Tag: platforms

Battling with your ED or SD Spent?

Battling with your ED or SD Spent?
The Mpumalanga Enterprise Development Organisation offers a stress-free solution for businesses wanting to achieve their BBBEE values. You do not need to employ somebody or set up a department to deal with these requirements.

MEDO has been successfully assisting businesses with enterprise, socio-economic and supplier development for over ten years, taking the pressure off you to ensure a successful project.

MEDO has been helping businesses with their BBBEE spend for over a decade. And is currently hosting an exciting business development training programme. MEDO is training community businesses in the diverse skills they need and we expand and support our local businesses.

MEDO was established to manage these projects for our town and province. MEDO encourages our members and businesses to contact A Ott for more details on our BBBEE programmes.

Under Construction: Outdoor Information Board

Under Construction: Outdoor Information Board
The Outdoor Information Board (OIB) next to the entrance door of the Tourist Information Centre is currently being updated.

It is the only map that is reviewed and updated with information from the Town Planning Department. The purpose of the OIB is to have a secure, 24-hour, well-lit map for tourists, couriers, and the community to find their way to a specific address. The map has grid lines and block designations for easy reference.

We are changing the map and there is a great opportunity for your business to show your patronage by placing an ad on the OIB to support this community service through the Tourist Information Centre.

Interested parties can contact Muhammed at 013 243 2253 or at enquiries@middelburginfo.com.

Elected Local Tourism Leaders

Elected Local Tourism Leaders

The Regional Tourism Organisation (RTO) of the Nkangala district held its first AGM in November 2022 at Nkangala district Municipality and members of the six Local Tourism Organisations (LTO) elected the new executive members.

The RTO comprises six active LTO members from the six municipalities in the Nkangala District and the home to the world-renowned Dr. Esther Mahlangu. The purpose of the RTO is to help market and boost tourism in the area.

They selected the following members to serve on the board for 3 years. Bongane Mabena- Chairperson, Trina Matheson –Deputy Chairperson, Mary Nkosi- Treasury, Margret Mahlangu –Secretary, Katrine Mnguni –Deputy secretary, and Mmabatho Phathakge – Additional member.

We encourage members of the public to register and take part in boosting the tourism economy and making their town known in the tourism sector.

For more information on how to register or get involved, you can contact Mmabatho at 013 243 2253 or email: info@middelburginfo.com

 

A Big Thank You to MEDO

A Big Thank You to MEDO

Over the past six months, the Mpumalanga Enterprise Development Organisation (MEDO) has been engaged in two intensive enterprise development projects.

MEDO partnered with the Middelburg Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI) to run skills development programmes for local black businesses in various areas, from working at height to closing sales. MEDO used the MCCI’s extensive network to reach out to and empower the local community.

Another company sponsored businesses that are 100% run by young black female entrepreneurs. MEDO and MCCI wish the beneficiaries the best of luck with their new equipment and skills, and that they turn their businesses into successful enterprises.

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.

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.

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.

 

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.