Tag: networking event

121st AGM and Executive Election 2024

121st AGM and Executive Election 2024

Save the date! MCCI’s 121st Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on 14 March 2023 at 17:00, at Rustique Boutique Hotel, Old Belfast Road (R104) Rondebosch, Riverside Estate, Middelburg.

Your presence is crucial in ensuring competent Executive Members are elected, representing the Middelburg business community.  MCCI Members are invited to nominate candidates for the 2024/25 period at the 121st AGM. Nomination forms are available at the office.

Members are urged to confirm their attendance by 13 March 2023 to ensure a successful AGM. If you are unable to come to the AGM, please fill out a proxy form and send it back to the office by March 12th, 2024.

We have emailed the notice, nomination, proxy forms and minutes to the membership. Please contact Zelda on 013 243 2253 or member.support@middelburgchamber.com for more information

Blood, Sweat and Spectacles

Blood, Sweat and Spectacles

It was a hotly contested Amazing Race Saturday.  28th of October 2023 was a memorable day; the country was on tender hooks, because of the Rugby World Cup final that evening. Nevertheless, ten teams started their day competing in the Amazing Race 2023 Middelburg. They gave it their all, some their blood, some their tears and the deciding factor was spectacles.

At the start of the race, everyone was dressed to the nines, or rather in their rugby shirts, t-shirts or as branded teams. The energy was palpable and one or two team members looked like they were waiting in the starting blocks for the whistle.

The MCCI marshals held the envelopes ready and then Zelda blew the whistle for the race to start. Fortunately, no animals or small children were harmed in the race for the first clue. The teams scattered like rabbits to their vehicles, to be the first at clue number 1.

What fun it is to marshal this event. Some people could park like champions; others could not even read GPS coordinates to save their lives, and anyone who saw the teams at BUCO, no, that was the race, not crazies in the store. Brimis, your clue was perplexing and many stood in front of your gate looking around like zombies ready to attack. Water and fire were the challenges at Vivo Bingo and the region’s tourism stops.

Two teams were neck and neck to the end, and If Erica van Zyl and her team of JJ Engineering had not lost her glasses in the challenge at Alveston Manor, Nico Denner and his Gemecs team would not have won for the Amazing Race for the third time.

Everyone who took part, from the little ones to the more experience team members, everybody had fun. See you in September 2024 for our next Amazing Race.

MCCI’s Women in Business Celebration 2023

MCCI’s Women in Business Celebration 2023

Every year, the Middelburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry celebrates women in business. We salute both the business owners and the women who work in various businesses and make sure that our economy gets going.

The motto of 2023 on 15 September 2023 was “Be your Best”. MCCI not only had two great ladies speaking to our members but also the beautiful music of the Mpumalanga Band of the South African Police Service. Throughout the day, our two flamboyant speakers Anne-Marie Smith and Sharlotte Tsotetsi-Mpotu motivated women to be their best, whatever their situation, to choose, live and find out what they want to be happy, as well as their families and colleagues.

One hundred and seventy women gathered at Ukhamba Industrial Park to celebrate the Mbhokodo’s of business. The morning began with uplifting music from the SAPS Provincial Band, and the women sang and danced along. MCCI would like to thank Ukhamba Industrial Park, Thulasizwe décor, catering & sewing, Nashua Mpumalanga, Thos Begbie & co, Columbus Stainless, Alveston Manor, and Spa, Think sol, MAC Cosmetics, Twizza, FNB, PWC, NST Verification, Matsimela, SAPS Provincial band, Environ, Spalicious, The Daily Café, Brimis Engineering, Mpumamanzi, GUS, Tyrelubbe, Nkangala TVET College, Middelburg Observer.

A special thank you to Christo de Ridder who was our MC for the day and Johannes Welgemoed from Daily Coffee and Hendry Swanepoel from Alveston Manor, our organizing committee. And to our two speakers Sharlotte Tsotetsi–Mpotu and Anne-Marie Smith – may you be richly blessed. In addition, to the beautiful, sophisticated women who attended the event……. YOU ROCK.

TVET Nkangala – Middelburg Campus – Business Buzz

TVET Nkangala – Middelburg Campus – Business Buzz

The Business Buzz held at the Middelburg Campus of Nkangala TVET on 24 August 2023 was very informative and members could see the training workshops and the various equipment used to train students.

