I fell in love with the Bay from a young age, as do countless visitors who discover the gem that is the Friendly City for the first time.
Golden beaches, unspoilt nature, the view from Brookes Hill or the Donkin, the place that the rest of SA came to for family seaside holidays.
A city founded by the colonial settlers of 1820, but with a history dating much further back that underpins the multicultural ethos of today.
Much has changed since our childhood summers, and few will disagree that the Bay is in urgent need of upliftment – a resurgence movement that not only restores what has decayed but improves and provides inclusive opportunities.
As the 6th most populous city in SA and the cultural, economic and financial hub of the Eastern Cape, we are large enough to offer big-city amenities and services while compact enough to be easily traversed, and a place where social and business networks welcome newcomers.
If we are to resurge the Bay, there are two things that are imperative to changing perceptions and rebuilding the confidence of both local businesses and people, and visitors, tourists and prospective investors – cleaning and safety.
First impressions count and, generally, the first thing to make an impression on entering a city is its physical state — does it appear neat, tidy and clean, or are the buildings grimy, the waterways clogged with litter, trash blowing around on broken pavements?
Talk to anyone who has recently returned from Cape Town, or any well-run town in the country, and one of the first things you will hear them remark on is the cleanliness of the place.
Cleanliness gives the impression of a well-run, ordered, efficiently functioning city.
It builds confidence that this is a place that works; it contributes to a feeling of safety; it enables local people to show off their town with pride, with confidence that rubs off on others.
Open a newspaper or scroll through your Facebook or Whatsapp neighbourhood groups, and it is clear that crime in the metro is at unacceptable levels, impacting negatively not only on personal and business safety, but a serious deterrent to tourism and investment.
There are several positive initiatives under way, notably installation of cameras and increased monitoring and patrols in hotspot areas, especially through the chamber-supported clusters.
We are also driving increased co-operation between safety and security authorities, private security companies and other role-players.
These initiatives must continue and be supported by the fiscus with the necessary resources.
Getting the basics right is the foundation for fixing the bigger things, and attracting the tourism and investment that generates the income to do that.
This needs to become deeply entrenched, so that we are not just polishing the surface but building an inclusive metro with opportunity that benefits all economic sectors and the people working in them.
The automotive industry is the anchor of the Nelson Mandela Bay value chain – a chain that links through the auto component suppliers to their suppliers and partners, to the diversity of manufacturing and agro-processing, to logistics and storage, to professional services providers, through to retail, tourism and hospitality.
The Bay of Opportunity exists for all the links in this chain.
Our advantages as the automotive manufacturing hub of SA, with a strong, diversified manufacturing and skills base, are complemented by the natural assets and lifestyle advantages of clean beaches, wildlife and nature reserves, opportunities for outdoor adventure and sports, good schools, excellent hotels and restaurants, attractive neighbourhoods.
These natural assets, along with big events and a vibrant city life, are vital to attracting tourists as well as retaining and attracting the young talent that new investors want to employ.
We need to support the development of tourism attractions, and facilities for leisure, sports and major events – and maintain what we have in a clean and safe state.
Realising the multifaceted potential of the Bay of Opportunity is a big vision and a big task that no one role-player can accomplish alone.
However, looking at the activist and action-oriented stance of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, at the constructive working relationships we have developed with local and national government, development agencies, civil society, I am confident that it is possible.
Looking at the positive differences being made through partnerships, lobbying and targeted initiatives such as the recent NMB Manufacturing Showcase and the launch of the Local Economy Reinvention Think Thank, as well as practical improvements literally at street level through the work of the 11 geographic clusters, I have confidence that our vision is realisable.
Our spirit of collaboration for the greater good is turning opportunity and potential into reality, one step at a time.
As business, we need to maintain our positive working relationship with the municipality as a strategic partner; we need to get state-owned enterprises on board to support the metro’s infrastructure needs; we need to nurture and support small businesses and entrepreneurs; we need to take the broader community with us.
As a metro, Nelson Mandela Bay is having conversations and speaking on public platforms about our potential and our opportunities in a way that no other SA city is doing.
We are still known for being people of friendliness, smiles and warm hospitality. The Friendly City of old translates to today’s Nelson Mandela Bay as the Bay of Ubuntu – a place where people connect and care for each other.
It is that spirit that will take us forward.
Together, we can awake the sleeping giant that is Nelson Mandela Bay.