The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber says it has seen growth in volunteerism and collaboration with the local business community.
It says this which has led to a R20 million revenue generation for the year of 2022.
The business chamber held its 13th Annual General Meeting in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape.
Many businesses endured a tough time during the previous financial year due to the slow economy, rolling blackouts and political instability.
Despite these challenges, the business chamber CEO, Denise Van Huyssteen, says the resilience in the business community has shown growth for the metro’s economy.
“It’s been a very challenging year for business, and I think we probably faced the most extreme crisis ever after COVID, especially with the electricity challenges that we faced…and that is a direct impact on manufacturing. But we have been very proactive to mitigate these challenges. So we have had our successes such as the voluntary load shedding. So, it has saved many businesses from closing their doors but there is still much more that needs to be done.”
Load shedding an impediment
Meanwhile, the automotive industry remains the biggest player in the Nelson Mandela Bay’s economy with 53% of all South African vehicle exports coming from the province.
However, the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa CEO, Mikel Mabasa, says load shedding remains a thorn on their side.
“The impact is massive. we have now quantified that particular impact the number of units that we have lost since the beginning of the year in terms of production and sales. We are working very closely with the minister to find solutions. We have already identified some low laying fruits particularly for the city and other low laying fruits where OEM (original equipment manufacturer) and their suppliers are not insulated from load shedding. What we are trying to create is an uninterrupted quality power supply.”
