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Cape Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Established in 1804, the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry is the oldest member-based business organisation in Africa. It is mandated to serve, enable and lead business. This is achieved through a multitude of services, networking opportunities as well as robust advocacy on behalf of business.

The Chamber represents business of all sizes and virtually all sectors. Our members count on us to be their eyes and ears in the Western Cape as well as on a national level, and we work tirelessly to ensure that we serve our members’ needs.

As a key player in the business landscape, the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry truly believes that we are Where Opportunity Meets.

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Masterclass: How SMME's can enter corporate supply chains

25th September 2019 11:00

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The Challenge of Economic Growth in South Africa

26th September 2019 11:00

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VAT Basics - CPD Workshop

27th September 2019 09:00

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Coffee Club Networking at Southern Sun Cape Sun

1st October 2019 08:00

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Presentation Skills - Workshop

3rd October 2019 08:30

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Compromise & Deferment of Arrear Taxes - Webinar

7th October 2019 13:00

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Purchase & Supply Chain Management - Workshop

8th October 2019 08:30

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AARTO - The implementation, implications and what business should know

9th October 2019 11:00

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LATEST NEWS

19 Sep
Member survey says 82% of staff traumatised from crime in Cape Town

Member survey says 82% of staff traumatised from crime in Cape Town

The general prevalence of crime in Cape Town is having a traumatic effect on 82% of staff employed by members of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, according to a Chamber survey. In 52% of cases respondents described the effect as “very much so” while 29% used the phrase “somewhat”. Just over half of these respondents said that the effect was significant. The survey also revealed that the effects of crime on staff increased the absenteeism rate according to 56% of the respondents. In addition, 20.6% said there was a significant loss of man-hours and 37.4% said there was a slight loss of man-hours. We think that the results of the survey give us a wider picture of the often unseen effects of crime on the people of Cape Town. In fact, the situation may be worse because we also have ‘presenteeism’ where people may be at their desks or work benches but they are too traumatised to focus on their work. More than 38% of respondents said they had experienced a criminal act (burglary, robbery, theft etc) in the past 12 months and in 21% of these cases staff had been physically attacked or threatened by criminals. More than […]

Featured Item Press Releases
12 Sep
Cape Town – Saldanha air route to open

Cape Town – Saldanha air route to open

The Cape Chamber has launched Chamber Air, a facilitation service for air travel bookings for unscheduled short haul routes. The first destination to benefit will be Saldanha Bay. Incorporating the Chamber network, charter services and the integrated support of all stakeholders, for the first time, short-haul flights of this nature have become economically viable with this unique model. This might seem an unlikely initiative for a Chamber of Commerce, but it makes a lot of sense. Saldanha and its Industrial Development Zone, for example, will be of great importance to business in the city and we need to build new and efficient links between these two port destinations. Commercial and freight traffic are expected to grow substantially in the next 10 years and the existing single lane road system will not be able to cope. That would mean slow and frustrating journeys by car.  An alternative option would be an air service operating between the private terminal at Cape Town International Airport and Saldanha. Not to mention the many benefits that air access brings, such as speed of delivery and investment in infrastructure, as well as additional options for freight companies. Mr Sid Peimer, Executive Director of the Chamber, said the idea […]

Featured Item Press Releases
22 Aug
Expensive saga of suspended City transport boss finally ends

Expensive saga of suspended City transport boss finally ends

The Cape Chamber is pleased that the long and expensive saga of the suspended City transport boss, Melissa Whitehead, has come to an end but it leaves many unanswered questions. Ms Whitehead was suspended on full pay (more than R3m a year) in January last year for disciplinary hearings after allegations of irregularities concerning three tenders by her department. The first tender involved the purchase of electric busses from China which have never been used and are now in storage. The second involved the purchase of Volvo bus chassis for MyCiti which are also in storage. The third tender concerned proposals for the redevelopment of sections of the Foreshore and the completion of the Foreshore freeway. The City received more than six tenders from architects and planners but the whole project was cancelled after allegations of irregularities. The tendering firms had spent millions of rands preparing their proposals and are now threatening legal action against the City. After three failures by one City Council department we would have expected the head of the department to be held accountable. This should never have been about discipline but about executive responsibility. There were three major failures in her department and they all […]

Featured Item Press Releases
29 Jul
New proposals on property rights prove land expropriation will be tightly controlled

New proposals on property rights prove land expropriation will be tightly controlled

