisters’ heads and encourage them to live their dream. It is in our hands not to be victims but victorious over our own circumstances.
This year has been tough as many businesses are struggling after the Covid 19 restrictions and many families are still economically at a disadvantage. We encourage all our readers to buy local as this will result in a stronger economy and viability of a town like Langebaan and the West Coast. We encourage local investors to employ and create more business opportunities for local prosperity.
Spec Savers have taken this challenge to heart and believe in local advertising and continued outreach and community-based programs to give back to the community that supports them.
We thus challenge other businesses to keep buying local and to give back to the community where they can with their services.
The flower season is upon us and we want to welcome all tourists to our amazing communities, smiling towns, and extraordinary people. #sloepwes , #flowerseason , #buylocal , #westcoasteconomicpower
Sloep Wes would like to thank the following people for being part of our August cover shoot:
Models: Samantha Hendricks, Cheslin Boere Van Boven, Yanga Sidumo and Charmaine Laubscher.
Photography: Ilonde Photography –
084 611 2262
West Coast Destination & Events:
Tian van Taak – 076 943 8387
And always lending a hand, Niccy Els and Johan Greef!