Page 67 - Demo

Overview of the Provincial Revenue and Expenditure (OPRE %u2013 2025/26)%uf0b7 Wildlife conservation Bond for the protection of wildlife, R15.891 million in 2025/26 andR14.292 million in 2026/27.Film Development: From 2019 to date a total of R43.0 million has been allocated to film development in the province. The ECDC through its Film fund has managed to attract external investment funding to the value of R523.4 million and created 9 052 temporary jobs and has benefited 662 MSMEs across various sectors including hospitality, retail, transport, security and clothing sectors. These films have been produced and hosted in all the various districts within the Eastern Cape. The Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) realises the investment potential value of promoting the Eastern Cape as a preferred film destination. To continue supporting and investing in film development the ECPG has allocated R15 million in 2025/26, and R54 million over the 2025/26 MTEF. Digital transformation: this will enable the country to innovate and open new markets for MSMEs and promote inclusive economic growth. The Eastern Cape government plans to formulate a provincial digital economy strategy in line with the National Digital Economy Master Plan. Within the plan some key focus areas will include leveraging government spending to promote digital skills development, unlocking digital economy investments, and assist in developing collaborative platforms to adopt innovative digital technologies. Table 2.8: National Digital Economy Master Plan Source: NEMISA In support of the digital economy, the provincial government has been rolling out provincial broadband infrastructure targeting 2 700 government sites and to date, 1 975 have been connected; these include 1 357 education facilities (offices and schools), 363 health institutions, 152 government offices and 363 libraries. For 2025 to 2026, the budget allocated to the provincial broadband project is R456 million and R138 million for 2026 to 2027. In terms of private sector developments, the 5G network coverage capacity has been expanded in the province by Vodacom, MTN and Telkom, this will increase network coverage and speed in the province especially in rural areas. Furthermore, the 2Africa submarine cable project will be fully operational in quarter four of 2025.46