Gauteng Business 2016 edition
The 2016 edition of the Gauteng Business and Investment Guide is the premier business and investment guide for the Gauteng province and the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA). In addition to detailed profiles of key provincial organisations, including the GGDA, the Automotive Industry Development Corporation Centre (AIDC), the Gauteng Investment Centre, the Gauteng IDZ, the Gauteng ICT Park SEZ and Constitution Hill, this edition includes well-researched economic and demographic data on the province, as well as insights into the province’s five development corridors and the new industries and development nodes in these corridors; a focus on Gauteng as a global city region; and key growth sectors for the province.
The 2016 edition of the Gauteng Business and Investment Guide is the premier business and investment guide for the Gauteng province and the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA). In addition to detailed profiles of key provincial organisations, including the GGDA, the Automotive Industry Development Corporation Centre (AIDC), the Gauteng Investment Centre, the Gauteng IDZ, the Gauteng ICT Park SEZ and Constitution Hill, this edition includes well-researched economic and demographic data on the province, as well as insights into the province’s five development corridors and the new industries and development nodes in these corridors; a focus on Gauteng as a global city region; and key growth sectors for the province.
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INTERVIEW<br />
Randburg CCI<br />
steering local business<br />
A finalist in the SADC South, 2015 Africa’s Most Influential Women in <strong>Business</strong> and<br />
Government Awards, Linda Blackbeard is the dynamic and driven CEO of the Randburg<br />
Chamber of Commerce and Industry, an organisation that doesn’t take can’t or no for an<br />
answer, when it comes to standing up for the rights and needs of local business.<br />
Please share with us some of the success<br />
stories of your Chamber?<br />
In the last couple of years we have done a lot to unite<br />
business in the Randburg, Sandton and Midrand region<br />
and, in the process, have succeeded in creating<br />
awareness of what we as a Chamber can effectively<br />
do for the business community. We have achieved a<br />
lot for our members this year and have earned credibility<br />
a lot of out in the market place.<br />
What is the Chamber’s representation in<br />
terms of all communities?<br />
SMME’s and black businesses form a large part of<br />
our Chamber, We have a very strong BEE component.<br />
We’ve facilitated many worthwhile introductions<br />
and given assistance to the newer businesses<br />
through training courses and are in the process of<br />
negotiating with CoJ, to set up a central business<br />
hub that will allow us to offer a one stop info and<br />
assistance location. Many of the young businesses<br />
don’t know where or who to go to for help, so we<br />
will step in here to guide and assist them.<br />
Tell me about the trade delegations you<br />
lead?<br />
Much emphasis on cross-border business opportunities<br />
has enabled us to develop excellent relationships<br />
with our SADC countries. This is a very strong point for<br />
which Chambers is well known. It includes facilitating<br />
cross border trade and investment opportunities as<br />
well as introductions for agencies & development/<br />
investment into Africa.<br />
We have at present excellent relations with Zambia,<br />
Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Malawi, Nigeria,<br />
and Taiwan.<br />
Our relationships with various Taiwanese companies<br />
have enabled us to negotiate the rights to<br />
purchase the use of their technology and machinery<br />
in RSA. They offer transfer of skills to the local<br />
businesses in RSA, to enable them to manufacture<br />
goods needed in our country. The technology and<br />
the especially their knowledge, is way ahead of us, so<br />
this is proving to be such a valuable and important<br />
relationship for businesses RSA.<br />
Strong relationships built with a number of<br />
European investors, interested in various local projects,<br />
is proving most beneficial. We focus a lot on<br />
energy and water as well as green projects. Our Rural<br />
water purification project, to supply clean healthy<br />
drinking water to the RSA rural areas; is a very difference<br />
concept, where the rural communities benefit<br />
financially from this to help them grow and develop.<br />
How else does the Chamber play a role?<br />
We do Certificates of Origin and are officially accredited<br />
officers. We work closely with the City of Jo’burg and<br />
sit on their business and tourism sub committees. We<br />
will do anything we can to help businesses. I believe its<br />
always best to establish what the needs of business is,<br />
so we offer the correct benefits to members.<br />
We face a tough year with the prospect of more<br />
interest rate hikes, along with other issues such as<br />
energy supply and water shortages, but for every<br />
problem there is a solution. We don’t like to look at<br />
the negatives, we prefer to focus the positive options.<br />
It helps to have good people beside you, to seek out<br />
the solutions to all the challenges we face on a daily<br />
basis and I am most grateful for the amazing EXCO<br />
team I have, made up of members of our Chamber.<br />
Without them, I would be lost.<br />
GAUTENG BUSINESS <strong>2016</strong><br />
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