Western Cape Business 2020 edition

INTERVIEW Geoff Jacobs,

INTERVIEW Geoff Jacobs, President Biography After a successful career in teaching, Geoff joined the corporate sector, eventually retiring in 2015 as HR Director of Maersk South Africa. Geoff runs his own management consultancy and serves on the boards of Dinaledi Educational Coaching, School Turnaround Foundation and St James Church, Kenilworth. Geoff has BA and BEd degrees from UCT, a BA (Hons) degree from UNISA, an MA from the University of Wisconsin, and an MBA from UCT’s Graduate School of Business. Networking and learning from best practice are key for Cape businesses Geoff Jacobs, the President of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, supports efforts to reduce red tape for business. What is the history of the Chamber? The Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry traces its history back through its predecessor the Commercial Exchange of Cape Town to the founding in 1804 of the Kamer van Commercie by Governor de Mist, the Batavian Government’s representative. By 1860 business in the Cape had grown to such an extent that modern business services were in demand. As a result, the Commercial Exchange was established and merged with a new body in 1861 called the Chamber of Commerce. In 1891, the Cape Chamber of Commerce was incorporated by an Act of Parliament. In recent years, the Cape Chamber has been expanded to become the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry. What is your strategy and how do you express it? The strategy of the Chamber is a single word: engagement. The more we create opportunities for our member organisations to engage one another, the more value is created for members. This includes more than 200 events per annum, ranging from training programmes linked to business effectiveness and efficiency, to engaging local, provincial and national government officials on strategies to turn the economy around. The tagline of the Chamber is: Where Opportunity Meets. We work hard to remain abreast of the key challenges in our region, and through our portfolio committees to give input into legislative changes. Through our Chapters, our footprint extends across the Western Cape, addressing local issues. The biggest need for business is the need for networking and learning from best practice and the Chamber facilitates this at every event that it hosts. What are some of the challenges that businesses face in the region? In a recent survey of its 2 100 member organisations, respondents gave clear responses. Firstly, over-regulation/bureaucracy: the plethora of legislative requirements for businesses is an obstacle WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2020 28

INTERVIEW challenge the powers that be on the crisis facing our business ecosystem. to doing business. Less red tape and a more business-friendly environment encourages innovation and enterprise. In the Western Cape, we’ve already seen the benefits of the Premier’s Red Tape Reduction Unit, which we acknowledge as a step in the right direction. A second issue can be grouped under a broad category – national infrastructure challenges – electricity supply and rail commuter infrastructure, specifically. The failure of Eskom to guarantee consistent energy supply carries massive risks for businesses. The Chamber is in full support of the local and provincial government’s efforts to effect a shift to renewable energy and to promote investment in Independent Power Producers (IPPs). Similarly, the Metrorail crisis has put thousands more vehicles on the roads during peak commuting hours, creating serious traffic congestion. This has a direct bottom line impact on business. Problems are not show-stoppers but challenges to be confronted, and the Chamber supports local and provincial government structures working to address these challenges. A third challenge is that relating to late payment to small business suppliers. The Cape Chamber will continue to lobby for this issue to be resolved at government level, as this benefits the entire economic eco-system. What makes the Western Cape unique is that its provincial government is alive to these challenges and understands that it is not government’s role to create jobs, but to create an investorfriendly and business-friendly environment, so that business can get on with the job of creating jobs. Has the Chamber as a business also been affected? The Chamber has not been immune to the challenges outlined above. We have introduced a flexible working arrangement to avoid the congestion. Similarly, the effects of crime and violence have been experienced by many of our employees. The fact that we experience the same challenges as our members gives us the credibility to speak with greater conviction when we How do you provide value to your members? When it comes to a voluntary membership organisation such as ours, value is a key determinant of acquisition and retention. Although our role as the voice of business for the region is the foundation of the Chamber’s raison d’être, this is an intangible benefit that must be supported by valueadds that have value and are contemporary. We have an extensive list of benefits for our members that is often updated on our website, as it is changing constantly to keep pace with changing needs. How do you see the future of Chambers of Commerce? At the moment there is a social gap that technology is unable to fill. However, history has taught us never to underestimate its capability. Although we see digital as a key component of our future, the most strategic tool in our arsenal is the appetite for innovation that the Chamber has. The cost of testing new concepts has dropped dramatically with the Internet and I hope we set the bar for business when it comes to embracing changing needs. Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn. But to stand still is not an option. ■ www.capechamber.co.za 29 WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2020