The new proposals on property rights and land expropriation make it clear that the process will be tightly controlled and this will go a long way to eliminate fears of disorder. In spite of this, there are still concerns about expropriation without compensation even if it takes place on a limited scale. I’m pleased to note that the panel of experts agreed that the reasons for the slow pace of land reform are related to administration failures and better processes being needed rather than dangerous short cuts. We are particularly pleased that measures will be put in place to limit corruption and ensure that redistributed land goes to those who work for it and not to a new elite. Also pleasing was the recommendation that land owned by State entities could be expropriated without compensation. This is particularly important in a place like Cape Town where we have extensive tracts of underused military land. It also makes sense because it will relieve the Defense Force of the maintenance costs. One of the main concerns is the expropriation of land held purely for speculative purposes. The issue here is who makes the decision? The owner may well have bought the land to […]

Featured Item Press Releases
25 Jul
Project to help women in business accepted for world-wide application

Project to help women in business accepted for world-wide application

A project to help women in business which was started by the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been accepted by the International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge Foundation for world-wide application. The purpose of the project is to develop the next generation of women entrepreneurs and elevate them to find global connections to grow their businesses. The “NextGen” development programme has evolved from the IWEC mentorship scheme in which successful women who have won IWEC awards are teamed up with rising stars in the business world to provide mentorship and help them grow their companies. The new project is aimed at women between the age of 21 and 29 who meet specific criteria. Each country in the IWEC network will be allowed to accept two “NextGenees” a year. They will be exposed to the best practice development opportunities and former award winners will help them grow their entrepreneurial skills, build national and international networks and encourage and enhance their personal growth. Half of the really smart people in the world are women and this previously neglected source of talent, knowledge and insight can make a huge contribution to the world economy. An Awardee with specific skills and knowledge will be […]

Featured Item Press Releases
19 Jun
4 Chamber members to receive IWEC awards for building socially responsible multi-million rand businesses

4 Chamber members to receive IWEC awards for building socially responsible multi-million rand businesses

Four members of the Cape Chamber will be flying to New Delhi in November this year to receive awards from the International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge (IWEC) for building socially responsible multi-million rand businesses. The award winners are Donna Duggan of Maasai Wanderings & Nasikia Camps, and Audrey McMillan of SAPRO. Zakira Palekar of Doggobone and Mandy Tinkler of Habits have been chosen for the Dreams Beyond Borders programme to develop their business skills to take them to the next level and win awards in the future. Leading the delegation will be the international board member of IWEC and past president of the Chamber, Ms Janine Myburgh who will be a speaker at the conference. The award ceremony and conference gives women who own and run businesses an introduction to an international gathering of entrepreneurs and opportunities to network and develop global connections for their companies. “IWEC’s global business network has left an indelible legacy on world trade,” Ms Myburgh said. “Women provide a previously neglected source of talent, skills, knowledge and insight and we can make a huge contribution to the world economy. This makes IWEC and its work very important.” We are particularly impressed by this year’s awardees. Donna Duggan runs […]

Featured Item Press Releases
12 Jun
The clampdown on mayoral gravy trains is the best news in weeks

The clampdown on mayoral gravy trains is the best news in weeks

The Chamber has welcomed the clampdown on mayoral gravy trains and other wasteful expenditure by municipalities. This is the best news we’ve had in weeks. Nearly two thirds of our municipalities are dysfunctional or in financial distress and it is high time that firm action was taken. The clampdown takes place on the instructions of the Minister of Finance, Mr Tito Mboweni. Further evidence of municipal failures is the fact that they owed Eskom R17 billion. What seems to be happening is that many municipalities collect money for electricity from consumers and then spend it on other projects. This is not just wrong but it is also dishonest. We welcome the ban on free drinks at council meetings, restrictions on catering, limiting entertainment expenses for qualifying officials to just R2 000 a year, the ban on credit cards linked to municipal accounts and only economy class tickets for flights. Perhaps the most important change is the restriction on the use of expensive consultants, often to do work that should be done by well-paid municipal officials. The Zondo commission of enquiry has taught us that one of the most widely used forms of corruption is the over payment of consultants and facilitators, often […]

