Nelson Mandela Bay, 13 October 2026 - The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber has achieved B-BBEE Level 2 status on its latest Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Scorecard, marking a significant milestone in the more than 160-year-old organisation’s ongoing transformation and its evolution into a more agile, impact-driven business organisation.
The achievement strengthens the Chamber’s ability to pursue opportunities that support enterprise and supplier development, while also creating a tangible benefit for Chamber members who financially support its programmes through their B-BBEE spend. Qualifying members are entitled to claiming B-BBEE points for their scorecard linked to their financial support of the Chamber in the form of enterprise development, membership fees, sponsorships and other procurement related expenditure incurred.
Chamber CEO Denise van Huyssteen says the Level 2 achievement reflects a deliberate approach to transformation and the growing impact of the organisation’s programmes.
“Achieving Level 2 is an important milestone for the Chamber. It demonstrates that our transformation is being reflected in both how we operate and the programmes we deliver, while strengthening the value we can create for members and the broader economy,” says Van Huyssteen.
She says the achievement forms part of the Chamber’s broader evolution towards mobilising its collective resources, expertise and influence behind practical interventions that contribute to sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
The Chamber’s transformation is being pursued alongside its work to broaden economic participation, strengthen local enterprises and create pathways to opportunity through its platforms, partnerships and member network.
Its Entrepreneurship Desk, established more than four years ago, now supports 487 MSMEs, of which 71% are Black-owned and 50% are female-owned.
The Desk focuses on strengthening the sustainability and competitiveness of smaller businesses by connecting entrepreneurs with markets, finance, established businesses and relevant expertise. The Chamber will continue to build its capacity to support these enterprises as contributors to local economic growth and job creation.
Its Skills Development Desk has also recently released the first 2026 Nelson Mandela Bay Manufacturing Skills Audit Report, highlighting a widening disconnect between the skills available in the metro and those required by its manufacturing economy.
The report is intended to help align skills development more closely with actual industry demand, particularly in a metro with a substantial manufacturing and automotive base.
These interventions form part of a broader member-driven programme of action through the Chamber’s Desks, strategic task teams and 12 geographic clusters, all focused on advancing the Bay of Opportunity.
Van Huyssteen says the Chamber’s strength lies in its ability to bring businesses and other stakeholders together around challenges that require collective action.
The Chamber’s Projects Desk, which supports the work of its Local Economy Reinvention Think Tank, has been operating for more than two years and is currently reviewing nine potential projects, with four pre-feasibility studies completed. More than 40 research papers have also been produced as the Chamber advances its aspiration of becoming a leading Think Tank on the African continent.
Its Trade and Investment Desk is proactively driving investor interest in Nelson Mandela Bay and positioning the metro around its significant economic assets, including its two ports and the Coega Special Economic Zone.
“Few metros can match the combination of industrial capability, infrastructure and specialist expertise available on our shores. Our challenge is to organise these strengths around practical opportunities that generate investment, business growth and jobs,” Van Huyssteen says.
The Chamber’s role, she says, is increasingly about connecting these assets, capabilities and stakeholders to translate the Bay’s economic potential into measurable opportunities.
The B-BBEE achievement provides further momentum for this work while strengthening the platform through which members contribute financially, professionally and strategically to the economic resurgence of the Bay.
For the Chamber, Level 2 represents both recognition of progress made and a platform for deeper transformation and greater impact.
“Ultimately, this is about building an organisation that is fit for the future and using the collective strength of our members to unlock the potential of the Bay of Opportunity,” Van Huyssteen concludes.
#BayOfOpportunity
Issued by:
Sibongile Dimbaza
Communications Officer