09 2022 Newsletter Archives - Business Directory

We are getting our town back

The Middelburg Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI) would like to thank all the parties that worked amicably together for Steve Tshwete Municipality’s (STLM) survival through the civil unrest and unlawful strikes.

It has been a trying year for the citizens of Middelburg; between the illegal strikes, load-shedding and the increase in lawlessness so staying positive was becoming very difficult. MCCI’s journey during this trying time was fascinating. First, we tried to communicate with the newly elected ANC Mayoral committee and SALGA with no results. We eventually met with the Mayoral Committee in March 2022, and after that meeting, the municipal situation deteriorated.

MCCI then met with the opposition parties of the Steve Tshwete Council, urging them to work together to benefit the town. In the meantime, our town infrastructure was damaged either through lack of maintenance or wanton, malicious damage. Seeing locked entrances when you want to keep your business sustainable is demoralising. The agreement between the citizens and municipal employees seemed to have broken down completely.

Thank you to Andre Brandmuller from Brandmullers Attorneys for being willing to brandish the big stick to try and get the municipality working. MCCI has congratulated Andre for winning the case against the STLM employees, the STLM and the Middelburg Police.

Thank you to the STLM Councillors for standing together when needed.

Thank you to the Middelburg Council of Churches, town elders and organised business that selflessly gave their time, sometimes twice weekly, to find a mediated resolution for the strike. Without the collective support of all, our town would not be recovering so fast.

Thank you to the businesses that continued to operate and looked at ways to grow their local businesses or attract investments into Middelburg.

As a solution to safeguard our town’s future, we propose the re-establishment of the Middelburg Peace Forum (the name to be finalised.) Through open and honest discussion, we can and will rebuild our town.

Organised business met with MM

Organised business met with MM
Members of the organised business community: the Middelburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry and NAFCOC, and the Hendrina Business Forum met with Mr. Mandla Nguni, the newly appointed Municipal Manager of the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality (STLM), and his team on Tuesday, 20 September 2022.

The STLM officials discussed the municipality’s 2040 growth plan. The good news is that STLM’s local economy has grown at the expected rate of 4.4%. But, warned that a doubling of the population is expected. This increase would put the infrastructure and access to water under strain without the necessary planning. The local unemployment rate will also become a significant problem without concerted action to attract manufacturing companies.

Mr. Nguni said the STLM is working hard to address all municipal services and infrastructure maintenance backlog. Issues such as protecting our electrical infrastructure are high on their agenda. He also reiterated that with the support of the organised business community, STLM will once again become the investment community of choice in Mpumalanga.

All business associations have pledged their support, and we are looking at a bright future for our town.

Are you a manager or the owner of a Business?

Are you a manager or the owner of a Business?
In the past year, many companies have had to deal with local issues that normally have no impact on their operations. Have you felt powerless and isolated as a manager or owner of a business with the municipality closed?

Even though it seemed like nothing was happening at the Middelburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry during this time, many of the business owners who sat on the Executive worked in the background to find a mediated solution. You do not have to stand outside and not know what is happening. Become a member of the MCCI, and you can play an active role in the strategies that influence the town’s growth.

What do you think should happen in the city in the next five to six years? Do you own property, have your own business or run a company? Your input and participation are valuable; your future is at stake. Why should you rely on politics for your future? Work together with other businesses for the future of Middelburg and Steve Tshwete.

A reminder to members: if you have a question or concern, we are only a phone call away, or you can reach me at ceo@middelburginfo.com.

JET for Business: Opportunities?

JET for Business: Opportunities?
The Middelburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted a congress on Wednesday, 28 September 2022, to discuss business opportunities in the Just Energy Transition (JET). MCCI President Que Naidoo opened the congress and stressed that the role of coal in the region cannot be dismissed. MCCI wanted the conversation and opportunities around JET to change from purely socio-economic development to business-oriented expansion.

Dr. Sibanda, CEO of Exilite, introduced the day. He said that we need to see JET as a system with interconnected parts. If you take out the parts of the system, the system loses its essence. One part cannot thrive if the other parts are not functioning. The economy has to adapt to the changes that are coming. We have assumed that the part of the system that concerns electricity supply has shown us that some parts of the country’s electricity supply system are not working.

