A new leading investment destination in Africa

The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber has launched the Trade and Investment Desk in a bid to position the metro as a diversified manufacturing investment destination and exports hub for Africa

The Desk, in partnership with global auditing, advisory & tax leaders BDO South Africa, global financial services leader Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) and the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC), is a key driver in the Business Chamber’s strategy to unlock the economic potential of Nelson Mandela Bay to attract and foreign direct investment and enable job creation.

The positioning of the metro as the Bay of Opportunity is aimed to utilise its unique advantages as a two-port city with a strong manufacturing base. This is according to Chamber chief executive Denise Van Huyssteen, who continued, “The Trade and Investment Desk is a strategic driver in bringing this vision to life, working as a united business community along with our partners and key role-players in the trade and investment space to market the Bay as an investment destination of choice and secure catalytic projects that will drive growth.

“The launch of the Desk is a major step forward in resurging the Bay and setting up the local economy for growth and diversification amid massive global advances in technology, new energy and the need for climate resilience. In parallel, as the Chamber is working to improve the enabling environment for business, it is critical that we are proactive in building investor confidence in the advantages of the Bay, and providing support to retain and attract investors.”

Viable new business opportunities

The Trade and Investment Desk will lead on the marketing of Nelson Mandela Bay as an investment destination to secure partnerships with key trade and investment stakeholders. It will also support potential investors with economic data, local information and networking while facilitating trade and export opportunities for local businesses. Moreover, it will support the Chamber’s Local Economy Reinvention Think Tank.

Bonga Mokoena, BDO South Africa CEO, commented, “I believe that as partners, we are aligned in our vision of unlocking economic growth. The Chamber’s Trade and Investment Desk, founded on global investment promotion best practice, will be an important lever in our collective vision and create much needed opportunities for the people, businesses and communities of Nelson Mandela Bay and South Africa at large.”

“Nelson Mandela Bay is the largest commercial centre in the Eastern Cape, an anchor for large-scale trade, investment and tourism, and the automotive manufacturers in the Bay are the largest contributor to provincial manufacturing output and trade,” added, ECDC chief executive Ayanda Wakaba. “It stands to reason that the metro and the Chamber are key partners for the province in economic development.”