It is anticipated that the Caledon resort complex will employ a total of approximately 400 staff, drawn primarily from the neighboring communities, once 

�The resort is right on track for its scheduled launch in October,� said Kevin King, spokesman for the development at a roofwetting ceremony in Caledon recently (Friday 25 August).

He confirmed that The Caledon Casino, Hotel and Spa would be the first legal casino to open in the Western Cape. 

�Our construction and project management teams - assisted by professionals, labourers, artisans and craftsmen drawn from the Overberg - have been working around the clock to ensure that we open on time,� he said. 

The Caledon Casino, Hotel and Spa, just off the N2 garden route, an hour�s drive from central Cape Town, will offer guests gaming, first class accommodation, fine food, natural spa baths and a wealth of opportunities to relax and have fun.

�We intend to offer our guests a unique but total Overberg experience at The Caledon Casino, Hotel and Spa - in keeping with the history of the region and the reputation it has earned for welcoming hospitality,� said King. 

The Caledon Casino, Hotel and Spa�s philosophy revolves around four key areas: preservation of its heritage, sensitivity to the environment, the upliftment of the local communities and the desire to develop an attractive and appealing entertainment and leisure complex focused on service. 

All of these elements, said King have been incorporated into the planning of the development. 

He said he was particularly pleased that local communities had been enthusiastic in their engagement with the development. Their confidence would be rewarded by the fact that much of the income generated by the resort would remain in the Overberg and so help economically uplift historically disadvantaged communities as well as local businesses.

Among locals already earning an income and gaining from professional skills training from the development are members of the labour force as well as casino croupiers and cashiers who had been recruited from Caledon, Bredasdorp, Struisbaai, Botrivier and Riviersonderend.

By the time gaming operations begin in October, these trainee Croupiers and Cashiers will be experts on the intricate gaming procedures and customer service requirements required for a career in this exciting new industry.

Shareholders of the development include Century Casinos Inc, Caledon Overberg Investments - a wholly-owned Trust of the Fortes King Group, The Overberg Community Trust and the Overberg Empowerment Company.

The Overberg Empowerment Company (Empowerco) provides the historically disadvantaged people of the region with a say and share in the structures and benefits of The Caledon Casino Bid Company. 

The Overberg Community Trust serves to develop job creation programmes, encourage small business development, provide community facilities at the resort and tourist related services and assist with fund raising, entertainment and cultural exchanges. 

The Trust will also perform a social-awareness role with organisations involved in compulsive gambling rehabilitation and monitoring the social contract between the casino developers, the town council and the community. 

According to King, the proposed resort is being built in a style which will easily fit into the country environment which is just under 35 minutes scenic drive from the Helderberg region.

The complex will consist of four integrated components: the existing 84-roomed hotel with six luxury suites, conference facilities, a fully equipped health spa built around the historical hot mineral springs, a comprehensive casino complex and an informative and exciting tourist service with a retail emporium.

King said the tourist shopping emporium will showcase regional small businesses including winemaking, arts and crafts. 

He added that the hotel would showcase interesting aspects of the Overberg region, such as artefacts from museums at Bredasdorp, Genadendal and Caledon itself.

Another exciting aspect of the 240 ha resort is The Outdoor Experience - which includes a tricky ropes challenge course, a testing 4x4 track, mountain biking, hiking, horse riding, clay pigeon shooting, paintball, archery and abseiling down a waterfall.

The Outdoor Experience specialises in using Land Rovers when possible on the 4x4 track and has some of the top instructors in the country driving people through steams, ditches and very slippery slopes.