Category: 2021 Newsletters March

What to do about our CBD?

What to do about our CBD?

A town’s Central Business District (CBD) is part of a municipality’s economic heartbeat, and its survival and well-maintained infrastructure ensure business’ investment.

A well run CBD is a cornerstone of economic growth. Representatives from the Steve Tshwete Municipality (STLM)

and Middelburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry met on 10 March 2021 to discuss STLM’s CBD.

Mr Bheki Khenisa, Municipal Manager, said, “STLM is committed to creating a broad programme that will focus on a Clean and Smart City.

As part of the programme, STLM employed 15 law enforcement officers trained by the City of Cape Town.

These law enforcement officers are responsible for monitoring the related STLM bylaws.  Visible policing to prevent petty crime is another focus area for these law enforcement officers.

STLM has also installed CCTV cameras linked to a control centre at the municipal offices to monitor the CBD streets.

We are also in the process of applying for our own Municipal Court.”

“The principle of partnerships is the foundation of the establishment of the Riverside City Improvement District in Mbombela,” said James Ailing.

Partnerships with property owners have a vested interest in service delivery and public spaces’ upkeep near their front door.

Cities and towns and municipalities and metros came together to address the challenges and the opportunities together.

There are many examples where these partnerships are thriving, particularly in managing public space and infrastructure.

MCCI supports establishing a robust platform for a partnership between STLM’s private sector, property owners and STLM.

 

MCCI will email and contact the various roleplayers to participate in the debate on launching a Middelburg CID.

Should you require more information, contact Anna-Marth Ott at ceo@middelburginfo.com when the next CIDs meeting has been arranged.

 

Why belong to a Local tourism Organization?

Why belong to a Local tourism Organization?

Mpumalanga has a well-established and vibrant tourism industry, and the Loskop Leisure Route (Steve Tshwete Municipal area) forms another vital part of the industry.

As a halfway stop to Kruger Park, it gives us the advantage to capitalize on those tourists to generate our Region’s income. The collective product owners in the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality

should grow our tourism specific attractions. Critical mass will give us the momentum to achieve our goal.

 

Here are a few key focus areas of the Middelburg Local Tourism Organisation (part of the Middelburg Chamber):

  • Manage the local area’s Information Office(s) and feed into the provincial information system.
  • Receive and channel applications for local road signs from members to the municipality.
  • Encourage tourists to visit the destination and experience what it has to offer.
  • Encourage and develop ways in which a community can be more aware of and be skilled in tourism so that members of the community treat tourists suitably.
  • Represent members and encourage product owners to join organized RTO’s and LTO’s to create a coordinated point of dialogue and realize the economic benefits that tourism can bring to a locality and ensure inclusiveness in the sector.
  • Are in touch with, input into, and are represented in the local, district, and provincial tourism planning, e.g. through IDP process and Provincial Tourism planning processes.
  • Coordinate tourism projects that rejuvenate and upgrade public tourism attractions and sites, poverty alleviation projects, and capacity building.
  • Assist with the establishment of new LTO’s where required.
  • Develop virtual networks and other methods to disseminate tourism information about the destination.
  • Play a meaningful role in destination marketing, events promotion, etc., for the locality.
  • Create and maintain relationships with other RTO’s, LTO’s, industry associations/organizations, local and district municipalities, and provincial government.
  • Keep a general watch over tourism development requirements, statistics, and tourism product/plant in their Region and share it with the government as and when requested.

It is essential to belong to an LTO as it is the stepping stone to growing and developing tourism in our Region. For more information regarding affiliating with your Local Tourism Organization,

you can contact the Information Centre on 013 243 2253 or email us at reservations@midelburginfo.com

Need an extra Dependable teammate?

Need an extra dependable teammate?

“There is probably no replacement for individual aspiration and determination when it comes to the initiation of an idea, a plan, an extreme dream. But when the time comes for that dream

to take shape and that idea to grow and become a tangible reality, there is no substitute for the power of teamwork. The dream of the individual requires

a group of selfless people to come together behind that dream, pool their diverse talents, unify as a team and make great things happen.” Patrick Lencioni.

 

For many years, the Middelburg Chamber of Commerce has been an individual entity that brought its talents to Middelburg’s business sector, and today I would like to focus on one of our talents.

With great satisfaction, we create a variety of platforms for you to have the ability to build and expand your “dream” business.

 

On our website, you will see that the MCCI offers the business sector access to view all Tenders available sent to us from different partners across South Africa.

These Tenders are being updated every month to have the latest news available to view. You will find all the information you will need to submit your Tender on the website,

from what it is for, the area it is based in, when the closing date is and who you need to contact for submission. All you need to do is visit our website Middelburginfo.com, click on services,

go to Local Procurement Database and then view the Tenders at no cost to you except for your precious time.

 

You can count on the MCCI to generate a networking platform for you to grow and build your dream until it becomes the reality you desire,

keeping in mind that it will only benefit you if you explore all the avenues.

2021 Executive Committee

2021 Executive Committee

The 118th Executive of the Middelburg Chamber was elected at the Annual General Meeting held on 11 March 2021, held at the Auditorium.

The newly elected Office Bearers are Que Naidoo, President, Vusi Seroka, Snr Vice-President, and Rudolph Potgieter as Finance Convener.

Executive members are Jonathan Charles, Christo De Ridder, Irene Do O’Faustino, Pieter Gruenbaum, Tebogo Maleka, Legodi Mashiane, Angela Smith,

Ian Strydom, Hendri Swannepoel, Riaan Van Coller, Gerrit Van Der Merwe, Johan Visser, Johannes Welgemoed, Dawid Wastermann.

The Past Presidents Johan Strydom, Anton Meerkotter and Eugene Rossouw congratulated the elected executive members and pledged their support to the Exco and MCCI for 2021.