The Principal of the Middelburg Campus, Catin Maimela, proudly announced that the campus had been accredited to conduct vocational examinations. Members could see with their own eyes how the students were trained.

The next business networking event will be a Business Buzz at the new Regis Offices, hosted by Nungu Properties on 21 September 2023. Invitations will be sent out in the first week of September.

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.

How to turn your business into a tourist attraction

How to turn your business into a tourist attraction

For the first time, the Middelburg Tourism Information Centre is offering training for local site tour guides. Popular areas such as Mbombela, Pretoria, and Cape Town have tour guides who attract many tourists to certain areas.

If you are visiting a place of interest with interesting stories, there is often a site guide who will show you around the premises or area. If you offer this service in your business, your visitors, and tourists, they will stay longer or spend more money in your business. This is a well-known international practise that supports and grows the tourism industry. As a private person, you can also earn an income by offering guided tours.

We do not know when we will offer the training again. The training will be held at MCCI’s auditorium for ten consecutive days starting 10 August 2023. After the exam, the participant will be accredited with NQF Level 2. The full NQF Level 4 tour guide training will be offered next year at an additional cost of R500.

This is an opportunity not to be missed. There are interesting stories and people everywhere and tourism businesses can only benefit if they can also offer a tour guide. Please contact Mmabatho Phatakge on 013 243 2253 or secretary@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.

Africa Durban Trade Indaba 2023

Africa Durban Trade Indaba 2023

From the 9th to the 11th of May 2023, Durban ICC was the host site for the African Trade Indaba. This spectacular event drew in people from all across the continent as well as international investors who were all looking for ways to showcase all the best parts of Africa.

This event provided a wonderful opportunity for all those in attendance to market themselves as well as their province or country. There were a lot of companies from all across Africa that were looking for ways to generate more interest in their country to help improve their business as well as their country’s economic growth from tourism revenue.

The Middelburg Info center managed to reach out to several of these companies and foster good relations with them in order to get brochures and pamphlets which we can use to showcase all the awe inspiring sights across our continent.

A fantastic Golf Day

A fantastic Golf Day

Taking time off their busy schedules, business owners, and staff supported the Middelburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s annual corporate golf day at the Middelburg Country Club on May 19th.

Following the opening ceremony, MCCI handed out gift bags to the golfers before they teed off.  To start our event, the Mayor of Steve Tshwete Local Municipality took the first tee-off.

18 tee-boxes and 3 greens were sponsored for the day by the local businesses in Middelburg and Witbank. Excitement was high, with a fun atmosphere created with all the sponsors.

The master of the ceremony for the prize giving was Mr. Ian Strydom from Qembu Middelburg, ensured that the evening ended on a high note.  Anna-Marth Ott, CEO of the MCCI opened the event and welcomed all the sponsors and players.

The Main Sponsor for the day was FAW Highveld Commercial and Second sponsor was Nashua Mpumalanga and Brimis Engineering.

MCCI would like to thank Qembu Middelburg, Phillips Global, Cross Labour, Global Universal Solutions, Nungu Prpoperties, Columbus Stainless, Thos Begbie & co, Nkangala FET College, Schoonbee Landgoed, Mbungiswa Logistics, Audi Middelburg, Alveston Manor Small Hotel, Middelburg Country Club, NST Verification, Veralogix, Lismar, Nedbank, PWC, Twizza Middelburg, ACD Middelburg, K Ndu Mining Solutions, Everest , STLM, Mthambane Transport, Midmed Hospital, Vodacom and Spec-cast Middelburg.

Diarise the next Golf Day: 26 April 2024.

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.

Tourism Development in STLM

Tourism Development in STLM
The local tourism organization in Steve Tshwete Local Municipality held its quarterly meeting on 18 October 2022. The industry discussed tourism repositioning, reconstruction, and funding opportunities available to tourism businesses.

Members made suggestions on how we can attract tourists and generate revenue. Adriaan Esterhuizen from BMDC gave a presentation on funding opportunities for tourism and how tourism members can apply for these funds. Qualified for these funds are SMEs that provide the following services:  Transport services – i.e. tour/shuttle services ❑ Travel agencies ❑ Tour operators’ ❑ Boutique Hotels ❑ Guesthouses ❑ Bed & Breakfasts ❑ Hospitality (including restaurants)

For more information on how to access these funds, please contact: adriaan@bmdc.co.za