Nelson Mandela Bay has a powerful story to tell – a track record of success in manufacturing and agro-processing, innovation and exports combined with the beauty and diversity of our natural environment and multicultural heritage, and most of all, the talents, can-do attitude and collaborative spirit of our people.
This is the story we tell in the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber’s Bay of Opportunity campaign to position the metro as a globally competitive, diverse hub for manufacturing and exports, trade, investment and tourism.
Our “proof points” include having two commercial harbours, one a deepwater port, along with being SA’s auto manufacturing hub. Our manufacturing and processing sectors are diverse, globally-connected, and in some cases world-leading, including pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, wool, mohair, citrus, hides and skins, textiles and footwear, fishing, and a growing technology development ecosystem.
Now we are bringing this positioning to life in practical terms, to bring real economic opportunities to local business, by our soon to be rolled out Made in the Bay campaign, a distinctive region-of-origin brand and seal of authenticity.
Made in the Bay enables us to tangibly tell the stories of the local people, products and capabilities that represent the metro’s strengths, not only as a place to invest but as a place where world-class solutions are already being conceived, built and delivered globally.
Made in the Bay ties the identity and value of locally-made goods and services to Nelson Mandela Bay, enabling local business to leverage the assets and advantages of the Bay of Opportunity on a unified platform that showcases their achievements, builds local pride and helps to connect them to new markets and opportunities.
It is a story that can be told and owned by all in the Bay, not limited to manufacturing and technology. We know there are artists, designers, entertainers, artisan bakers and butchers, shoemakers, vegetable growers, candle-makers, tourism attractions, and more, who can use the Made in the Bay brand to their benefit.
The economic logic is that promoting local products and services in a coordinated, unified way opens doors to new markets, and the effect of businesses being able to scale-up ripples through the entire local economy, creating jobs and enhancing our competitiveness as a region.
The opening of EBOR Automotive System’s new state-of-the art plant in Kariega last week was a powerful illustration of the depth and impact of a Made in the Bay ethos in supporting diverse local businesses, which in turn supports retention of local employment.
As a locally-grown automotive components supplier, that employs over 200 people and has produced over 100 million parts in just over a decade, EBOR’s milestone investment of over R100m in scaling up production capacity and advanced technical capabilities signals strong confidence in the Bay’s long-term growth prospects.
In addition, what was really heartening to see was their tangible commitment to supporting local, by sourcing as much as possible for the new plant from local businesses – from cement and construction materials through to office furniture.
Highlighting the creative possibilities that a Made in the Bay focus can inspire, two of the metro’s longest-standing businesses – Volkswagen Group Africa and Mastertons, SA’s oldest coffee roastery – have teamed up to produce The People’s Blend to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the VW plant in Kariega.
It’s a great interwoven story. The 102-year-old Mastertons, still owned by its founding family and still using its first delivery vehicle, a 1973 VW Kombi, now supplies its coffee beans and blends across South Africa.
VW’s legacy in the Bay dates back to the first VW Beetle rolled off the production line in Kariega in 1951. Now the much-expanded plant is the company’s African headquarters, the sole manufacturer of the Polo for export to 38 countries, and our region’s largest private employer.
Other homegrown businesses celebrating milestone anniversaries this year include Aberdare Cables (80 years), Eastcape Training Centre (ETC, 50), AlgoaFM (40), Atlas Security (40), and S4 Integration (30) – highlighting the resilience and continued innovation of businesses born in the Bay and making national and global impacts.
There are many more such stories, among businesses large and small, both old and new, that speak to the heritage, innovation and local and global connections that make Made in the Bay real.
We want to see the Made in the Bay stamp not only on VW Polos, Isuzu bakkies and trucks, or Ford engines, but also on locally-produced software, apps, ceramics, socks, safety or school shoes, beauty products, calamari boxes, milk cartons, and on local accounting firms, law practices, tourism … the list of great products, services, innovations and people coming out of the Bay is endless.
A Made in the Bay seal of authenticity has been designed by the Chamber for our members to apply to locally produced goods and packaging as well as participating companies’ online presence, vehicles, signage and marketing materials.
The intention is that Made in the Bay must go beyond a promotional exercise to practical actions that connect local businesses with real opportunities for trade and collaboration.
Thus, the campaign is supported by a dedicated trade portal on our Bay of Opportunity site and planned activations such as pop-up stores, international showrooms within our global partner networks, and targeted trade exhibitions and engagements.
The Made in the Bay stamp of authenticity is ready and waiting at the Business Chamber for all businesses interested in participating.
Lunga Mjodo is Chief Growth Officer of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber.