BCM events calendar aimed at creating jobs
If East London wants to fix its youth unemployment problem, it must forget about a silver-bullet miracle cure and concentrate on several ideas.
That was the view of architect Papama Mnqandi, from East London architectural firm NM, who is the chair of the Eastern Cape Black Management Forum for young professionals.
“Fixing East London’s unemployment fast means we must concentrate on what we have,” Mnqandi said.
“Prioritise the things that get the fastest returns for the lowest investment, and that is tourism, specifically festivals.
“And the youth are brilliant at that, from idea formulation to post-event analysis, as they organise follow-up events.”
He voiced his ideas at an informal meeting hosted recently by Buffalo City Metro (BCM) mayor Xola Pakati at the East London Golf Club.
Leaders from 10 different business sectors had the opportunity to meet BCM top brass, including municipal manager Andile Sihlahla, CFO Siyabulela Peter and councillor Helen Neal-May, the metro’s portfolio head of finance.
Mnqandi said East London was a great city for events, having hosted several big events, though not many on the internationally attractive festival calendar.
“I did several part-time gigs at festivals while I was studying, and enjoyed them so much it nearly cost me my degree,” he said.
“I attended the Stuttgart Jazz Festival in Germany — it could be a template for what East London can offer.
“While it did not offer fulltime jobs, it did employ thousands of people.”
He said festivals were the perfect vehicle to celebrate heritage, culture and traditions, as well as bring in world-class entertainers. “We would start small, but from small beginnings can emerge a huge industry.”
He said if East London could target 12 big events annually, interspersed with smaller ones, it could create a core of festival workers.
He welcomed moves by the Border-Kei Chamber of Business (BKCOB) to create a 24/7, 52-week diary of every significant event in East London and the nearby towns.
Charmaine Weyers, East London Airport accounting officer, and also the chair of BKCOB tourism function, said the proposal for the diary had been made a while ago.
She said work on creating a diary was under way and there was a strong move to get it completed for 2020.
Speaking on behalf of BKCOB, she said a comprehensive diary would avoid the problem of two or three events or huge conferences being planned over the same period.
“It would ensure that accommodation and venues did not go from feast to famine, with the city packed for some weeks and empty for others.
“The diary is not easy to organise but with the right cooperation by all it is doable,” added Weyers.