Today saw the launch of Trade Point Nelson Mandela Bay at its new home in the offices of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber – along with its valued partners, including SEDA, ECDC, the Metro, the dti, the Exporter’s Club and Nafcoc – aims, through Trade Point, to help SMMEs achieve success and recognition as sustainable exporters to a variety of international markets.
The programme falls under the World Trade Point Federation, and forms part of SEDA’S national export development programme, its main objective being to assist the participation of SMEs in global trade. “Trade Point is a trade facilitation centre, “says newly-appointed Trade Point Manager Andre Basson, now based at the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber. “We provide potential traders and exporters with data about market opportunities, potential clients and suppliers, as well as trade regulation and requirements. We equip them to trade successfully in the international market.”
Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Economic Development, Tourism and Agriculture Portfolio Chairperson, Cllr Ngcolomba, says that the Metro is proud to be a founding stakeholder and main funder of the Trade Point Nelson Mandela Bay programme from inception, and to date. “Since its first launch while hosted at SEDA in 2006,” says Ngcolomba, “the programme has grown in membership, and trained and developed a number of new and emerging exporters. Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality continues to support the programme under its new hosts, the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber. The move aims to expand on the programme objectives to educate, develop and promote trade and export SMMEs in the region.”
Quintin Levey, chairman of Exporters Club Eastern Cape, is in support of the programme. “We encourage our members to make use of the services that Trade Point has to offer.”
Housed at the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, Trade Point Nelson Mandela Bay will serve the business community through a deep understanding of export development and identification of trade opportunities. “The addition of Trade Point Nelson Mandela Bay complements the services we already offer, and allows for a definite growth path for small businesses,” says Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber CEO, Kevin Hustler. “It is the Business Chamber’s mandate to make a positive contribution to the growth of the Nelson Mandela Bay economy, and we advocate an enabling environment for business – through Trade Point Nelson Mandela Bay, we will provide support to a substantial base of new and emerging exporters in the region.”
Hustler said the involvement of several key local economic development agencies in steering Trade Point Nelson Mandela Bay underlined the importance of partnerships and focusing resources, and efforts in promoting trade opportunities for local business.
Editor’s Notes: About time we saw a joint partnership between the Business Chamber and Nafcoc – I have always been uneasy about two chambers representing two diverse business cultures. I do remember a time back in the late eighties (19 NOT 18!), though, when my little business was the only white member of the black business chamber. How things change.
Alan Straton
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