The Trade and Investment Desk is an initiative showcases the strength of a public-private partnership between the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, BDO South Africa, Rand Merchant Bank and the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC). It aims to stimulate trade opportunities, access to resources and new markets, job creation and also to attract investment, thereby bolstering economic growth in Nelson Mandela Bay. 
Furthermore, it has the potential to catalyse a range of economic activities, from small business growth to large-scale industrial investments.
The Exporter Development Programme is intended to equip Eastern Cape-based MSMEs that have export potential with the knowledge and skills needed for effective and successful participation in international trade, and ultimately to increase the number of Eastern Cape companies engaged in sustainable, profitable exporting. The programme aims to address the key constraints that companies face before entering the export market. Some of these constraints encompass foreign markets that are too competitive/unprofitable; making contact with potential buyers; the cost of marketing the product; transport/logistics costs; export documentation; and changing products for the export market among many. The EXD programme is designed to assist companies with such challenges. The exporter development programme is targeted at those firms that are on the cusp of exporting, but require some additional incentive or support to enter and explore new markets.
