Tag: business networking

MEDO ends the year on a high note

MEDO ends the year on a high note
The Middelburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry and our partner, the Mpumalanga Enterprise Development Organisation, are in the final stages of a local economic development programme.

A local corporate company has mandated MEDO to develop a programme that focus on local economic development. The enterprise development element of the BBBEE code has many parts and can be confusing for businesses, especially if you simply want to continue running your own business. Committed business persons want to see that the money spent has a local impact.

MEDO, with the support of MCCI, trained 141 employees of 63 black-owned businesses from 1 September 2022 to 13 December 2022. These companies trained their employees to increase their business’ offered services.

MEDO provided training on technical skills and various business trainings. We end the year on a literal high as twenty companies complete their certificate in working at height with the required health and safety certificate. These twenty companies will start work next year with the ability to offer a much needed service to the local business community.

Follow the MCCI’s Facebook page so that you do not miss out on the last leg of the training offered in January 2023. You can also register your business on the MCCI’s Local Procurement Database, so that you get the invitations in your inbox. Contact Njabulo at reservations@middelburginfo.com or 013 243 2253 for more information.

Diamond Circle Chamber visit

Diamond Circle Chamber visit
President Louw Allan, Gordon Webb, and Ariska Schoombee from the Diamond Circle Chamber visited the Middelburg Chamber at the end of November 2022.

The Diamond Circle Chamber hosts many popular tourism events in Cullinan and MCCI exchanged ideas with them on how we can host the same events in Middelburg. In turn, they looked at our reservation system to book accommodation at the South African National Parks.

The two chambers are near neighbours and we hope to further develop our relationship with them.

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.

 

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.

Great networking event with Twizza Business Breakfast

Great networking event with Twizza Business Breakfast
The business world connects and networks with a buzz. The Twizza Breakfast Buzz was a great success. Members of the Middelburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) enjoyed meeting and networking with other business people at the Twizza plant. The days of isolation and social distancing are over, and personal and business contacts are made at the monthly Business Buzz events. Christ Swartz and the Twizza team showed how the company started and how it has developed into the company it is today.

The next Business Buzz will be held on 18 August 2022 and will be hosted by Isuzu. Invitations will be sent out in the first week of August. RSVP as soon as possible.  For more information or to host a Business Buzz, please contact Mmabatho or Christo at the MCCI office on 013 243 2253 or email info@middelburginfo.com

Middelburg hosts its own JET for Business

Middelburg hosts its own JET for Business
The Middelburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) is hosting a Just Energy Transition Congress, Just for Business, on 28 September 2022 at the Steve Tshwete Banquet Hall.

Since the Just Energy Transition (JET) concept was introduced, numerous studies have been conducted to discover how JET will affect communities. Much of the academic research focused on the skills and education levels in the Highveld region of Mpumalanga. In the meantime, the business community has started to investigate the impact JET will have on their future and how they can ensure the success and sustainability of their businesses. Many companies are already involved in green energy and have developed business products and solutions.

MCCI invites all businesses to our JET for Business Congress. We need to talk to each other about what we need and what products and solutions are available. If you have a great product or solution, please contact me to find out how your business can participate at ceo@middelburginfo.com or 013 243 2253.

Steinmüller – June 2022 Business Buzz

Steinmüller – June 2022 Business Buzz

The Middelburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) enjoyed meeting and networking with other business people; everyone missed the personal connections made at the monthly Business Buzz events.

The first Business Buzz was hosted by Steinmüller, a business that has been in the area for many years. Ryan Botha from Steinmüller gave us a brief overview of some of their equipment.  They also demonstrated a close-range drone.  The drone can inspect equipment in five minutes instead of days, as there is no need to set up scaffolding to reach areas that are far from the ground.

The next business networking event will be a Business Breakfast hosted by Twizza on 21 July 2022. Invitations will be sent out in the first week of July; RSVP as soon as possible as only people with RSVP’d will be allowed to attend.

For more information or to host a Business Buzz, please contact Mmabatho or Christo at the MCCI office on 013 243 2253 or email info@middelburginfo.com.

Lively Golf day with Naas Botha

Lively Golf day with Naas Botha

On May 13, the Middelburg Chamber held its annual corporate golf day at the Middelburg Country Club. The day was filled with laughter and excitement from 144 registered players who made for a very crowded field. 18 T-box sponsors and 6 greens sponsors ensured that we had a decorative, creative and energetic golf course. Each with its own music and games.

The programme director for the awards ceremony was Christo de Ridder from ThinkSolutions. The master of ceremonies, the famous Naas Botha, provided an evening full of jokes and fun and an interactive evening with the audience. Naas Botha was the cherry on top of our Chamber’s already successful event.

Anna-Marth Ott, CEO of MCCI, opened the event and welcomed all the sponsors and players. Corrie Barnard of FAW Highveld Commercial, the main sponsor, followed by Dawid Westermann from Nashua Mpumalanga, addressed the crowd, giving them a short overview of the main sponsors’ businesses.

All T’s and Green sponsors:

  • Phillips Global
  • Qembu Middelburg
  • Klinger Mzansi
  • Cross Labour
  • AeQuim
  • One Weigh Middelburg
  • Gibbs & De Jager Inc.
  • Nungu Property Group
  • Umsizi Mining
  • Brimis Engineering
  • First National Bank
  • Green Ticket Testing Solutions
  • Liebherr-Africa
  • CrossFit Artaxes/Midwell Dietitians
  • Mbungiswa Logistics
  • Schoonbee Landgoed
  • Earthcomp
  • Jonsson Workwear
  • Thos Begbie & Company
  • Carl Bechem SA
  • PriceWaterhouseCoopers SA
  • Columbus Stainless
  • Spec-cast Middelburg

Prize sponsors:

  • Columbus Stainless
  • Liebherr-Africa
  • Brimis Engineering
  • Schoonbee Landgoed
  • Middelburg Mall
  • Johnsson Workwear
  • One Weigh
  • FAW Highveld Commercial
  • MS Design
  • ThinkSolutions
  • Cross Labour
  • Carl Bechem SA
  • Hole in one prize sponsor – Middelburg Chamber

No takers for the R100 000.00 cash prize sponsor on hole 3 for the hole in one.

  • Picture – Nearest to the Pin (Johan Strydom – Columbus Stainless)
    • Nearest to the Pin (Julian Coetzee – Schoonbee Landgoed)
  • Picture – Longest drive (Danny Pienaar – Schoonbee Landgoed)
  • Picture – Longest drive (Nick Pinheiro – Phillips Global)
  • Picture – Kianga Group was the winner with their two female players, Maxine Luck and Daleen du Preez
  • Picture – FNB with a second place winners, Johan de Bruto and Rohan Stander

5 T-box and Green Sponsors received prices for the best vibes

  • Brimis Engineering
  • Phillips Global
  • Gibbs and De Jager attorneys
  • Spec-cast
  • Carl Bechem SA

3 prizes for best dressed 4-balls

  • Johnson Wear
  • Umsizi Mining
  • Liebherr Africa

Thank you to all 4-balls and players – thank you for your participating and being part of the day. The Chamber executive members thank you for the support and the raffle sponsor prizes. Thank you to all our sponsors for the day. See you next year!!

MCCI met with Indonesian Representatives

MCCI met with Indonesian Representatives
The President of the Middelburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Que Naidoo, and several business people met with the Indonesian Charge d’Affaires and economic advisors on 26 April 2022 to discuss possible business opportunities between our town and Indonesia on 26 April 2022.

Indonesia is a developed country with high income and low unemployment rate. The low unemployment rate is due to the country’s entrepreneurship policy, which removes many bureaucratic requirements that can hinder the success of a start-up business. Some of the areas where they want to do business with us are beverages, batik exports and fashion.

South African tourist visas for Indonesia are free and relatively easy to obtain. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about Indonesian visas for South Africa. South African visa regulations, introduced many years ago, are still a problem and it can take up to two months for Indonesians to get a visa.

Members were excited about the joint investment opportunities and future trade relations.

Business opportunities with the Danes

Business opportunities with the Danes

President Que Naidoo and Vice President Vusi Seroka met with Peter Hydorn, Adviser International Business and Leo Crisp, Senior: Trade Investment Advisors of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on 23 March 2022. MCCI presented Middelburg as a possible investment opportunity. Two main points of investment interest in the Steve Tshwete region were discussed at the meeting.

One issue was the Just Transition opportunities for possible collaboration. Many collaboration opportunities were expressed, but the national government’s involvement was influencing how the opportunities would be rolled out. This was also the author’s experience, who has attended many recent meetings and conferences on this topic. Due to the value of the potential projects, there seems to be an umbrella of protection.

Of greater interest to MCCI members would be Danish companies’ experiences and technologies in energy-efficient equipment and the capabilities of successfully reducing energy consumption. Another area they could offer opportunities to companies is their expertise in robotics.

This is the first of many meetings, and we are working towards investment with Middelburg. Members will be invited for further discussions.