Metro targeting R1 billion investment By 2016

The Nelson Mandela By Municipality is “targeting R1 billion in investment by 2016, according to the metro’s Annual Report 2013/14 tabled at Council.

The Economic Development, Tourism and Agriculture Directorate states in the Annual Report that a proactive destination marketing plan, focusing on the BRIC nations and South Africa’s key trading partners, aligned to the metro’s growth sectors, will be rolled out over five years.

Identified among the key growth sectors are manufacturing, tourism and renewable energy.

The directorate says that the trade and industry “mission” will be linked to the Department of Trade and Industry’s programme.

It notes that skills development, linked to labour demand by industries has been prioritised, such as the training of artisans to provide competent skill in sup-port of the manufacturing and maritime industries.

The directorate says implementation of the Human Resources Development Strategy will continue while the partner-ship with the Coega Development Corporation (CDC) with regard to the Labour Management System has been renewed.

In addition, partnerships with the sector education and training authorities (SETAs) “will continuously be explored to leverage training funds”.

With regard to tourism, the directorate says the Tourism master Plan has identified a number of key areas for intervention.

These include “encouraging the development of tourism products that support the Nelson Mandela Bay brand name “and “harnessing and maximising benefits from culture and heritage tourism”.

Other areas identified for intervention include diversifying tourism offerings through product development, especially in township tourism.

Further, it states that another identified area is the need to effectively use events to draw people to the metro in order “to improve the seasonal and geographic spread of tourism, promote Nelson Mandela Bay’s unique identity,” and increase its profile nationally and inter-nationally.

The directorate also states in the report that the development of cooperatives is “a key municipal tool for job creation and poverty eradication”.

Article published from Metro Minutes by Patrick Cull”.