Featured Item Press Releases
29 May
Join our Team – Events / Digital Manager

Join our Team – Events / Digital Manager

The Cape Chamber of Commerce & Industry is looking for a dynamic Events/Digital Manager. The Chamber is a highly respected brand with a heritage that spans 215 years. The successful applicant will have an exciting opportunity to lead a small team comprised of secretariat, event coordinators and digital specialists. This is no ordinary leadership position – the Chamber serves over 2 000 businesses, and the staff in your department cover the full spectrum – from baby boomers to millennials. As such, you will need to be an exceptional communicator. Not only will you be experienced in events and traditional marketing, but you will be up to date with the latest in digital strategy (Xero, HTML and database management shouldn’t scare you) and there must be very little about social media you don’t know. The Chamber is a service organization and deadlines are part of the job. You will travel frequently in the Peninsula, so you are required to have a reliable vehicle. You will report to the Executive Director. Duties include the following: • Oversee the operation of the department, including the design of an organizational structure adequate for achieving the department’s goals and objectives. • To ensure that the […]

Featured Item Press Releases
16 May

Cape Chamber turns 215 years old

The Cape Chamber, which was formed in 1804, five years before Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were born, celebrates its 215th anniversary on May 24. Commercial methods were primitive and it was to be three years before the slave trade was officially ended and another 36 years before the first postage stamp, the penny black, was issued in 1840. Before that people paid to receive letters just as they now pay to receive e-mails. It was a different world with different challenges and we not only survived them all, we thrived on them. The last few years have been tough for business in the region, but we have been very active in our support for a healthy business environment for our 2 000 plus member companies. Prudent strategic choices in the face of adversity have enabled the Chamber to grow and flourish. The focus has been on innovation, our core strategy of engagement and the fact that – as seen in third party research – we have become more relevant with brand equity that has grown substantially. The Chamber has a proud record of innovation, support for a free Press and lobbying for progress on matters like railways, postage, banking […]

Featured Item Press Releases
13 May
The annual IWEC 2019 (International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge)

The annual IWEC 2019 (International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge)

Entries for the annual International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge, which is run in South Africa by the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, close on May 22. The competition gives women who own and run businesses an introduction to an international gathering of entrepreneurs and opportunities to network and develop global connections for their companies. IWEC was established in Barcelona in 2007 for women business owners who are already in the global marketplace and want to expand or those who are ripe to get into the market and learn from other women leaders. An important aspect of IWEC awardees is their commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility programs in mentoring, board participation, community outreach and sustainability. The IWEC competition gives woman-owned businesses with a turnover of $1,5 million (ZAR 21 Million), are involved in international trade and have been operating for more than three years, an opportunity to enter this esteemed competition. This year successful local entrants will attend a conference of winners in November in New Delhi, India, the fastest growing economy in the world. Previous conferences have been held in Shanghai, Belgium, Sweden, Turkey, Peru, Cape Town, Seattle and Barcelona. Further information and entry forms can be obtained from Mary-Jean on […]

Featured Item Press Releases
9 May
The expo designed to energise the small business sector

The expo designed to energise the small business sector

The Chamber’s annual Small Business Development Expo, which is designed to help and energise the small business sector, takes place on Friday, May 17, at the River Club in Observatory. Admission is free and with top speakers and more than 60 exhibitors there will be exciting opportunities to find solutions to business problems and get new ideas for future developments and growth. The fact that the number of exhibitors and attendance has more than doubled in the last four years shows that the Expo meets an important need at a time when the country desperately needs economic growth. It is up to the business community to take the initiative and show the way. We can rely on support from the public sector, particularly the Province and the City but only business can provide the energy, enterprise and innovation to make things happen and create jobs. The Expo will provide opportunities to talk directly to the authorities such as the City of cape Town’s Enterprise and Investment Department, the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission and the Department Economic Development and Tourism as well as businesses which specialise in providing services to small firms. Speakers will include George Cloete of the Department of […]

Featured Item Press Releases
9 Apr
Business Acts to Solve the Electricity Problem

Business Acts to Solve the Electricity Problem

Business is taking the initiative to bring together the Province, the City, Green Cape, industry experts and energy users to develop a response to the electricity crisis at a special summit in Cape Town next week. This follows the devastating losses suffered by business during the recent period of extreme load shedding. We can’t leave the problem to Eskom and have no option but to act in the interests of the people of the Western Cape. We have convened this summit because we are all in this together and we have to find ways to emerge from the crisis with new hope for energy security and economic growth. We hope those attending the summit will also realise that the present management of Eskom has inherited the problem and they need help. Eskom has now become a burning platform which requires cool heads, strong leadership and the best innovative minds in the world to get us out of this crisis. The summit will be about understanding the range of problems and finding solutions rather than apportioning blame. Eskom is welcome and we will leave it to the courts to deal with the culprits who have brought this crisis upon the nation. With Eskom […]

Featured Item Press Releases
4 Apr
Emergency Summit to Deal with Blackout Threats

