Despite all the challenges faced by business this year, which are not going to magically disappear on 1 January, there is still reason to have hope and optimism in Nelson Mandela Bay next year.
More than simply saying that “things can only get better from here”; there are some solid reasons not to be drowning in pessimism and despair.
When the Chamber Board set our course for 2022, we were unanimous that we, and our businesses, wanted to remain in Nelson Mandela Bay and that we needed to take action together to retain and grow investments and jobs here.
Why do these captains of industry, professionals and entrepreneurs still believe in Nelson Mandela Bay when they could be packing for greener pastures?
One reason is simply the lifestyle benefits and natural assets of the Bay.
In interviews with our Board members for our monthly member newsletter over the past year, we asked them all the same question: “What do you love about living and working in Nelson Mandela Bay?”
Great restaurants, plenty of outdoor activities, fresh air, wide open spaces, natural beauty, travel connectivity to other major cities, and good schools and tertiary institutions to support research and innovation — reasons that came up again and again, benefits that exist despite issues of crumbling infrastructure and lack of maintenance of the metro’s recreational, heritage and tourism assets.
There is more to it than the attraction of a coastal city lifestyle and a moderate climate, though.
The metro has invaluable assets to support business, with two ports, the Coega special economic zone which outperforms all others in SA, ample land for industrial development, plenty of wind and sunshine for renewable energy generation.
We have a skilled workforce supporting a globally competitive, export-orientated industrial sector, in both manufacturing and the hi-tech space. Jendamark Automation, the 2022 Africa Tech Company of the Year, is but one example that comes to mind of a locallybased, globally operating technology innovator.
Amid an environment with serious challenges in electricity, water and infrastructure, we still see notable investments coming to the Bay.
The R73billion Hive Hydrogen plant in the Coega SEZ, set to be the world’s largest green ammonia producer once fully operational in 2026, not only offers substantial job creation opportunities but positions the Bay as a key renewable energy hub for the African continent.
A proposed power-banking arrangement with the municipality has the potential to end load-shedding in the metro by 2026 and will advance the Bay’s green economy.
This will be complemented by a renewable energy generation facility set to come on stream in 2024, a trailblazing initiative in SA where over 20 of the highest energy users have come together in a Renewable Energy Cluster, under the banner of the Chamber, to present an independent renewable energy investor with a unified customer base.
The cluster has selected a preferred provider and is in negotiations on terms, with the new facility potentially removing at least one stage of loadshedding and being available to supply renewable energy to a wider customer base.
The recently opened Boardwalk Mall is another signal of investor confidence in the Bay, providing an amenity that services locals and supports our tourism product offering. Meanwhile, there are encouraging signs of collaboration among tourism product owners and stakeholders to boost our tourist facilities and marketing.
One of the most positive developments this year has been seeing the commitment of local business to work together and drive practical solutions to common problems, adopting an action-orientated and solution-focused approach rather than just bemoaning the challenges from the sidelines and waiting for government to deliver.
Focusing on positive action, solutions and making a constructive difference has ignited a spirit of hope and optimism that change is possible.
And a difference has been made by organised business in the Bay — in securing electricity substations, in repairing leaks and saving treated water, in limiting the impact of loadshedding on industry to protect investments and jobs, in businesses standing together to find solutions to shared problems in their areas, larger businesses volunteering free services to support small businesses and entrepreneurs. Just a few examples.
We are moving into a new era of collaboration, between businesses across diverse sectors as well as competitors in the same arena, and collaboration of multiple role players across business, government, education and civil society.
Such social compacts require all of us to be open and transparent, about our agendas and our weaknesses, and that the focus on finding solutions. Defensiveness and finding reasons not to act or to change, will not move us forward.
Of course, we must be realistic. The challenges we face in electricity and water supply, infrastructure maintenance, out of-control vandalism of public infrastructure, ongoing political instability, pose a very serious threat to businesses and jobs.
However, we have shown that by working together it is possible to make a difference.
We have the natural, physical and human assets in the Bay, and the will to act. It is not too late to build a positive future.