Tag: Chamber

BRICS any value for Middelburg?

BRICS any value for Middelburg?

Several members, notably Anna-Marth Ott, attended various BRICS meetings. Ott attended an ABSA breakfast with the Confederation of Indian Industry delegation for the 2023 BRICS Summit.

Various members of the delegation already have businesses in South Africa and are interested in possible joint ventures and investments in the Steve Tshwete Municipality. The 2023 MCCI Business Guide circulated by Ott was well-received with great enthusiasm.

Some of the valuable information available at the Chamber is the DIRCO (Department of Industrial Relations and Cooperation) Quarterly Magazine UBUNTU, which ran a BRICS Special titled BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism, BRICS and the World Order: A Beginners Guide (Note this is until 2019), XV BRICS Summit Johannesburg II Declaration, South African Reserve Bank (SARB) BRICS Joint Ministers of Finance and Central Bank Governors Statement under the South African Presidency, The Journal of BRICS Studies is envisioned as an open-access, peer-reviewed non-disciplinary academic journal focused on the critical and inter-sectoral study of subjects related to the BRICS, the agency of emerging powers and South-South cooperation.

Members interested in some contacts Ott made or the information regarding all the documents that are available, please contact Anna-Marth Ott at ceo@middelburginfo.com.

CIBA Roadshow

CIBA Roadshow

The Middelburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) hosted the Chartered Institute for Business Accountants NPC (CIBA) in our auditorium on 27 July 2023.

Mr Nicolaas van Wyk, Chief Executive Officer of CIBA and board member of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI), organised the workshop for the local accountants. Without a functioning local chamber of commerce, many important business issues are ignored and with a strong voice for business, common solutions are achieved, said van Wyk. He also said that SMEs face numerous challenges, where an accountant can play an important role in helping businesses.

Through the CIBA and Chambers networks, businesses can work together to strengthen their networks, grow their business, and become part of a movement that works for the betterment of South Africa.

The MCCI application form can be found on our website https://middelburginfo.com/membership/. For more information about CIBA, please visit www.saiba.org.za.

Employee of the Month


Often you have a staff member you would like to mention in particular.

The Middelburg Chamber offers a new service to its members: mentioning the employee of the month. We publish the person’s photo, a brief description of their achievements and then also post it on our social media for the month.

Keep a lookout for the Employee of the Month in May. If you know someone who should be recognized, please reach out to AM Ott on 013 243 2253 or email ceo@middelburginfo.com.

Snap Chat with a Difference

Snap Chat with a Difference
MCCI hosted the first Speed Networking Session for 2023, and judging by the enthusiasm generated by the exchange of information between business people, the event was another success.
The idea of the Speed Networking event is that a person gives a one-minute pitch of their business, service, or product. Then, within five minutes, you exchange information with the person sitting in front of you. After five minutes, you move on and then talk to another person from a different company. After that, you still have the opportunity to talk to the people you missed.
At the end of the hour of snap chatting, you have a lot of contact details or at least one more person knows about your business and what it offers. Save the date for the next speed networking event: 18 May 2023, at the MCCI Auditorium 12:00 – 14:00. Look out for the invitation to be sent out in early May 2023. For more information, contact Mmabatho at 013 243 2253 or at info@middelburginfo.com.

120th AGM and election for MCCI 2023 Executive

120th AGM and election for MCCI 2023 Executive

The Middelburg Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI) will hold it’s 120th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and is calling on our members to nominate candidates for the 2023/24 election.

MCCI will hold the 120th AGM on 9 March 2023 at 17:00, at the Auditorium, Middelburg Information and Chamber Centre, 292 Walter Sisulu Street, Middelburg.

I request members to confirm their attendance by 9 March 2023. If you cannot attend the AGM, please complete a proxy form and return it to the office by 7 March 2023.
Your presence is essential to ensure the election of competent Executive Members to represent the business community of Middelburg.

We have emailed the notice, nomination, proxy forms and minutes to the membership. Please contact Mmabatho on 013 243 2253 or info@middelburginfo.com for more information.

Opportunities at MCCI

Opportunities at MCCI

The year’s municipal employee’s strikes, load shedding, and fuel costs have made it tough for business owners and managers. What has the local chamber done for its members?

It’s very difficult to keep everyone happy and provide great opportunities for the business community without the support of the larger business community. We have had a few people call out, “What are you doing for my business?” Become a member and attend our events and when the opportunity knocks, you will be ready.

It can also be very discouraging for staff when consultants who have received high-value grants or companies who are not members demand free support. What to do? If a thing is free, it has no value.

We create our own members-only opportunities. So join and you will have the chance to see and take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Chamber. Do not stand on the sidelines, be part of the solution.

Another 150 trained managers for Middelburg

Another 150 trained managers for Middelburg

A young woman knocks on the door of MCCI to attend the WBS SSETA graduation ceremony on 2 December 2022. She is perfectly dressed and ready for a momentous occasion.

Organisations like MCCI, Wits Business School, and Services SETA are sometimes so focused on the administrative requirements for our projects we forget the human element, and the impact skilling programmes can have. I am referring to the WBS Management Development Programme (MDP) sponsored by SSETA Discretionary Grant. The MDP training was celebrated by the students who passed with a WBS Graduation at the Middelburg Country Club.

We often dismiss the impact of a university education for local people as an unattainable dream. Wearing a university robe and standing there with a certificate in hand is the achievement of 150 students who last Friday, 2 December 2022 graduated from the WBS MDP.

MDP courses have offered our members’ staff the opportunity to further their education and strive for promotions and a better-paying job. They offer a qualification that they could not have offered their employer a year ago.

Students who have graduated should look out for your graduation photo on the Middelburg Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.

I would like to thank the SSETA Board, SSETA staff, WBS staff and lecturers, and MCCI staff for their dedication and hard work in ensuring that this opportunity was available in Middelburg and giving local people the chance to achieve an unattainable goal.

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.

Implementation of the BBEEE Scorecard at the local level is crucial

Implementation of the BBEEE Scorecard at the local level is crucial

The Mpumalanga Enterprise Development Organisation (MEDO) has developed an innovative tool for the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) scorecard’s supplier development, enterprise development, and socio-economic development elements. MEDO can provide targeted, localized programmes to the business community and has done so for more than ten years.

A measured company can spend considerable time and money to transform itself and reach the desired BEE level. A company must calculate the correct targets per the legislation, to achieve the desired result. These scorecard targets are determined by the company’s financial results.

For BEE champions, it is essential to have a solid regional network to ensure a broad reach in the community. Sound financial management is the backbone of a successful BEE scorecard and transformation strategy that meets all BEE audit requirements. It is important to note the successful MEDO projects over the last ten years. These projects were rolled out in the identified areas determined by the company’s BEE requirements.

The Middelburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry is the implementing agent for MEDO’s enterprise development programme. If you want to know more about how your company can use the successful MEDO BEE system, contact Anna-Marth Ott at info@me_do.co.za.

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.