“Is Ballito currently competitive and able to attract investment?”
This was the question posed by Ilembe Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism’s outgoing CEO Trenley Tilbrook at their ‘Business Vision for Economic Development’ breakfast at the Boathouse last Friday.
The audience shook their heads in acknowledgement of the town’s many challenges after a striking visual presentation highlighting some of the areas of most neglect.
Tilbrook announced that it was the chamber’s intention to strategically tackle the current challenges to enable the growth of a sustainable, competitive environment for doing business.
“This document is the result of three years of engagement with local business,” he said.
Tilbrook then handed over to incoming CEO Cobus Oelofse, who will be executing the plan in partnership with business, the municipality and other relevant stakeholders.
Oelofse spoke passionately about the need for creating an environment where “ethical, credible, and progressive business” could flourish.
He impressed that collaboration was key to “creating a climate for innovative business.”
“The chamber’s ‘Business Vision for Economic Development’ has not been created in isolation, and neither will it be executed in isolation,” he said.
Oelofse gave the practical example of the need for the chamber to bridge the gap between FET colleges and businesses.
“For example certain courses at FET colleges are producing people who are virtually un-hireable. Once burnt, business refuses to hire anyone with that qualification and labour has to be sourced from outside the area. The college continues producing unsuitable labour and local unemployment rises. But nobody goes to the collage to solve the problem at the source. We want to work with both parties to develop a working solution.”
“This is not the model of a traditional chamber, but it is what is relevant for our area.”
During the question and comments time KwaDukuza’s executive director of economic development and planning Sikhumbuzo Hlongwane thanked the chamber for their willingness to work hand in hand with the municipality.
He said the municipality was fully supportive of the vision of chamber. He also made it clear that schemes like the Urban Improvement Project would in no way mean that the municipality would neglect their current responsibilities to the town but only enhance what they were doing.
