Gauteng Business 2017-18 edition
Gauteng Business 2017/18 is the ninth edition of this highly successful annual journal, that has established itself as the premier business and investment guide for the Gauteng province. Special features for 2017/18 include a focus on major new developments in the region’s metros, complemented by detailed overviews of the main economic sectors in South Africa’s most important provincial economy.
Gauteng Business 2017/18 is the ninth edition of this highly successful annual journal, that has established itself as the premier business and investment guide for the Gauteng province. Special features for 2017/18 include a focus on major new developments in the region’s metros, complemented by detailed overviews of the main economic sectors in South Africa’s most important provincial economy.
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INTERVIEW<br />
Randburg Chamber<br />
of Commerce and<br />
Industry<br />
Promoting and representing businesses in the<br />
economic powerhouse.<br />
Linda Blackbeard, RCCI CEO<br />
What is the geographic footprint of the Chamber?<br />
The areas we cover are: Randburg, Sandton, Fourways, Lanseria and<br />
Midrand.<br />
What are the key functions of the Chamber?<br />
The key functions of the Chamber are primarily to promote business,<br />
to facilitate introductions, to be the voice of business in the municipal<br />
local and government levels, in defending business in areas of poor<br />
decision-making or unintended consequences of various acts that<br />
are passed.<br />
BIOGRAPHY<br />
Linda Blackbeard ran her own<br />
interior design and hospitality<br />
businesses before taking up<br />
the task of CEO of the RCCI.<br />
Having started as a receptionist,<br />
she quickly moved through the<br />
ranks and gained experience<br />
in marketing, sales and function<br />
coordination with a large<br />
corporate and then two hotel<br />
groups. Her hospitality business<br />
took her to Zimbabwe, Botswana,<br />
Mozambique and Malawi.<br />
Linda serves on a number of forums,<br />
including being an elected<br />
council member of the South<br />
African Chamber of Commerce<br />
and Industry.<br />
What does the Chamber do to support SMMEs?<br />
One of the Chamber’s main focus areas is the development of SMMEs,<br />
finding opportunities for them, business enhancement with regards<br />
to training, helping with business plans, company registrations, giving<br />
direction to ideas that entrepreneurs might have and actually building<br />
them up so that they can run businesses of their own. Teaching<br />
them to form joint ventures with other small businesses to actually<br />
grow and have an opportunity then to tender for works that may be<br />
available through City of Johannesburg. We promote our local businesses<br />
getting the work that needs to be done here. We are trying<br />
to focus on supporting businesses, especially our small businesses<br />
within our space.<br />
Does the RCCI interact with the municipal government<br />
on issues relevant to business?<br />
The Chamber is represented at the Johannesburg <strong>Business</strong> Forum,<br />
which is a platform to speak at a municipal level with regard to things<br />
like potholes, Pikitup, service delivery, electricity, power outages, etc. We<br />
also sit in the Community Policy Forum Committees and we are active<br />
partners on the committees of LDAC (Local Drug Action Committee),<br />
which is the local organisation driving crime prevention, so we look at<br />
all areas of safety and security for the people within the area.<br />
LINDA BLACKBEARD COURTESY OF OCDMP, A DIVISION OF OWONDO CORPORATE<br />
GAUTENG BUSINESS <strong>2017</strong>/<strong>18</strong> 74
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