GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - The Garden Route Skills Mecca (GRSM) programme of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) was awarded gold in the Best Municipal Project category at the 2026 Service Excellence Awards of the Western Cape Provincial Government.
The award, handed over at the ceremony in Paarl on Friday 16 October, acknowledges the outstanding achievements of the GRSM.
It has attracted more than R157 million in external funding, delivered more than 31 projects and provided skills development and employment opportunities to more than 3 891 unemployed people since 2017.
It has a strong focus on the youth of the Garden Route across its seven local municipalities.
GRDM strategic manager, Thembani Loliwe, who leads the programme, said the award is a tribute to the learners, host employers, training partners, and funders who have driven this success. “When the devastating fires swept through Knysna and Bitou, communities lost more than homes and businesses; many people lost hope for their future. The Skills Mecca was created as a response to that challenge.
“We moved away from fragmented interventions and built an integrated system where training providers, funding partners, employers and communities work towards a shared goal,” said Loliwe.
“Our success is not measured by the number of certificates issued, but by the lives transformed, households supported, and people who have been given a pathway back into employment and opportunity.”
Garden Route Mayor Marais Kruger congratulated the team and dedicated the award to the people of the Garden Route.
“For thousands of families, a monthly stipend and a workplace placement have meant food on the table, school fees paid and a young person with real experience on their CV. That is service excellence in its truest sense. I am proud that a district municipality in the Western Cape has built a model that others in South Africa and beyond would like to duplicate.”
Acting municipal manager Nthabeleng Raisa-Mlandu said this recognition confirms the value of working together across government. “This award shows what is possible when the GRDM, the seven local municipalities in the Garden Route, the Western Cape Government, Setas, Tvet colleges and business commit to one plan.
"The GRSM is no longer a programme; we are moving to institutionalising it as a permanent part of how this district delivers skills aligned to industry needs. Our task now is to grow it and ensure that more residents can walk through its doors.”
Origins of the GRSM
The GRSM emerged from a time of a crisis. In 2017, devastating wildfires swept through Knysna and Bitou, destroying homes, businesses and livelihoods, while leaving thousands of residents without work in major sectors such as tourism, forestry, agriculture and construction.
Prior to the disaster, skills development in the district was characterised by fragmented efforts, with municipalities, training providers and employers working in isolation, and available funding streams not being fully utilised.
The GRSM is South Africa’s first fully integrated regional skills programme led by a municipality which brings together communities, employers, government, training providers and funding partners under one integrated system designed to connect people with meaningful economic opportunities.
Important milestones of the GRSM
- Active projects grew from zero in 2017 to 31 today, demonstrating the rapid expansion of the initiative.
- More than R175 million in external investment has been mobilised.
- More than 3 891 beneficiaries: unemployed residents have participated in accredited training, learnerships, workplace learning, artisan recognition and driver training.
- With most learners receiving a monthly stipend, an estimated 15 564 household members have benefitted directly from the programme.
- Learners have been placed with host employers across the district, and a number of those placements resulted in permanent employment opportunities.
- Programmes span a wide range of sectors, incduding driver’s licence training, firefighting, plumbing, electrical trades and artisan recognition, cooks, in-service training, construction, etc.
The programme has attracted growing interest from municipalities and other stakeholders across South Africa and beyond, who are exploring opportunities to replicate the model.
The Western Cape Service Excellence Awards honour public sector projects that deliver measurable, resident-centred results. The GRSM is aligned with the priority of the Provincial Strategic Plan 2025-2030 of helping businesses grow and create jobs, and equipping residents to get those jobs.
Shared services model for future
Going forward, the GRDM has proposed a Shared Services Model that seeks to establish a sustainable, collaborative funding and governance arrangement between GRDM and its seven local municipalities to secure the long-term future of the GRSM.
Through pooled resources, shared financial responsibility and coordinated planning, municipalities can collectively invest in this regional initiative, ensuring that it remains responsive to industry needs and accessible to communities throughout the district.
Residents interested in upcoming Skills Mecca opportunities can follow the Garden Route District Municipality on Facebook or visit the web site.
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