Two Nelson Mandela Bay business representative bodies have entered into a collaborative agreement to help advance the region’s exports, trade and investment.
The partnership brings together the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber’s Trade and Investment Desk and Exporters Eastern Cape’s export-focused network to support businesses overcoming export hurdles on the ground, and positioning them to become more competitive, better equipped to access new markets and expand their contribution to the regional economy.
“Our mandates differ, in that the Business Chamber undertakes strategic initiatives and interventions to drive for an enabling environment for its members, while alongside this encouraging the retention and attraction of investment and employment in the Bay. Exporters EC in turn assists in growing exports out of the Eastern Cape, but together we have a shared goal of advancing the region’s economy by supporting businesses to succeed. The Business Chamber is leading the way with the support they are providing to businesses in the Metro and we are excited to partner with them through the MOU,” said Exporters EC Chairman, Quintin Levey.
Chamber Chief Executive Officer Denise van Huyssteen said, ‘’This will be achieved through lobbying and advocacy efforts focused on critical logistics, tariffs, and other trade facilitation issues which impact upon the sustainability of exporters,’’.
‘’The partnership will further provide a platform for the two organisations to share relevant industry intelligence and strengthen engagement with stakeholders responsible for trade facilitation and the broader export environment. For businesses seeking to access international markets, the ability to move goods efficiently, manage trade-related costs and navigate the export environment is critical to their competitiveness.”
The partnership will provide a platform for the two organisations to identify and better understand these challenges, share relevant industry intelligence and strengthen engagement with stakeholders responsible for trade facilitation and the broader export environment.
“Through engagement and information sharing we want to promote and grow the Eastern Cape export market as well as our respective members who are exporters and emerging/prospective exporters,” said Levey.
NMBBC is representative of a broad spectrum of businesses in Nelson Mandela Bay. It is amongst the largest organised business structures in the Eastern Cape with a membership of approximately 700 businesses.
PHOTO CAPTION: At the signing of the collaborative agreement are, from left Quintin Levey (Exporters Eastern Cape Chairman), Suzanne Loubser (Exporters Eastern Cape Operations Manager), Kelvin Naidoo (Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber President) and Denise van Huyssteen (Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber CEO).