The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber welcomes the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s (DTIC) commitment to finalising a comprehensive omnibus bill to reduce unnecessary red tape and improve the ease of doing business. This marks a critical step in cutting through excessive regulatory red tape that constrains economic activity, limits investment and impacts business confidence, especially in regions like Nelson Mandela Bay that have huge potential but where investors may become deterred by the onerous requirements and lengthy timeframes to implement planned investments.
The proposed legislative reforms signal a long-awaited shift in government’s approach, acknowledging the urgent need to dismantle structural barriers that have long held back economic expansion and job creation. By targeting key pieces of legislation, including the Infrastructure Development Act, the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act, and the International Trade Administration Act, the DTIC is demonstrating the kind of bold policy leadership the country desperately needs.
For the metro, this legislative reform package is more than just national policy, it is an action needed to unlock the potential of our local economy, create jobs and revitalise the metro’s industrial base. This aligns with our strategy of positioning the metro as the Bay of Opportunity and a leading manufacturing base in the African continent.
Updating the Infrastructure Development Act will directly benefit Nelson Mandela Bay by enabling faster planning and execution of catalytic infrastructure projects, whether the focus is on maintaining and upgrading ageing water, sanitation and electricity infrastructure or improving logistics corridors that connect local manufacturers to domestic and global markets. Efficient infrastructure is not just a convenience, it is the foundation of job creation and industrial competitiveness in this metro.
Reforming the outdated National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act will bring consistency and predictability to the local property development process. Bay businesses have long faced frustration with municipal delays, misalignment between departments, and outdated regulatory frameworks. Modernising this Act will help unlock stalled developments, attract private sector investment and support spatial transformation in the city.
Strengthening the International Trade Administration Act is particularly crucial for our region’s manufacturing and export sectors, which are under severe strain from cheap imports entering the market. A more robust trade enforcement framework will level the playing field for local producers, protect jobs and support localisation. Supporting local products is key to the Bay’s economic turnaround. When local businesses, from car assemblers to packaging manufacturers, are supported, they hire locally, pay local suppliers and reinvest in the community. This multiplies economic activity and helps reduce unemployment. Every purchase made from a local business helps sustain jobs in sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, services, technology and those deeply rooted within communities. For one person employed directly in manufacturing, four direct jobs are created downstream. For every one person employed directly, 10 persons are supported.
Also, choosing a South African made product enables investment into local community support programmes and initiatives to help address critical areas of need such as education, skills development, hunger and poverty alleviation, healthcare and sports development.
However, the Chamber emphasises that regulatory reform alone is not enough. Its success hinges on resolving systemic challenges that continue to impact upon business confidence and erode our metro’s potential. These include:
- Logistics inefficiencies at our ports and within the rail network that raise operational costs for local industries;
- Unreliable water, sanitation and electricity infrastructure, which has impacted manufacturers and other small to large businesses;
- Widespread crime and safety concerns, which increase the cost of doing business and the discourage new investment;
- Lack of delivery of basic municipal services;
- Lack of coordinated implementation, which continues to stall high-impact projects that could drive job creation and industrial renewal.
The Chamber believes that bold legislation must be matched by bold execution. The implementation of these reforms must be backed by real accountability and supported by partnerships at both a national and local level. The business community cannot continue to operate in an environment of uncertainty, weak infrastructure and unreliable service delivery.
As such, we urge the government to stay the course and ensure that this initiative moves from intention to impact and help the country chart a sustainable economic path which will create much needed jobs.
Denise van Huyssteen is the Chief Executive Officer of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber.