Tag: Chamber

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.

 

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.

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.

118th AGM and election of the new Chamber 2022 Executive

118th AGM and election of the new Chamber 2022 Executive

The Middelburg Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI) will hold it’s 118th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and is calling on our members to nominate candidates for the 2022/23 election.
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on 10 March 2022, at 17:00, at Alveston Manor, 21 Hexrivier Street, Middelburg. Members are requested to confirm their attendance by 9 March 2022. If you are unable to attend the AGM, please complete a proxy form and return it to the office by 7 March 2017.

Your attendance is essential to ensure the election of a relevant Executive Committee to represent the business community of Middelburg.

The Notice, nomination and proxy forms have already been emailed to members. Please contact Mmabatho on 013 243 2253 or info@middelburginfo.com for more information

Many business opportunities in Burundi

Many business opportunities in Burundi
A delegation from Burundi led by Ambassador KN Jolobe, HE Ms, met with Que Naidoo, President of MCCI and various members of the Middelburg Chamber Executive.

Burundi has 6% of the world’s rare earth deposits and exports Arabica coffee. They are also looking at possible investments or partnerships with local businesses in tourism, internet connectivity, mining opportunities and agriculture. Burundi has 17 provinces and a different mineral has been found in each province.

The aim of the meeting was to establish contacts with local businesses that can network with Burundian businesses. Today, they have cut the red tape by introducing the ambassador directly to the Chamber of Commerce.

The next step is to organise a networking event between The East African Investment, Trade, Promotion Agency, the Burundi delegation and members to plan and explore the proposed trade delegation to Burundi.

Members are invited to send me their details to secure their invitation to the next Burundi investment event. Contact Anna-Marth Ott at ceo@middelburginfo.com.

The Highveld Mine Map – Insight and Analysis

The Highveld Mine Map – Insight and Analysis

The Middelburg/Emalahleni area is well known for being an industrious mining complex. Not only is the bulk of the country’s coal resource deposited in the western Mpumalanga, but the area is also known for hosting many of Eskom’s Power Stations. This network has resulted in an abundance of local business opportunities positioned to support the mines and power stations with the services and products they require.

The question naturally arises: how can one gain access to this network? Forward-thinking organisations of the region have always been committed to facilitating and fostering productive, synergistic and profitable business relationships amongst themselves.  This spirit of cooperative goodwill has resulted in a rich repository of information geared to stimulate business development and grow the local business landscape through any means possible.

The Mine Map, a product of such collaborations, is aimed at developing networks in the local mining industry. The Decisionsmiths recently contributed critical insights to the map through a revolutionary business intelligence (BI) transformation. No longer will the critical contact information only be available as a printed copy, but we now offer an online version, fully searchable and interactive.

Mining operations can be filtered by commodity, mode of operation, ownership structure or geographic location.

Additional insights become available through superimposing the mine locations onto reference layers, showing mine locations on geological maps, satellite imaging or analysing the state of the roads servicing the operation.

Data analytics has never been more important to your business. The Decisionsmiths specialises in coupling your in-house dataset with the wealth of data available in the world today and adding value to your strategic business decision-making in a cost-effective way.

Thank you to the sponsors of the Highveld Mine Map (alphabetical order):

  • ACDC Express Middelburg
  • Blackwattle Colliery
  • Dobe Brand Engineers
  • Doulos Mining
  • Eco-D Mobile Carwash and cleaning services
  • Highveld Industrial Park
  • Hilti
  • Isambane Mining
  • Liebherr-Africa
  • MEMSA – mining equipment manufacturers of South Africa
  • Mlaki Business Enterprise Transport
  • Nathi Sonke Holdings
  • Phillips Global
  • Powerstar
  • SATS Safety and Training solutions
  • Stallion Towing Services
  • Steinmuller Africa
  • Syndicate Signs
  • The Decisionsmits
  • Umsizi Mining
  • Vista Wa Seroka

2022 Printed mine maps for sale at the Middelburg Info Centre 013 243 2253.

If you want access on the digital platform or marketing exposure, please contact Valerie 082 417 8088