Page 2 - JCCI Business Focus Vol.1.3

LEVERAGING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

TO REVIVE GROWTH

Ernest Mahlaule, the Once again, we had the our conference, August 3, 2017 challenge of unemployment,
Past President of opportunity to hear directly from but he told us that he had sent his poverty and inequality.
the Johannesburg Gauteng Premier David Makhura. apology so that he could spend Premier Makhura provided JOHANNESBURG CHAMBER OF
Chamber of He spoke about his efforts to build the whole day with us. the clearest indication yet of COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY:
Commerce and sustainable small and medium his government’s commitment President: Herman Breedt
“The economy is my number one
Industry enterprises across Gauteng priority, together with education towards the establishment of a Tel: +27 (0)11 726 5300
province. What some of us forget
W e is that Gauteng is a strategic place and skills development for youth. I flourishing and sustainable base Fax: +27 (0)11 482 2000
of small and medium enterprises
could not put forward my apology
to drive real change.
Address: 6 Floor, JCC House,
TH
in Gauteng.
to this conference,” he said.
Well, if you did not know,
Street, Milpark, Johannesburg,
have now Gauteng is the sixth-largest He applauded our conference What was even more gratifying Corner Empire Road and Owl
entered economy on the African for providing the platform to was his insistence that small 2001, Gauteng, South Africa
the final continent. The province already strengthen the partnership businesses needed to scale Email: joan@jcci.co.za
stretch contributes 35 percent to the between government and the beyond just surviving on Website: www.jcci.co.za
of 2017, private sector. government tenders.
and very national economy, and accounts
soon we are going to begin for 8-10 percent of Africa’s gross Meaningful Engagement He said some 3 000 small effort to help small and medium
taking stock of all our efforts to domestic product (GDP). businesses in Gauteng were enterprises leverage opportunities
drive change. For this edition These figures alone underscore Premier Makhura said dependent almost entirely on across the entire value chain of
of Business Focus, I want to the strategic importance of his administration, “deeply government for business, a whatever sector or industry they
appreciates the partnership
share with you key highlights Johannesburg Chamber of development he described as were involved in.
from our very successful annual Commerce and Industry’s (JCCI) with the JCCI to re-ignite untenable in the long run, since
conference held in the first week partnership with the provincial inclusive growth and propel the any shift in the government’s “I call on major private sector
of August. government to foster inclusive programme for transformation, priorities could mean severe firms to take a lead in incubating
modernisation and re-
disruption for a lot of these
I believe that the gathering growth and create an enabling industrialisation of the economy enterprises. and giving opportunities to
black-owned, women-owned,
marked a turning point in the environment for business. of our Gauteng City Region.” youth-owned and township
way we think about enterprise Moreover, the importance As the voice of business across Undoubtedly, this is a business opportunities in their
development, strategic of Gauteng means that every precarious position for any value chains and supply chains,”
partnerships and the direction business in this province is in the key sectors, we welcomed Premier business to be in, hence JCCI’s Premier Makhura implored.
of our economy. Judging by enviable position to influence the Makhura’s input at the conference push for a more holistic
as a hopeful sign for meaningful
the quality of the discussions direction of the national economy engagement. approach in the implementation We agreed that the private
and input, it is clear that our in real terms. of enterprise and supplier sector needed to devise a more
conference has become the most JCCI recognises the importance development (ESD). strategic approach to ESD so that
highly anticipated event on our At first Premier Makhura was of joining hands to revitalise As JCCI, we determined before the estimated R25 billion of ESD
annual calendar since it was scheduled to attend a National our economy so that we can and after the conference that funding begins to yield better
revived a year ago. Cabinet meeting on the day of adequately deal with our triple- there needs to be a concerted results. (Continues PG 3...)

NEW PRESIDENT AT THE HELM

he Johannesburg time he has put into this role, I the Chamber, among other
Chamber of Commerce am wondering how difficult it objectives.
Tand Industry (JCCI), the will be for me to put in the same
preeminent business association amount of time as he did,” said “This has been a wonderful
representing the interests Breedt after receiving JCCI's journey. I will continue to
of key sectors of the South Presidential Chain. support the Chamber as it
African economy, announces expands its work to create
the appointment of its new Breedt, who is also a vibrant and a dynamic
president, Herman Breedt, Managing Director of economy,” said Mahlaule.
following its annual general SA Labour Dynamics, Other officers appointed at
meeting. congratulated Ernest for his
outstanding work in fostering the AGM are Jackie Mpondo-
Breedt, an entrepreneur strategic and sustainable Hendricks and Margrit Wolff
with extensive experience stakeholder relationships as the two vice presidents.
on labour matters, takes over during his tenure as president. Mpondo-Hendricks has
from Ernest Mahlaule who has To create an enabling business more than 20 years of
served two annual terms at the environment, Mahlaule global experience as a
helm of JCCI. Mahlaule wished championed the signing of a business strategist and marketer,
Breedt well in his new role. Before Memorandum of Understanding while Wolff is an accomplished
his nomination as president with the Gauteng Department entrepreneur, with extensive
Breedt was JCCI vice president. of Economic Development this experience in the South African
time last year to better align freight industry. 
“I would like to thank Ernest the provincial government’s
JCCI presidential handover, from Ernest Mahlaule to Herman Breedt for the two years he has spent enterprise development
(Photo: Dave Hann) in this hot seat. As I look at the initiatives with those of

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