It started small and, perhaps aptly, in Perseverance one of the oldest and smallest industrial zones in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Facing infrastructure and service delivery challenges that hampered their operations, a group of businesses in Perseverance banded together just over two years ago to create a stronger, united voice and collaborate in addressing shared problems.
The intention was two-fold. First, to be able to engage key stakeholders as representing a distinct area rather than as individual businesses, to raise concerns and propose solutions as a collective acting for the greater good.
Second, to mobilise voluntary resources and time to tackle problems themselves, together such as providing security to the electricity substation, clearing illegal dumping, and cleaning stormwater drains and canals.
While many of the challenges facing business are common across the metro, there are also issues specific to distinct industrial, commercial and tourism areas. Priorities differ, the nature of business operations differs, as do the nature and needs of those residents in an area or surrounding communities.
The business chamber supports the “cluster” model developed in Perseverance, and provides admin services and support with facilitating lobbying and stakeholder engagements
and the concept has taken hold, with the seventh geographic cluster in the Bay launched recently.
The chamber’s support for the concept, which extends into sectoral clusters too, including renewable energy and property, is premised on mobilising business to get the city working again, and retain much-needed investment and jobs.
The Perseverance Cluster has been formalised in the Perseverance Business Association (PBA) with more than 20 businesses as members, and the clusters in North End and Struandale have also formalised their structures, together with identifying priorities, formulating action plans and getting to work.
Businesses have also clustered to drive collaborative and more efficient approaches to tackling thorny issues in their areas, in Deal Party, Kariega and Neave/Korsten, with the Beachfront Cluster the latest to be launched.
What is really heartening to see is that the clusters are getting businesses and stakeholders across the spectrum involved from large multinationals to small entrepreneurs, as well as civil society role players such as neighbourhood watches, community policing forums, tourism bodies and environmental conservation organisations, depending on the needs and priorities of specific areas.
Those involved want their businesses to remain in this metro, in a more conducive environment to doing business, and they have taken the attitude that finger-pointing and finding blame serves little purpose rather get up and do something to improve matters.
The businesses involved are volunteering and pooling their resources of expertise and time, and financial support through membership fees, and they are making a practical, tangible impact from securing substations in Struandale and repainting road markings in North End to clearing illegal dumping in Perseverance.
The clusters are actively engaging with local government and other relevant authorities, and they are being taken seriously.
A key point to make is that, despite cluster members putting money and time into improving their areas, this is by no means about taking over the work of the municipality, for which we pay utilities and rates.
At the same time as we all work to make a difference, the clusters, both individually and through the chamber, are working with the municipality to identify priorities, offer solutions that can be driven together and advocate for improved service delivery.
We believe this approach is helpful to the municipality too, in knowing from its customers what the priorities in different areas are and where best to deploy resources and attend to the most pressing problems
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Some of the significant progress made in the various clusters recently include:
Kariega: The cluster has repaired some of the severely potholed roads and have adopted substations in the area.
Perseverance: The PBA recently hosted a high-level National Treasury delegation to discuss models for the area to potentially become a formal industrial development zone. In addition to armed security and response for the substation, cameras are being installed, while the cluster is also working with the Zwartkops Trust on clearing the area around the substation and river conservation initiatives.
Struandale: The newly registered NPO is funding security for the four substations in the area as well as armed patrols, and has seen significant reduction in vandalism and cable theft.
North End: This cluster is focusing on quick, visible “wins” to encourage more participation and pride in the area. These include painting of faded road markings by the members and the municipality, with paint donated by a member. And businesses getting hands on involved in clearing litter, rubble and overgrown vegetation around their premises and the North End Lake.
Neave/Korsten: The cluster is working with the Community Policing Forum and neighbourhood watch on initiatives to secure the vital Chatty substation and raise awareness in the community about the severe impact of cable theft, and has donated items to these bodies to help their work.
All of those businesses that have got involved in the clusters, by working together are making a real impact on improving business conditions for themselves and others in their areas, and for people who live and work in those areas.
This is truly an example of the greater good.