Two important Eastern Cape business entities put on separate roadshows on Wednesday.
Coega Development Corporation called the Daily Dispatch to explain why their zone was the justified winner of the R11-billion BAIC OEM plant; and
lBorder-Kei Chamber of Business (BKCOB) brought the acting ambassador of Indonesia and trade officials to town to promote business links.
At this point in the game, there is little love lost between the two, with behind-the-scenes acrimony over BKCOB director Les Holbrook’s outrage when Coega announced recently they had won the OEM, which had until that point been punted as the next big investment for the East London IDZ.
EL IDZ spokeswoman Ayanda Ramncwana said yesterday: “The EL IDZ cannot comment on the site assessment. The OEM (BAIC) and Industrial Development Corporation are better placed to respond to your question”.
Holbrook said yesterday: “All I can say is that it’s really disappointing to find yourself pipped at the last minute”.
Holbrook said Indonesia, with a population of 250 million people was a massive market.
What made bilateral trade viable, was that although Indonesia traded in dollars, the Indonesian rupia and the rand had very similar values.
He said Indonesia had a very strong small business ministry and a lot of export products were manufactured by multiple small businesses.
“This is good for trade and barter because everything is negotiable. Yes they do have corporates and big business, but their small enterprises sector is well-established, their quality is very good and their economic focus is not shrouded in politics, mystery and bad governance.”
He announced at the public session held at the EL International Convention Centre on Wednesday that the Indonesian trade sector was becoming a member of the BKCOB.
Holbrook, and acting Indonesian ambassador, Riyadi Asirdin, and Indonesian Trade Promotion Centre director, Pontas Parsaroan Tobing, led the session where Indonesian products were outlined.
These were food, footwear, automotive parts and components, furniture, crafts and homeopathic medicines, but there were also travel and tourism products and even minerals on offer.
Holbrook called the Indonesian Trade Expo, which has its 31st showing from October 12-16 in Jakarta, the best he had been to, “and I have been to many”.
Coega manager of business development, Christopher Mashigo, said Beijing-based BAIC had looked at five sites in SA for their OEM.
The final BAIC assessment report following the four-day visit of the BAIC team to Coega came to a hefty 1312 pages.
After a detailed assessment of all the available data, BAIC had decided on the basis of qualitative and profit-making factors plotted in a simple graph, to set up in the Coega zone.
He said that when the offers of Port Elizabeth and East London were compared in minute detail covering every possibility and prospect, Coega and Nelson Mandela Bay had beaten the EL IDZ and Buffalo City by ratios which ranged from 5-1, to 9-1.
He said multi-discipline teams from Coega and BAIC had worked furiously during the BAIC site inspection and data had been compiled live, and was watched by BAIC executives in Beijing who also got involved.
Among a number of regional factors listed which favoured Coega was their harbour, capable of taking the world’s largest ships, quality of labour, Coega’s proximity to a bigger car manufacturing sector, being part of an international motoring shipping network which linked to South America, West Africa, and Europe; excellent road and rail links, and feeder shipping links, and critically, that BAIC could source 53 vehicle components in Nelson Mandela Bay compared to 33 in Buffalo City.
He said one basic finding was that Nelson Mandela Bay economic area was capable of producing nine times more of the goods and services required to build a car, than the Buffalo City Metro.
He said site preparation work was already on the go and by 2018 BAIC would be producing vehicles, of which 40% were destined for the SA market.
He said dealerships would be setting up and a hardy crossover model sedan and SUV were likely to be well-priced and popular choices in the province. — mikel@dispatch.co.za
Indonesia’s eyes on Border
Coega Development Corporation called the Daily Dispatch to explain why their zone was the justified winner of the R11-billion BAIC OEM plant; and
lBorder-Kei Chamber of Business (BKCOB) brought the acting ambassador of Indonesia and trade officials to town to promote business links.
At this point in the game, there is little love lost between the two, with behind-the-scenes acrimony over BKCOB director Les Holbrook’s outrage when Coega announced recently they had won the OEM, which had until that point been punted as the next big investment for the East London IDZ.
EL IDZ spokeswoman Ayanda Ramncwana said yesterday: “The EL IDZ cannot comment on the site assessment. The OEM (BAIC) and Industrial Development Corporation are better placed to respond to your question”.
Holbrook said yesterday: “All I can say is that it’s really disappointing to find yourself pipped at the last minute”.
Holbrook said Indonesia, with a population of 250 million people was a massive market.
What made bilateral trade viable, was that although Indonesia traded in dollars, the Indonesian rupia and the rand had very similar values.
He said Indonesia had a very strong small business ministry and a lot of export products were manufactured by multiple small businesses.
“This is good for trade and barter because everything is negotiable. Yes they do have corporates and big business, but their small enterprises sector is well-established, their quality is very good and their economic focus is not shrouded in politics, mystery and bad governance.”
He announced at the public session held at the EL International Convention Centre on Wednesday that the Indonesian trade sector was becoming a member of the BKCOB.
Holbrook, and acting Indonesian ambassador, Riyadi Asirdin, and Indonesian Trade Promotion Centre director, Pontas Parsaroan Tobing, led the session where Indonesian products were outlined.
These were food, footwear, automotive parts and components, furniture, crafts and homeopathic medicines, but there were also travel and tourism products and even minerals on offer.
Holbrook called the Indonesian Trade Expo, which has its 31st showing from October 12-16 in Jakarta, the best he had been to, “and I have been to many”.
Coega manager of business development, Christopher Mashigo, said Beijing-based BAIC had looked at five sites in SA for their OEM.
The final BAIC assessment report following the four-day visit of the BAIC team to Coega came to a hefty 1312 pages.
After a detailed assessment of all the available data, BAIC had decided on the basis of qualitative and profit-making factors plotted in a simple graph, to set up in the Coega zone.
He said that when the offers of Port Elizabeth and East London were compared in minute detail covering every possibility and prospect, Coega and Nelson Mandela Bay had beaten the EL IDZ and Buffalo City by ratios which ranged from 5-1, to 9-1.
He said multi-discipline teams from Coega and BAIC had worked furiously during the BAIC site inspection and data had been compiled live, and was watched by BAIC executives in Beijing who also got involved.
Among a number of regional factors listed which favoured Coega was their harbour, capable of taking the world’s largest ships, quality of labour, Coega’s proximity to a bigger car manufacturing sector, being part of an international motoring shipping network which linked to South America, West Africa, and Europe; excellent road and rail links, and feeder shipping links, and critically, that BAIC could source 53 vehicle components in Nelson Mandela Bay compared to 33 in Buffalo City.
He said one basic finding was that Nelson Mandela Bay economic area was capable of producing nine times more of the goods and services required to build a car, than the Buffalo City Metro.
He said site preparation work was already on the go and by 2018 BAIC would be producing vehicles, of which 40% were destined for the SA market.
He said dealerships would be setting up and a hardy crossover model sedan and SUV were likely to be well-priced and popular choices in the province. — mikel@dispatch.co.za
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