Climate positive for Bay business
Recognition awards for Top 50 companies launched amid undertakings of further cooperation
BUSINESS in the Nelson Mandela Bay region can expect increased cooperation, streamlined administrative services and the full backing of its municipality going forward. This was the underlying message extended to the greater business community in the Bay at yesterday’s media briefing on the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s 2017 Top 50 Companies Awards recognition initiative.
The briefing was hosted at the Port Elizabeth City Hall amid an air of renewed vigour to tackle unemployment locally and the country’s economic woes at a regional level, while working towards establishing the region as a premium investment destination.
It was opened by councillor Andrew Whitfield, who holds the mayoral committee portfolio for economic development, tourism and agriculture.
Whitfield was flanked by mayor Athol Trollip, East Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) regional manager Mlungiseleli Zilimbola and the metro’s economic development, tourism and agriculture head, Anele Qaba.
The awards are set to be presented to the Bay’s Top 50 companies at the Sun Boardwalk Hotel on June 6.
Whitfield, referencing the metro’s “retention and attraction strategy” for investments in the Bay, said the initiative was aimed at recognising existing investors in the metro while serving as a catalyst for healthy competition between companies.
The awards, which are in their second year, will see companies selected for their ability to attract investment, create jobs and boost exports.
The selection panel will comprise representatives from the municipality, ECDC, Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Nafcoc) and the Eastern Cape Exporters Club.
Stressing that the list of 50 companies would not comprise a ranking, Trollip said the awards served to recognise the enterprises for their unique contributions.
Among other categories, companies would be assessed as Top Exporters, Top Investors, Top Newcomers, Longstanding Companies, and Top Job Creators.”
He said last year’s Top 50 companies included 26 newcomers, which demonstrated growth in the local economy.
This also underscored the municipality’s stance that modern international economic competitiveness was increasingly pitting city against city, rather than country against country, and that the Bay had all the elements to become a premium international investment destination.
Lauding the achievements, and significant economic and employment contributions made by many of the Bay’s biggest and best known companies, Trollip touched briefly on some of the challenges being addressed for the broader business environment.
“Water supply is certainly an important challenge. We are going to have to do something extraordinary over the next few years to ensure we have sustainable water supply [to support economic growth].”
He said the authority was in the process of further cutting administrative red tape and the turnaround time for administrative approvals in the region.
“The key to reducing unemployment is economic growth and our focus is therefore on growing the economy, because the jobs will follow the growth.
“We will be visiting all our top companies in the Bay and will be engaging with them to establish what their challenges are and how we can assist them to address those challenges and ultimately grow their businesses,” Trollip said.
We will be engaging with them to establish . . . how we can assist them