Eastern Cape Business 2017 edition
The 2017 edition of Eastern Cape Business is the 10th issue of this highly successful publication that, since its launch in 2006, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to the Eastern Cape Province. The Eastern Cape enjoys an abundance of natural and human resources, as well as established industrial infrastructure that drives the economy of the province. This includes three ports and two industrial development zones which are home to a wide range of manufacturers and exporters. The 2017 edition includes an in-depth look at the province’s two Industrial Development Zones, a focus on skills development and investment climate information from the Nelson Mandela Business Chamber and the Border-Kei Chamber of Business.
The 2017 edition of Eastern Cape Business is the 10th issue of this highly successful publication that, since its launch in 2006, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to the Eastern Cape Province. The Eastern Cape enjoys an abundance of natural and human resources, as well as established industrial infrastructure that drives the economy of the province. This includes three ports and two industrial development zones which are home to a wide range of manufacturers and exporters.
The 2017 edition includes an in-depth look at the province’s two Industrial Development Zones, a focus on skills development and investment climate information from the Nelson Mandela Business Chamber and the Border-Kei Chamber of Business.
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OVERVIEW<br />
Information and<br />
communication technology<br />
Incubators and laboratories are boosting innovation.<br />
A<br />
number of public and private initiatives are under way to<br />
boost the information and communication technology (ICT)<br />
sector in the <strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Cape</strong>.<br />
Development agency <strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Cape</strong> Development<br />
Corporation (ECDC) has a specific emphasis on the ICT sector in terms<br />
of the loans that it disburses. The ECDC works through the <strong>Eastern</strong><br />
<strong>Cape</strong> Information Technology Initiative (ECITI), which also promotes<br />
the film sector.<br />
The ECITI is designed to stimulate the creation of small, micro and<br />
medium enterprises. Among recent topics dealt with at the annual ICT<br />
Summit organised by ECITI are ICT infrastructure, innovation, social<br />
transformation in ICT, digital skills, ICT codes and how to avoid vendor<br />
mistakes in government.<br />
The East London, Queenstown and Umthatha based branches<br />
of ECITI offer office space to start-up enterprises as well as capacity<br />
building initiatives. This virtual support can be given to similar companies<br />
throughout the <strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Cape</strong> province focussing and ensuring<br />
inclusivity for rural communities.<br />
The director of one of these companies is very positive about the<br />
support received from the ECITI. Khanyisa Ngewu of On the Record,<br />
a communications and media management company says, “I believe<br />
the most notable value-add has been the training I received in Value<br />
Added Tax, project management and financial management; as well<br />
as access to legal advice relating to handling contracts.”<br />
The Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) runs an ICT incubator<br />
in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality. Known<br />
as the Seda Nelson Mandela Bay ICT Incubator (SNII), support is given<br />
in a wide range of sub-sectors such as graphics, systems analysis,<br />
hardware and software. A new research and development laboratory<br />
was established by SNII in 2016, focussing on apps, mechanical and<br />
technical prototypes and software solutions.<br />
SECTOR INSIGHT<br />
A community telecoms network<br />
has been established in<br />
a rural area.<br />
• ICT start-ups can get office<br />
space and support<br />
from the ECITI.<br />
SNII also hosted a national conference<br />
on “Universal Affordable<br />
Access to Communications in<br />
South Africa” in 2016. An example<br />
of what can be done to reduce<br />
telecommunication costs in<br />
rural areas was presented by the<br />
University of the Western <strong>Cape</strong>,<br />
who have teamed up with the<br />
Mankosi community in a rural part<br />
of the <strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Cape</strong> and created<br />
the Zenzeleni Network. This is essentially<br />
a community telecoms<br />
company where local calls are<br />
free, data is considerably cheaper<br />
and calls to other networks half<br />
the normal cost.<br />
The Small Enterprise<br />
Development Agency (Seda)<br />
is an agency of the National<br />
Department of Trade and<br />
Industry, and gives non-financial<br />
support to entrepreneurs.<br />
The National Electronic Media<br />
Institute of South Africa (NEMISA)<br />
was originally created to create<br />
skills for the broadcasting<br />
EASTERN CAPE BUSINESS <strong>2017</strong><br />
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