Unlocking economic development in iLembe District
TRADE and Investment KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN) hosted a roadshow in iLembe District last week to discuss business growth and investment in the area and the province as a whole.
During the roadshow, TIKZN board member and enterprise iLembe board Chairperson, Khanyisani Shandu emphasised the need for collaboration between the district and provincial agencies.
‘Through strategic alignment and collaboration we can stabilise our local economy and exploit various business opportunities that exist in the districts.
‘Our biggest role is to level the investment climate and ensure that the province is investor-ready. Thus, this partnership will assist to create a conducive environment for investment and take us forward with service delivery to the province,’ he said.
District Deputy Mayor, Cllr Dolly Shandu said iLembe has three district development zones but still faces a number of economic challenges including unemployment and poverty.
Shandu said they are committed to building unity across racial and cultural barriers while fast tracking development.
‘Key to the success of this is to have sustainable life-changing projects that generate income, entrepreneurial skills and a sense of pride for our people, especially designated groups such as youth, women, and people with disabilities.
‘We therefore welcome this session because we need to collaborate to ensure alignment and integration to enable new investment and growth of existing businesses. Let us work together and make investment in iLembe District a reality,’ she said.
During the panel discussion on Unlocking Economic Development within iLembe, TIKZN Acting Chief Executive, Neville Matjie spoke of their mandate to promote the province as an investment destination.
‘One of the challenges we face is the access to funding for the projects.
However by working in partnership with sister organisations such as Ithala Development Finance Corporation, these challenges were eventually addressed,’ he said.
Acting General Manager for Marketing at Tourism KZN, Keith Matthews highlighted the need for the province to channel tourists to places that are not generally in the spotlight.