middelburg Archives - Page 4 of 6

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.

Amazing Race Middelburg postponed until 15 October 2022

Amazing Race Middelburg postponed until 15 October 2022
There is good news for all those who wanted to take part in this treasure hunt adventure on 24 September but already had plans! Due to the many other activities taking place in town and the many requests received, the organizers have decided to postpone the event until Saturday, 15 October 2022. The closing date for registrations is 30 September. Manual registrations will be accepted at the Middelburg Outreach Festival at the Rustique Boutique Hotel on 24 September, so look out for our stall!

On the day of the race, teams of 4 will race around town in their own vehicle solving clues that will take them from location to location where they must complete mental and/or physical challenges until you reach the finish line! You will put your skills and knowledge of the town to the test – with a little help from Google if necessary. We will take you to various points ranging from local shops to tourist attractions and historically significant sites.

There are great cash prizes to be won!

All you need to do is complete the entry form and pay the entry fee of R700 per team before the closing date of 30 September. If you enter two teams, you will receive a discount of R600per team.
The competition is open to businesses as well as private groups and families. The number of participants is limited, so do not delay! Registration forms are available at the Middelburg Information Centre office, 292 Walter Sisulu Street or by emailing marketing@middelburginfo.com. Online registrations can be made via the Facebook page @amazeraceMid or WhatsApp 0849832819 to receive the registration link.

We are appealing to businesses to get involved as sponsors. Contact Elsabe or Mmabatho on 013 2432253.

We celebrated the Wit and Wisdom of Women

The Middelburg Chamber’s annual Women’s Day event was a glorious celebration of women and what we care about.

Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Nashua, Twizza, Lizwile Engineering, Hermansdal Landgoed, Alveston Manor Spa, Jonsson Wear, Columbus Stainless, Reena’s Linen-N-Luggage, Thos Begbie, PWC, MRP, Abafazi Ne Bhodo and Toda Products, your support ensured the tremendous success of the event. A special thank you goes to Nomvula Mokoena, AKA DJ Sunshine, our MC for the day, and to our motivational speaker Diana Jansen.

One hundred and forty ladies attended our event and socialized, danced, and recharged their batteries for the year ahead. May the Almighty God bless you abundantly. And you, dear women, let us do it again the following year, 2023.

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.

Comment on 14 June 2022 Municipal Strike

Comment on 14 June 2022 Municipal Strike

The lack of service delivery by Steve Tshwete Municipality is intolerable. Many of the services provided have not been adequately delivered since 25 March 2020, when the norm was to work (or not work) from home. Covid19 Lockdown has broken the municipality and created a culture of poor work performance.

The STLM leadership has given the strikers the power to ruin our town by giving in to their demands. Essential and vital services to the business community are not being provided. The current situation cannot be allowed to continue. Ignoring the complaints and demands of the businesses does not mean that the problems will miraculously disappear; no, the situation will worsen. The state of affairs creates an ideal environment for corruption and bribes. Also, why are the strikers allowed to use municipal vehicles as transport for the strike?

MCCI is asking the business community: are you satisfied? Will the problems be miraculously fixed once STLM is working again? Nowhere in business will a problem disappear if you ignore it, you have to work on the problem to solve it. Your silence means you agree with the municipalities decisions and lack of service. Significant future investments and developments are being hampered by the political gamesmanship of our STLM leadership and councillors.

Perhaps we should look at what STLM services can be outsourced to make the economy work? MCCI will ask the various political parties to meet with the Executive Committee to find a solution to make our city fully functional and attractive for investment.

We want our town back.

We want our town back

The Executive Committee of the Middelburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry wants our Municipality to function at its best. All departments of the town administration, from accounting to traffic and security services.

Middelburg, through the Middelburg Forum, has found a way to weather the political turmoil of the 1980s and find a middle ground for all communities to thrive in the changing environment. Our town received so many awards, had clean audits, and was the cleanest town in Mpumalanga, with no potholes and with quick turnaround of municipal services. We want that municipality back.

Important issues that will create jobs and a great future for our children are now being ignored by the municipality because of the strike. We need an exemption so that our town does not lose jobs because of the Just Energy Transition. Instead of working together to find ways to protect our town and our jobs, the municipality is fighting with itself. As outsiders, we are stuck and exposed to what is happening. We have already lost a major employer with Blue Ribbon, we do not want to be the next Lichtenburg.

The MCCI has 18 annually elected executive members representing business sectors in our region. The leader of the committee is Que Naidoo the elected President. Under her leadership, we first met with the Steve Tshwete Mayoral Committee in August 21 and then wrote a letter to the Council on October 21 listing how services impact Middelburg businesses. We also met with the newly elected members of the mayoral committee in March 2022 and stressed the importance of a fully functioning municipality.

To clarify, MCCI is a non-profit organisation made up of employers. This means it is a business organisation that looks after the interests of businesses. Any business is welcome to become a member. Your company needs a business registration document and pay a nominal membership fee to become a member. We create a platform for businesses to network and lobby for business issues. We are not a government organisation, nor are we a charity that gives things away for free. We believe that something that is free has no value.

We urge the leadership of the municipality to find a solution to the strikes soon, otherwise we might lose other important employers as well. How do we want to live in Middelburg, as a prosperous community with educated children who have a future, or as a ghost town as many of the outside consultants predict.

I say no to a ghost town, with no jobs, no future.

We want our town back, to be the best again.

Contact Mmabatho or Njabulo at 013 243 2253 if you want to know more about becoming a member.