Dhesigen Naidoo, Senior Advisor to the World Bank and responsible for climate adaptation in the South African President’s Climate Change Commission, spoke to the companies and they agreed to have further discussions with MCCI. How to finance renewable energy was presented by Rentia van Tonder, Head: Renewable Energy, Power & Infrastructure, Standard Bank. Wayne Glossop of Wartsila and Jean-Francois Pinharanda of Total Energy, Matola LNG Project, spoke about gas development and opportunities for JET. Is nuclear a viable part of the energy mix for JET, said Mxolisi Makhatini, Group Executive, Power and Industry, Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa.

We also looked at the accessibility of the grid, by Ronald Marais, Grid Planning from Eskom Transmission and how tariff changes could be calculated when you supply Eskom, and Feed in Tariff Changes – Shirley Salvoldi, Corporate Consultant, Electricity Pricing, and Eskom Distribution. These were very technical presentations, but they brought some clarity to the current situation.

Mike Teke, Chief Executive Officer, Seriti Resources, spoke about adapting the coal mining industry to a greener future. He began by highlighting the role that coal mining plays in the economy, that 93 000 direct jobs and 200 000 indirect jobs are associated with coal mining. He also said that Sereti is looking into wind energy in the Gert Sibande area and is also exploring other alternative energy generation. He urged everyone to take a balanced approach and explore the opportunities that are available.

At the end of the day, businesses and our members want reliable, affordable baseload power to grow our businesses and economy and keep jobs in the region. Thank you to Nashua and Standard Bank for your main sponsorships. Members interested in joining the next round of discussions can contact me at ceo@middelburginfo.com.

Export Awareness Seminar

Export Awareness Seminar
The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), in collaboration with the Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA) and the Mpumalanga Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDT), hosted its annual export awareness seminar in Middelburg on 16 September 2022.

MEGA presented the current projects they are working on and invited the business community to contact them to participate. The Department of Science and Technology explained how they can offer tax incentives to research and development companies. Another exciting offering from the Department of Small Business Development is the SheTrade ZA Hub, where women who want to export their products can get support.

DTIC has the EMIA Export Incentive Programme for export development, which provides marketing opportunities for businesses. This incentive helps with partial travel and exhibition costs subsidies if you want to exhibit at international trade fairs.

Let us say you already export South African products and need a non-preferential certificate of origin (COO). In this case, the Middelburg Chamber offers this service to local companies. With a COO, you have access to World Trade Organisation customs regulations between countries.

For more information on all export assistance, businesses can contact MEGA at azwi@mega.gov.za. For questions and requirements at COO, you can contact Christo Stemmet at admin@middelburginfo.com.

Amazing Race Middelburg postponed until 15 October 2022

Amazing Race Middelburg postponed until 15 October 2022
There is good news for all those who wanted to take part in this treasure hunt adventure on 24 September but already had plans! Due to the many other activities taking place in town and the many requests received, the organizers have decided to postpone the event until Saturday, 15 October 2022. The closing date for registrations is 30 September. Manual registrations will be accepted at the Middelburg Outreach Festival at the Rustique Boutique Hotel on 24 September, so look out for our stall!

On the day of the race, teams of 4 will race around town in their own vehicle solving clues that will take them from location to location where they must complete mental and/or physical challenges until you reach the finish line! You will put your skills and knowledge of the town to the test – with a little help from Google if necessary. We will take you to various points ranging from local shops to tourist attractions and historically significant sites.

There are great cash prizes to be won!

All you need to do is complete the entry form and pay the entry fee of R700 per team before the closing date of 30 September. If you enter two teams, you will receive a discount of R600per team.
The competition is open to businesses as well as private groups and families. The number of participants is limited, so do not delay! Registration forms are available at the Middelburg Information Centre office, 292 Walter Sisulu Street or by emailing marketing@middelburginfo.com. Online registrations can be made via the Facebook page @amazeraceMid or WhatsApp 0849832819 to receive the registration link.

We are appealing to businesses to get involved as sponsors. Contact Elsabe or Mmabatho on 013 2432253.