A historic agreement has been signed by the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber’s North End Cluster today to establish a business association as part of a collaborative effort to address key service delivery challenges facing their geographical area.
This bodes well for the business community in the area as it reaffirms their commitment to eradicate common issues that affect the ease of doing business within their precinct. It also aligns with the Chamber’s resurgence strategy that encourages businesses and civil society to actively find solutions instead of depending on the government solutions. More importantly, the collaboration between the businesses also creates an opportunity for them to develop an action-orientated strategy that will respond effectively to common challenges relating to electricity supply, water shortages, safety and security, illegal dumping and road maintenance.
For instance, some businesses in this Cluster have already taken a lead by enlisting the services of a maintenance company to identify damaged or clogged stormwater drainage to clean and fix them.
Over the last year, the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber has facilitated the creation of geographic clusters namely Perseverance, Deal Party, Kariega, North End and Struandale. As such, today’s historic signing brings to three the number of geographical clusters who have adopted a more formal approach to establish a Business Association, following the Perseverance and Deal Party Clusters.
“As the Chamber, we place collaboration at the centre of everything we do because we understand the importance of partnerships and what can be achieved if all relevant parties work towards a common goal. These clusters demonstrate a resurgence mindset that places emphasis on eradicating silo mentalities and instead, moving in unison as communities and businesses,” says Denise van Huyssteen, Chief Executive Officer of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber.
“We are deeply encouraged by the enthusiasm and commitment shown by these businesses as it demonstrates what positive leadership can achieve. In order to retain investment, we must collectively show commitment in addressing challenges that threaten the ease of doing business in the Metro. This needs to be done in an action orientated manner, focused on the implementation of practical solutions which build long-term resilience and sustainability for the impacted businesses.”
North End Cluster chairperson James Flanagan says: “The road ahead will be a tough one, but business has decided to get involved and to be the change it wants to see in our environment. There are a lot of quick wins that the North End Business Cluster can achieve, but in order to do so we will need each and every business in the North End geographical area to roll up their sleeves; to take responsibility for their immediate surroundings; contribute financially so that the costs of expensive improvements can be covered and in so doing play a role in the upliftment of the North End geographical area. These quick wins are achievable, if we get the buy-in from the majority of businesses in our area.”