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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.

GALAXY BINGO supports tennis in Witbank

GALAXY BINGO supports tennis in Witbank

Galaxy Bingo is one of South Africa’s leading and innovative gaming groups, with an impressive portfolio of 23 Bingo sites conveniently located across six provinces. Their hospitality portfolio comprises of 6 Galaxy Grills and 2 Galaxy Bistros, where you can enjoy delicious and tempting meals. Galaxy Bingo has a passion for sports development and nurturing young talent.

Because of this passion, Galaxy Bingo Emalahleni has sponsored 32 Witbank High School children (16 boys and 16 girls) with tennis coaching every Monday and Wednesday at their school courts. The children have also received new tennis rackets, tennis balls and T-shirts. The tennis programme aims to develop young talent and provide children with the opportunity to play in the tennis league in the 3rd quarter. A tennis league is an annual event.

The kids will also receive coaching life skills from the KPM Academy of Sport and life skills.

KPM has been an NPO based at the Middelburg Country Club for 11 years, giving children an opportunity to play, learn and score through sports. KPM Sports Academy helps children improve their mental skills, keeping them healthy, learn sportsmanship and ethics as well as life skills.

KPM has various initiatives to develop children playing sports in wheelchairs, specifically wheelchair tennis, which has recently been on TV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSfRILUcRCc. Many South African children still struggle with basic needs, and sadly, this lack hampers their dreams and leaves them with no option but to resort to crime.

There is hope as NPOs give children opportunities of becoming better people. Kids News’ Didi Mookeletsi caught up with youngsters at the KPM Mentorship Centre in Avalon, Middelburg. For more news, visit sabcnews.com and #SABCNews on all Social Media platforms.

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.

R555: SANRAL met with MCCI

R555: SANRAL met with MCCI

Members of the Middelburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, led by President Que Naidoo, and several SANRAL Northern Region representatives met to discuss the maintenance and condition of the R555 from Jackaroo Park to Middelburg.

The meeting began with businesses sharing their experiences of using the road. Members complained that mines operating adjacent to the R555 encroach on road reserves. The numerous coal trucks litter the road with debris and dust, making it dangerous to drive on. Also, the dust obscures the road markings. The area near the Sentech tower is very unsafe, especially because of the turning circles of the trucks entering and leaving the various mines.

Maintenance of the road in the two-lane sections has been substandard, forcing vehicles to drive into oncoming traffic to avoid vehicle damage. The recent heavy rains have washed away areas around the shoulders of the road, making it difficult for vehicles to exit or drive onto the road. It is challenging to brake sharply or take evasive action if needed due to the road conditions. Businesses are concerned about the safety of their employees travelling on the R555.

Hauliers complained that between the condition of the R555 and the expensive N4, they are reluctant to deliver to Middelburg. The products transported are sometimes damaged during delivery due to the road condition. This affects the sustainability of the companies that use the R555, as they cannot always ensure that the products are delivered in perfect condition.

SANRAL said they have a contractor who has to maintain the road. One component is to cut the grass at the edges and keep the roadsides clean, and the other component is to maintain the road surface. SANRAL said they have noted the issues raised and will address them. SANRAL was not aware of the problems with the mines and will look into the matter.

SANRAL planned to upgrade the 21 kilometre stretch of the R555 into a dual road. The high traffic volume has damaged the road surface and its many layers. SANRAL was also previously reluctant to do the upgrade as it could shift more traffic from the N4 to the R555. Due to this change in the upgrade status, SANRAL had already engaged service providers to design the site. The construction period is expected to start in 18 to 24 months. To consolidate the access to the upgraded road will be time-consuming. It will involve negotiations regarding the first five kilometres within Emalahleni Municipality and various houses and properties adjacent to the road.

In 1999 MCCI, SANRAL, the Minister of Transport and TRAC met several times because of the communities of Middelburg and Witbank. We objected to the new position of the Middelburg Toll Plaza. These negotiations led to transferring that part of the R555 to SANRAL as a national road. The other important agreement was that the residents of these two municipalities would receive a 75% discount at the Middelburg Toll Plaza. This discount has eroded over the years. It was practically impossible to obtain the agreed concession when the tag system was introduced.

MCCI thanked SANRAL for their willingness to meet with the business community. Members members requested SANRAL to arrange a meeting with TRAC so that we can discuss our problems with the toll fees and the extended maintenance period of the road. Businesses have been adversely affected by the positioning of the Middelburg Toll Plaza and the condition of the R555. Given the current economic situation, we urge all parties to find a solution that benefits us.

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.