Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber
The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber is one of the largest business associations in the Eastern Cape, with a membership of more than 700 businesses employing over 100 000 people in a diverse array of sectors.
This Business Chamber has been instrumental in the business success of the region for over 150 years.
In the new strategic direction of 2018, the Business Chamber will be driving the Triple Helix concept of building relationships between universities, industry and government organisations as the foundation for creating a competitive Nelson Mandela Bay.
The organisation is driven by a team of dedicated staff and volunteers, lobbying on issues affecting the ease of doing business and companies’ sustainability.
The Business Chamber also builds on international relations to form a vital link between business owners and international markets.
Contact the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber if you are looking to do business or invest in the region.
Task Teams
The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber has established a structure of seven task teams to facilitate the ease of doing business.
The seven task teams of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber are:
- Water Task Team
- Roads and Storm Water Task Team
- Electricity and Energy Task Team
- Transport and Logistics Task Team
- SME Task Team
- Metro Collaboration Task Team
- Trade and Investment Task Team
- Enterprise Development & SMME Support
The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber Enterprise Development Programme was launched in 2014, to develop the skills that enhance and grow small businesses. In 2017 the Business Chamber successfully hosted Phase 3 and Phase 4 of the Enterprise Development Programme. Close to 100 SMEs (small to medium-sized enterprises) benefited from taking part in the different phases of the programme.
In 2017 the Business Chamber finalised the launch of a pilot phase of the Export Development Programme which is set to commence in March 2018 for multi-sectoral SMMEs positioning themselves as emerging exporters. The programme is unique because of its integrated approach to the development of these emerging exporters. In addition, the SME Task Team has launched a Pro Bono Service Programme which entails the pairing of qualifying SMEs with service provider/s, who are volunteer members of the organisation. This programme will continue in 2018.
Events
Events at the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber keep business owners up to date and informed on a wide variety of topics affecting business in Nelson Mandela Bay. Regular networking functions offer business owners the chance to make new professional contacts. The Business Chamber’s flagship events – the Annual Business Chamber Golf Day, the Annual Ladies’ Breakfast and the Annual Business Chamber Banquet – are highlights on the Bay’s business and social calendar. The Events Department reached a new record in 2017 by hosting a total of 91 events.
Publications and marketing
As another value-added service to members, the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber provides members with a variety of publications across print and electronic platforms, including our quarterly printed member magazine, Infocom, and the printed annual Business Guide. Both of these publications are ABC-certified, glossy publications.
The electronic monthly newsletter The Good News provides links to good news on the local business front. The Business Chamber regularly updates its website, and can be found on popular social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
In 2017 the Business Chamber also launched the NMBBC App: a digital, interactive platform for business-to-business promotion in Nelson Mandela Bay and surrounding areas. A key feature of the App is a business directory, which connects users with businesses in the region, who are members of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber.
To download the App, search NMBBC on the AppStore or PlayStore.
Certificates of Origin
A Certificate of Origin is a document which states the origin of goods being exported and this “origin” is a key requirement for applying tariffs and other important criteria. As an accredited provider of this service, the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber signs Certificates of Origin for member and non-member businesses requiring the services in Nelson Mandela Bay. The Certificates of Origin Department reached a record in August 2017 when it issued the most monthly certificates it has ever completed over the past six years of recordings. This was up 22% from August 2016.
Corporate Social Investment
Because the majority of our membership’s workforce is based in the city, the region of Nelson Mandela Bay is the direct beneficiary of their Corporate Social Investment programmes – including skills development initiatives, bursaries and scholarships.
Many of our member companies significantly contribute to alleviating poverty and specifically unemployment in the region of Nelson Mandela Bay through various initiatives purposed to grow the local economy. Every year the Business Chamber adopts NGO organisations and collects goods and services from our member companies in order to create awareness around the NGOs. In 2017 the Business Chamber adopted SOS Children’s Village Port Elizabeth and St Francis Hospice and collected several items from our member companies, including furniture and vehicles.
Contact the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber
