Business facilitation network opened

The executive mayor of Ekurhuleni, Clr Mondli Gungubele, launched the Ekurhuleni Business Facilitation Network in Kempton Park on January 31.

The facility, which is aimed at attracting investment to Africa’s first Aerotropolis, cost the municipality in the region of R10-million. It is situated five minutes from OR Tambo International Airport and is a one-stop facility for investment in the city.

“We have realised that one of the most critical ways to fight poverty, unemployment and inequality is job creation and it starts with an enabling environment for investors to see us as the investment destination of choice,” said Clr Gungubele.

The Ekurhuleni Business Facilitation Network comprises five strategic business units; an Investment Centre, a Business Centre, a BizSpark Application Development Centre, an Aerotropolis Project Office and an Ekurhuleni SEDA Enterprise Development Branch Office.

The operation of the Ekurhuleni Business Facilitation Network will go a long-way to enabling the metro to provide coordinated business support, incubation, mentorship, linkages and financing intervention for SMMEs and cooperatives. The facilitation network will also relax development application processes, as well as the requirements to unlock public and private sector investments into the city and coordinate the development and roll-out of the 30 years Aerotropolis Master Plan.

“Ekurhuleni has developed a framework that prioritises investment and development facilitation in order to improve the city’s relationship with the investing community. Our primary intent is to ensure that public and private sector investments into strategic, affluent, underdeveloped and marginalised areas of Ekurhuleni are unlocked through a systematic and coordinated fast-tracked investment and development decision-making machinery. It all starts with an innovative product like this facility,” said Clr Gungubele.