Category: 09 2018 Newsletter

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a wide range of initiatives around growth-enhancing economic reforms, with reprioritisation of public spending to stimulate and support job creation.  An infrastructure fund will be established, and critical interventions in education and health will take place.  The government will also invest in social infrastructure in municipalities.

SACCI welcomes these announcements as South Africa faces distinct challenges around unemployment, economic growth, inequality, and poverty. SACCI looks forward to hearing more detail on how many jobs would be created, where the funding would be reprioritised from, and how new legislation will work more effectively than existing policy, which on the face of it is seemingly good but has little impact.

Everything mentioned in the President’s stimulus package has been heard before – in one form or another over the past five years. They all form part of the government’s existing medium-term strategic framework. The Minister of Finance and his team has been reprioritising the budget in line with essential priorities since 2011. Education and health already receive a substantial portion of the budget as key social sectors – with most of the funding provided to provincial government as part of the equitable share and conditional grants.

Business needs further in-depth detail on these initiatives within the stimulus package, and clarity on information on the energy sector – which ultimately drives many businesses’ abilities to expand.  The review of visas for business and tourism and more information regarding additional information about South Africa’s relationship with the rest of Africa should also be a priority to expanding our economy into the region, to leverage the water, electricity, skills, technology, and growth that is available across our borders.

The stimulus package will only be effective if all social partners work towards rooting out corruption and the misuse of money, and they work towards common long-term goals – not idealistic or separatist, short-term ones.  The outcomes of the , Jobs Summit (25, 26 and 27 October) will give a clearer picture of what to expect.

The participants in the Middelburg economy need to understand the implications of the phase-out coal plan for South Africa and have our plans in place to ensure our economy’s survival.

A few highlights from the Coal Transition report gives a fascinating overview of the future of coal.  “South Africa is highly coal and energy intensive and has an economy characterized by extremely high levels of inequality and poverty (with more than half of the population living in poverty. In the long run, sustainable growth moreover, development in South Africa will depend crucially on the transition away from a coal-intensive energy system, and the economy.

Employment in coal mining is projected to decrease by 28,200 workers by 2050, relative to 78,000 workers in 2015. The impact on total coal mining employment is limited by the increased use of coal directly by the industrial sector.

Coal is an important foreign exchange earner, accounting for around 12% of total merchandise exports from South Africa over the period 1993-2015. Loss of coal export revenues is frequently invoked as a risk to the South African economy if it moves away from coal. Total sales values in 2016 were R112bn, of which R50,5bn were export sales.

Nonetheless, Mpumalanga performs poorly on several economic indicators when compared to the rest of the country, reporting higher household poverty levels and a lower human development index than the national average. The concentration of coal-fired stations and upstream mines in the Mpumalanga region pose a threat to socio-economic stability in those regions. Both a least-cost energy pathway for South Africa and a more ambitious scenario that considers climate change result in declining employment in coal mining to 2050.

Evidence from previous transitions, from this study, and from recent coal sector trends suggests that unless supported, the effects on Mpumalanga’s (and to a lesser extent, Limpopo’s) coal workforce are serious.  For a full copy of the report contact Mmabatho at secretary@middelburginfo.com

 

Business going slow?  You are invited to a seminar which will inform you on 5 Ways of Making Massive Profits.

• How easily you can grow your profits by 61 percent
• What tools you can use to measure how well you are doing

The seminar will be on the 2^nd of October 2018, at the Middelburg Chamber Auditorium 292 Walter Sisulu Street Middelburg, from 09h00-12h00

No cost to you RSVP before 27 September 2018

Nomshado on 013 243 2253 or at businesslink@middelburginfo.com

This is the chance you have to advertise on this highly exclusive marketing platform. The Outdoor Information Board is situated at the Information Centre’s entrance next to Dros Restaurant. A marketing opportunity for company exposure not too be missed.

There are some great benefits involved when advertising on this medium, such as:

• A yearlong advert
• Company logo with contact details on the Middelburg map
• Website exposure – which receives over 110 000 hits per month
• 24 Hours visibility
• Daily stops by tourists

If you are not on the outside information board you could be missing out big time.

There are different size adverts available to accommodate small to large businesses in all sectors.

The Outdoor Information Board is also safe to view after hours.

Contact Lizzy on 013-243 2253 or email her on: info@middelburginfo.com for more information.

The Tourism Exhibition is about informing people about what Middelburg and the surrounding areas have to offer. This Tourism Exhibitions is our opportunity to share Middelburg’s attractions, activities and accommodation in town and around town.

Come and see why Middelburg is so different from any of the other towns.

This exhibition will take place on 9-15 October 2018 at the Middelburg Mall Spar Court.

For more information contact: Lizzy on 013 243 2253 or Email: info@middelburginfo.com

The Middelburg Tourist Information Center visited the Getaway Show that was hosted at the Ticket pro Dome from the 14^th-16^th September 2018.

This show was hosted in association with Mahindra, Dunlop, The Citizen, and Hot 91.9 FM. The Getaway Show is Africa’s travel and outdoor show. Hundreds of exhibitors showcased travel destinations, accommodation, outdoor gear, 4×4 products and accessories, motor homes, caravans and trailers, camping equipment and adventure operators.

Live music, a local market, adventure area, beer tent and a host of many other attractions, made this show a not-to-be-missed experience for the whole family.

We want to thank Olifants River Lodge for welcoming us to your stand.

Looking for something to do? Pop into our office at 292 Walter Sisulu Street to collect all the necessary brochures.

This month’s Business Network session was hosted by Takraf Africa, formally known as Tenova.

They offer innovative, dedicated and sustainable solutions in mining and metal, from excavation and communication, environmental control, conveying and stockyards, through to loading and unloading. They offer support through in-house maintenance teams and specialized technicians and engineers.

The next Business Event will be a business breakfast held on the 18 October 2018 and hosted by Twizza.

For more information or to host a Business Buzz send an email to

marketing@middelburginfo.com  or contact Annelie Landman at 078 80 19719