Eastern Cape Business 2023-24
The 2023/24 edition of Eastern Cape Business is the 16th edition of this successful publication that, since its launch in 2006, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide for the Eastern Cape. The Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) is supporting this issue of the journal, both in providing up-to-date information for editorial use and in sharing information about its activities. It will also distribute the journal through its regular channels. The Eastern Cape’s multi-faceted approach to the challenges and opportunities of sustainability are explored in a special feature. From caring for agricultural land through partnerships between farmers, wool brokers and fashion houses, to solar panels and improved lighting and water systems, companies are finding ways to incorporate sensible and profitable solutions into their business models. The Nelson Mandela Bay Development Agency celebrates a significant milestone this year, it being 20 years since it began operations.
The 2023/24 edition of Eastern Cape Business is the 16th edition of this successful publication that, since its launch in 2006, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide for the Eastern Cape. The Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) is supporting this issue
of the journal, both in providing up-to-date information for editorial use and in sharing information about its activities. It will also distribute the journal through its regular channels.
The Eastern Cape’s multi-faceted approach to the challenges and opportunities of sustainability are explored in a special feature. From caring for agricultural land through partnerships between farmers, wool brokers and fashion houses, to solar panels and improved lighting and water systems, companies are finding ways to incorporate sensible and profitable solutions into their business models. The Nelson Mandela Bay Development Agency celebrates a significant milestone this year, it being 20 years since it began operations.
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OVERVIEW<br />
Global <strong>Business</strong> Services<br />
The ECDC has a generous incentive scheme.<br />
Callzilla, a call centre servicing the US market, has chosen to<br />
locate its latest office in East London.<br />
Citing reports that South Africa is ranked third in the world<br />
among English-speaking destinations, Callzilla notes that 90%<br />
of services delivered from South Africa are related to customer experience<br />
(CX) and contact centre services. The investment in East London has<br />
created happy customers in the US, according to Callzilla, and happy<br />
employees, pictured.<br />
The GBS Incentive scheme of the <strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Cape</strong> Development<br />
Corporation (ECDC) provides investment-funding support for<br />
financially viable propositions that create youth employment<br />
opportunities. There are three tiers of support available, depending<br />
on the size of the investment and how many jobs and opportunities<br />
for local SMMEs are created.<br />
For a R50-million project over three years, a maximum sum of<br />
R400 000 is available while a contract between R201-million and<br />
R500-million might attract up to R1.2-million in support.<br />
South Africa’s GBS sector, previously known as BPO, is growing twice<br />
as fast as the world’s and three times faster than India and the Philippines.<br />
The <strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Cape</strong> has four universities and eight TVET colleges, highspeed<br />
connectivity and an attractive lifestyle.<br />
Other factors in favour of the area are the relatively neutral accents,<br />
good financial and telecommunications infrastructure and the time zone<br />
being the same or close to Europe’s.<br />
The East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ) has an<br />
ONLINE RESOURCES<br />
<strong>Business</strong> Process enabling South Africa (BPeSA): www.bpesa.org.za<br />
Coega SEZ: www.coega.co.za<br />
<strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Cape</strong> Development Corporation: www.ecdc.co.za<br />
East London Industrial Development Zone: www.elidz.co.za<br />
Credit: Don’t Stare Pictures<br />
SECTOR INSIGHT<br />
A UNDP programme is boosting<br />
digital skills.<br />
ICT strategy that intends creating an<br />
ICT Hub which will include a dedicated<br />
GBS facility, a scalable data centre and<br />
a 1 000-seat-business continuity and<br />
ICT training facility. The ELIDZ currently<br />
operates two data centres with ISO27001<br />
accreditation and has obtained approval<br />
for the concept development of an<br />
800-seater GBS Park in conjunction with<br />
an interested party.<br />
As of May <strong>2023</strong>, a total of 1 529 jobs<br />
had been created in the Coega <strong>Business</strong><br />
Process Outsourcing Park of the Coega<br />
SEZ. Discovery Health and Startek are the<br />
tenants of the park, with almost all of the<br />
employees being classified as permanent<br />
and 70% as youth.<br />
The Coega BPO Park offers a<br />
customised space at competitive<br />
rates in addition to an uninterrupted<br />
power supply, in-house recruitment,<br />
training, a variety of incentives and the<br />
convenience of being accessible to all<br />
main transportation nodes.<br />
A Future Skills Platform programme<br />
passed on digital skills to 959 people early<br />
in <strong>2023</strong>, courtesy of the <strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Cape</strong><br />
branch of <strong>Business</strong> Processing enabling<br />
South Africa (BPESA), Evolution, Coega SEZ<br />
and Volkswagen SA. The programme has<br />
been running since October 2022 under<br />
the auspices of the UNDP (United Nations<br />
Development Programme). ■<br />
EASTERN CAPE BUSINESS <strong>2023</strong>/<strong>24</strong>
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