Port Shepstone Civic Centre under Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality was a hive of activity on Tuesday, 30 January 2024 as local SMEs attended the Investor Workshop on the new Ugu District One Stop Shop. Hosted by South Coast Tourism & Investment Enterprise (SCTIE) in partnership with Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN), the workshop showcased investment opportunities on the KZN South Coast.
Local business people were invited to learn about the services offered by various government departments – including those under the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) – to assist them and contribute to the economy of the area. The workshop was attended by Ugu District investors and SMEs, among them Out of Woods, Pour Bake, Good to Glow, Flowers & Gifts, Sunny Rock BnB, Amandlenkosi Farms, and JayChem. This was an opportunity for them to showcase their investment potential while discovering how the One Stop Shop will assist in unlocking this.
Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN) Acting CEO, Sihle Ngcamu, opened the day’s events by outlining the purpose of the Ugu District One Stop Shop:
“Whether you’re selling in a mall, whether you’re manufacturing, providing services, or moving or transporting goods… all of these are contributing to the growth of our economy. But businesses are facing a number of challenges that decrease their profits. Some of those are policy-driven, and some of those are process-driven. So, how can we make doing business easier?
“Government is here to provide an environment that is conducive for businesses to be sustained and to thrive. One of those programmes is the One Stop Shop services so that businesses don’t have to move from door-to-door or office to office just to see one department. All [services] will be in one place. Today we are discussing how we can make doing business easier.”
Speaking on behalf of SCTIE, Deputy Chairperson of the Board, Nongcebo Vukile McKenzie, said: “We are deeply appreciative to all partners and all stakeholders – among them Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal and InvestSA – for making this OSS a reality. This is the fourth One Stop Shop being launched and we look forward to what will come from making doing business easier.”
McKenzie also commented on the region’s important tourism economy, with the highest number of Blue Flag beaches in the province, and the incredible rural experiences: “This is supported by other economic sectors, and we’re looking to grow these, including agribusiness, property development, logistics and transport, manufacturing, and the ocean economy. This is one of the steps to unlocking the potential.”
CEO of SCTIE, Phelisa Mangcu also noted the region’s diverse nature, outdoor, and adventure tourism experiences before commenting on the significant investment potential: “We proactively package investment opportunities, link business to government, market business offerings, and now we have the One Stop Shop. We develop rural tourism products, attracting visitors to the hinterland region to support small businesses as well. In doing that, we are diversifying the region’s products beyond the ocean offerings, while supporting emerging growth sectors.”
She also indicated the support provided by the Buy Local membership, forming part of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s (the DTIC) Buy Back SA initiative that encourages local business support. Several businesses in attendance on the day were Buy Local members. They were joined by Ugu District and Local Municipal Mayors, representatives from the EDTEA, Ithala, the Food Safety Agency & Tourism Grading, as well as other stakeholders and government representatives.
In providing brokering services for catalytic projects or infrastructure projects, Ndumiso Mlambo, the General Manager of KZN Provincial One Stop Shop indicated that the One Stop Shop – which is based at SCTIE offices at 16 Bisset Street in Port Shepstone – co-ordinates input from various role-players including investors, developers, industry, civil stakeholders, and provincial and municipal officials. This is supported by the collaborative efforts of various government departments and organisations that work with the One Stop Shop to assist in addressing regulatory constraints.
To find out more about these and more investment opportunities, get in touch with SCTIE, the Ugu District’s One-Stop Shop for investment at 16 Bisset Street, Port Shepstone. Contact SCTIE on 039 682 7944, email [email protected] or visit www.investkznsouthcoast.co.za.
Support our Buy Local businesses by visiting the online directory. To become a Buy Local member or find out more, visit the Buy Local tag at www.investkznsouthcoast.co.za or click here for a membership form.
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