The maritime economy of Buffalo City comes into exciting focus when the Border-Kei Chamber of Business (BKCOB) hosts a two-day Eastern Cape Maritime Summit at the Venue@Hemingways on October 27 to 28.
This is a purely local business driven campaign, which seeks to envision what the city and surrounding Eastern Cape could look like if the coastal economy were boosted.
It comes at a time when Buffalo City Metro’s East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ) had a R11-billion OEM Chinese auto plant wrestled out of its plans and handed to Nelson Mandela Bay’s Coega IDZ.
The chamber is responding by bringing a range of speakers, headed by architect, strategist and global town planning expert, Bo Aronsson, who flies in from Gothenburg specifically for the occasion and will be joined by other national leaders, including the CEO of South Africa’s most visited destination, the V&A Waterfront, David Green
Aronsson and Green will share ideas, developments and strategies which have made them world leaders of regional planning, tourism and economic growth.
The iconic Cape Town Waterfront development has 6000 people working there, and enjoys 23 million visitors a year as it continues to show vibrant growth.
Aronsson has been instrumental in urban planning across the globe, but has fascinating insights from working in the highly-esteemed port city of Gothenburg, which like Buffalo City, is situated off a river and known for its port operations and water culture.
Aronsson will be looking at how to effectively commercialise port cities such as Buffalo City.
BKCOB director Les Holbrook, said the primary driving initiative for the Eastern Cape summit was the total marine economy, envisioned by the president’s blue economy initiative, Operation Phakisa.
The summit would look at mariculture and aquaculture, ship repair and building, oil and gas, skills and marine education and tourism.
“The chamber would like to remind the rest of South Africa that there is more than the well-established ports. Given the right support, East London could easily become a thriving maritime centre. It’s time Buffalo City got some limelight.”
However, he said local business and government leaders had to move together to secure investment in the sector – or face the prospect of being marginalised.
CEO of event organisers Inkanyezi, Andrew Binning, said the summit would include an exhibition and site tours.
These, and the two-day conference, would inspire and add value to all business and public sector representatives in the region, he said.
“Buffalo City’s location on the coast determines that the economy of the city is largely driven by the maritime sector,” Binning said.
“What this essentially means is that the socio-economic status of residents and the profitability of business, is heavily influenced by maritime matters.
“The summit is a key opportunity to learn about business, development and a networking opportunity for the entire business community and those agencies developed to promote business growth,” Binning said.
Entrance to the exhibition is free to pre-registered trade delegates, scholars and students.
More information is at .
For exhibition and summit enquiries contact Graziella Ventresca Norton (), 0861101475.
Border Chamber to host global town planning guru
This is a purely local business driven campaign, which seeks to envision what the city and surrounding Eastern Cape could look like if the coastal economy were boosted.
It comes at a time when Buffalo City Metro’s East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ) had a R11-billion OEM Chinese auto plant wrestled out of its plans and handed to Nelson Mandela Bay’s Coega IDZ.
The chamber is responding by bringing a range of speakers, headed by architect, strategist and global town planning expert, Bo Aronsson, who flies in from Gothenburg specifically for the occasion and will be joined by other national leaders, including the CEO of South Africa’s most visited destination, the V&A Waterfront, David Green
Aronsson and Green will share ideas, developments and strategies which have made them world leaders of regional planning, tourism and economic growth.
The iconic Cape Town Waterfront development has 6000 people working there, and enjoys 23 million visitors a year as it continues to show vibrant growth.
Aronsson has been instrumental in urban planning across the globe, but has fascinating insights from working in the highly-esteemed port city of Gothenburg, which like Buffalo City, is situated off a river and known for its port operations and water culture.
Aronsson will be looking at how to effectively commercialise port cities such as Buffalo City.
BKCOB director Les Holbrook, said the primary driving initiative for the Eastern Cape summit was the total marine economy, envisioned by the president’s blue economy initiative, Operation Phakisa.
The summit would look at mariculture and aquaculture, ship repair and building, oil and gas, skills and marine education and tourism.
“The chamber would like to remind the rest of South Africa that there is more than the well-established ports. Given the right support, East London could easily become a thriving maritime centre. It’s time Buffalo City got some limelight.”
However, he said local business and government leaders had to move together to secure investment in the sector – or face the prospect of being marginalised.
CEO of event organisers Inkanyezi, Andrew Binning, said the summit would include an exhibition and site tours.
These, and the two-day conference, would inspire and add value to all business and public sector representatives in the region, he said.
“Buffalo City’s location on the coast determines that the economy of the city is largely driven by the maritime sector,” Binning said.
“What this essentially means is that the socio-economic status of residents and the profitability of business, is heavily influenced by maritime matters.
“The summit is a key opportunity to learn about business, development and a networking opportunity for the entire business community and those agencies developed to promote business growth,” Binning said.
Entrance to the exhibition is free to pre-registered trade delegates, scholars and students.
More information is at .
For exhibition and summit enquiries contact Graziella Ventresca Norton (), 0861101475.
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