PROFILE Border-Kei
PROFILE Border-Kei Chamber of Business Border-Kei Chamber of Business provides key services to over 700 member organisations, and aims to be the “voice of business” in the area. Value proposition To be the “voice of business” promoting an environment for growth and sustainability through maintaining strong, proactive relations with both internal and external stakeholders, including provincial and local government, member companies, other business organisations and organised labour. Geographic areas of operation Border-Kei Chamber of Business (BKCOB) has offices in East London and Queenstown which serve the greater Border-Kei region. Services and benefits to members BKCOB offers the following key services to member companies: • Member listing – After joining, members receive the member listing as part of their package. • Border-Kei Chamber of Business Membership Certificate – Members receive a personalised membership certificate at a new members’ induction and networking event. • New members’ induction and networking functions – The chamber holds six new members’ induction and networking functions annually, and these provide a valuable informal but structured opportunity to meet a broad range of businesspeople. • Letters of support – The chamber gladly provides letters of support to members trying to access government tenders, and letters of introduction to chambers in other centres for members attempting to expand their business footprint, whether provincially, nationally or globally. • Business Hi-Lite Magazine – This glossy B2B magazine is distributed monthly free-of-charge to all members, and keeps them in touch with chamber activities and developments in the area. • Trade & Information desk – Assists members with all their exporting and importing needs. • Investbuffalocity.com – A collaborative initiative where members can find various economic information on Buffalo City. It provides a platform to attract international investors, as well as provide exposure for local companies. • Committees – The chamber has a robust and effective committee system to facilitate members’ participation, and to enable the chamber to fulfil its role as the “voice of business”. Turnover BKCOB represents over 700 member organisations that generate an estimated annual turnover of R69-billion, and that employ some 52 000 people who earn an estimated annual income of R18-billion in total. KEY CONTACTS Executive Director: Les Holbrook Head of Communications: Drayton Brown Tel: +27 43 743 8438 | Fax: +27 43 748 1507 Email: info@bkcob.co.za or communications@bkcob.co.za Physical address: Chamber House, The Hub, Beacon Bay, Bonza Bay Road, East London 5241 Postal address: Postnet Suite 36, Private Bag X3, Beacon Bay 5205 Website: www.bkcob.co.za Please contact: Alana Velida at members@bkcob.co.za or call 043 743 8438 to join. EASTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2017 20
Promoting business in the region Les Holbrook, Executive Director of the Border-Kei Chamber of Business (BKCOB), highlights the reasons that investors should look no further than the Eastern Cape. INTERVIEW What are some of the Chamber Highlights for the past year? The Chamber tackles many and varied projects and focusses primarily on areas where the focus is on the cost and ease of doing business. Last year we handed back to Provincial Treasury a pilot project titled Buy Eastern Cape. This has been escalated to a priority initiative of the Provincial Premier. Strategic steps will now be taken to increase the procurement for enterprises located within the province. Our lobbying in favour of renewable energy saw the Chamber focus on “Greening our Office.” After eight months of intense capacity building, our office in East London is now the only Chamber of Commerce and Industry in South Africa that qualifies to be listed as Green. INVEST BUFFALO CITY, our flagship project, signed MOUs with four stakeholders in our region, committing to initiatives that focus on inward investment and on retaining existing investment – on the principle of Invest, Work, Live & Play. An associated project to the IBC project is A Call-2-Action, an initiative where business partners with the municipality toward a Clean & Green City, underpinned by waste recycling. Also of significance was the very first Maritime Summit held in the Metro – with emphasis on Operation Phakisa and the Blue Economy. Outcomes included the establishment of a Maritime Cluster, a multistakeholder forum to promote opportunities in the Blue Economy. Why should investors consider the Eastern Cape? We are equidistant between Gauteng and the Western Cape, with good logistics and competitive costs, offering air, road and sea connectivity, all reasons for a successful and vibrant East London Industrial Development Zone. This is supported by the most moderate climate all year round, a productive coastline, and a lifestyle supported by the 15-minute city. With the first automotive tertiary training academy and artisan development, skills in the manufacturing sector are adequately supported. What is the biggest challenge for regional business? Leadership stability and good governance. These can only be achieved through high-level and robust multi-lateral engagement. We are moving towards this, but more urgency is needed. Our success in the automotive sector particularly says that we are on the right track. Les Holbrook BIOGRAPHY Les Holbrook has a National Technical Certificate as well as a Certificate in Management from Rhodes University. Prior to his appointment as the Executive Director of the Border-Kei Chamber of Business, he was the Deputy General Manager of Beier Industries of Transkei and Executive Director of the Transkei Chamber of Industries. 21 EASTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2017
