How to boost Greater Knysna economy?
Knysna, together with the Garden Route District (formerly known as Eden District) is launching an initiative to promote investment in the town in 2018.
According to Knysna municipality’s department of economic development this is a very contentious subject but it has been identified as a key catalyst in attracting funding into the local economy.
It is also key to ensuring that what needs to be addressed is addressed to increase the ease of doing business in the local economy, as well as to support established businesses in ensuring that those who require investment are ready and able.
This initiative follows various workshops held in 2017 and a continual effort by both government institutions and the private sector to improve investment readiness and focus on unlocking key economic opportunities throughout the region.
Following the launch of the Invest Knysna at a business breakfast on 6 December 2017, the municipality would like to request interested businesses to complete an investment readiness checklist and send it back to pvanniekerk@ knysna.gov.za to assist the municipality with building an investment readiness and needs profile. Contact the numbers at the end of this article for your own checklist.
The purpose of this checklist is to determine what the localised investment strengths and weaknesses are and what needs to be worked on to improve the situation in Greater Knysna’s economy.
In addition, the 2018 Garden Route Investment Conference will take place on
7 and 8 March at Oubaai Golf Resort in George. The conference will create a platform for investment attraction and facilitation for business and government in the Garden Route. Knysna municipality will be hosting sector engagement sessions at the end of this month to establish ways in which ease of doing business can be improved, and would like to invite all interested business representatives and stakeholders to Invest Knysna sector engagements on 27 February to appraise local investment priorities, opportunities and ways of improving ease of doing business in the Greater Knysna, Sedgefield and surrounds.
Would you like to participate?
RSVP to Almien du Plooy at aduplooy@ knysna.gov.za by Friday 23 February if you wish to attend the engagement and indicate which session you will be attending.
If you have any comments or questions, please do not hesitate to contact the local department of economic development at pvanniekerk@knysna.gov.za or ivanschalkwyk@knysna.gov.za, or at 044 302 6366 or 044 302 6358.
The conference will create a platform for investment attraction and facilitation for business and government in the Garden Route.