Gauteng Business 2016 edition

INTERVIEW
Randburg CCI
steering local business
A finalist in the SADC South, 2015 Africa’s Most Influential Women in Business and
Government Awards, Linda Blackbeard is the dynamic and driven CEO of the Randburg
Chamber of Commerce and Industry, an organisation that doesn’t take can’t or no for an
answer, when it comes to standing up for the rights and needs of local business.
Please share with us some of the success
stories of your Chamber?
In the last couple of years we have done a lot to unite
business in the Randburg, Sandton and Midrand region
and, in the process, have succeeded in creating
awareness of what we as a Chamber can effectively
do for the business community. We have achieved a
lot for our members this year and have earned credibility
a lot of out in the market place.
What is the Chamber’s representation in
terms of all communities?
SMME’s and black businesses form a large part of
our Chamber, We have a very strong BEE component.
We’ve facilitated many worthwhile introductions
and given assistance to the newer businesses
through training courses and are in the process of
negotiating with CoJ, to set up a central business
hub that will allow us to offer a one stop info and
assistance location. Many of the young businesses
don’t know where or who to go to for help, so we
will step in here to guide and assist them.
Tell me about the trade delegations you
lead?
Much emphasis on cross-border business opportunities
has enabled us to develop excellent relationships
with our SADC countries. This is a very strong point for
which Chambers is well known. It includes facilitating
cross border trade and investment opportunities as
well as introductions for agencies & development/
investment into Africa.
We have at present excellent relations with Zambia,
Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Malawi, Nigeria,
and Taiwan.
Our relationships with various Taiwanese companies
have enabled us to negotiate the rights to
purchase the use of their technology and machinery
in RSA. They offer transfer of skills to the local
businesses in RSA, to enable them to manufacture
goods needed in our country. The technology and
the especially their knowledge, is way ahead of us, so
this is proving to be such a valuable and important
relationship for businesses RSA.
Strong relationships built with a number of
European investors, interested in various local projects,
is proving most beneficial. We focus a lot on
energy and water as well as green projects. Our Rural
water purification project, to supply clean healthy
drinking water to the RSA rural areas; is a very difference
concept, where the rural communities benefit
financially from this to help them grow and develop.
How else does the Chamber play a role?
We do Certificates of Origin and are officially accredited
officers. We work closely with the City of Jo’burg and
sit on their business and tourism sub committees. We
will do anything we can to help businesses. I believe its
always best to establish what the needs of business is,
so we offer the correct benefits to members.
We face a tough year with the prospect of more
interest rate hikes, along with other issues such as
energy supply and water shortages, but for every
problem there is a solution. We don’t like to look at
the negatives, we prefer to focus the positive options.
It helps to have good people beside you, to seek out
the solutions to all the challenges we face on a daily
basis and I am most grateful for the amazing EXCO
team I have, made up of members of our Chamber.
Without them, I would be lost.
GAUTENG BUSINESS 2016
94