Emergency Summit to Deal with Blackout Threats

The Electricity Summit will arm businesses with all the information they need to make the best decisions on how to deal with load shedding and the threat of sudden blackouts. The emergency Summit is being convened by the Chamber after the devastating losses to commerce and industry as a result of load shedding. It takes place on Monday, April 15 at the River Club in Mowbray. We have had extraordinary co-operation from the Province, the City, Green Cape and the energy industry to bring the best brains to the summit to help us plan the way forward. The summit will be opened by Ms Helen Zille, the Premier of the Western Cape. She will be followed by Hildegard Fast, the Province’s Energy Security Game Changer, who will deal with future energy issues and plans. The Cape Town municipality, the distributor of electricity, will play a vital role and Kadri Nassiep, the Executive Director of Energy and Climate Change, will call on his 25 years in the field to outline City’s views on the energy status and future issues. The City has the 180 MW Steenbras pump storage scheme which can provide vital back-up in emergencies. Bruce Raw, the Chief Strategy Officer […]

Featured Item Press Releases
26 Mar
Majority of Cape Town property owners believe current property valuations system is unfair

Majority of Cape Town property owners believe current property valuations system is unfair

The vast majority of Cape Town business and residential property owners believe that their properties have been significantly overvalued by the City and that the present system of determining valuations is unfair. In a survey of our member base, 63.2% of respondents saw the rating system as a wealth tax while only 36.8% said it was a reasonable way to raise revenue for local government. What surprised us most was the number of properties which our respondents said were overvalued by 100% or more. One would expect variations of perhaps 20% but when the 100% figures appear then it is clear that something is very wrong. Nearly 61% of respondents said their business properties were overvalued while 73% said their residential properties were overvalued. In response to the question “Leaving sentiment aside, if you were offered the equivalent of municipal valuation for your property would you accept or reject the offer” 57% said they would accept the offer and sell their properties. This is a very significant comment as it reveals the real extent of dissatisfaction with the valuations and that people have no confidence in the system. This was confirmed when more than 82% of respondents said they did not believe the […]

Featured Item Press Releases
18 Mar
New round of extreme load shedding

New round of extreme load shedding

The new round of extreme load shedding gives businesses and municipalities no option but to look for other suppliers of electricity. We have already seen the whole Old Mutual office complex in Pinelands go off grid and we will see many more cases like this because businesses cannot cope with an unreliable supply of electricity. The present crisis is hurting businesses, municipalities and Eskom. Business needs electricity to survive. Eskom desperately needs to sell more power to keep going but instead finds its revenue going down while its costs increase as it has to use expensive diesel to keep its emergency gas turbines going. In addition, Eskom has to spend more money on long overdue maintenance. Any business person knows what falling sales and rising costs mean for a company. The situation will also hurt struggling municipalities which rely on electricity income to subsidise their costs and keep their distribution systems and rate-paying commercial and industrial firms going. This has created a situation where roof-top solar looks more attractive every month and where municipalities like Cape Town want to make use of independent power producers. They have no choice. The long-term effects will be bad for Eskom, the country and for […]

Featured Item Press Releases
12 Mar
Janine Myburgh hands over Chamber reigns to the new President

Janine Myburgh hands over Chamber reigns to the new President

The Cape Chamber could not be in better hands as I hand the reigns over to Mr Geoffrey Jacobs. I’ve served as president for five eventful years which saw a rise in the Chamber’s profile. This was confirmed by independent research which found that the Chamber brand equity had significantly increased during this time. The new president is well equipped for the job. Geoff is probably the best qualified president we have had in recent years. He was brought up on the Cape Flats, educated in Athlone and went on to earn Masters degrees in business administration and history. Most of his experience in the business world has been in the human resources field. I am particularly pleased that he is a former school principal with a deep and practical understanding of education. I believe this will be of great importance as we go forward for there is nothing like knowledge to break down social and professional barriers. South Africa has too many underachieving schools and that leads to underachieving lives. We see the results in business, and it is my wish that business and the Chamber will take a greater interest in education, especially basic education and I’m sure Geoff will […]

Featured Item Press Releases
11 Mar
Cape Town will be staging the 2023 Netball World Cup

Cape Town will be staging the 2023 Netball World Cup

The Cape Chamber is delighted that Cape Town will be staging the 1922 Netball World Cup. It is once again proof that the City at the foot of Table Mountain has the power to draw and stage international events and that will be good for business, good for jobs and good for tourism. The tournament will put Cape Town on TV screens around the world and it should be a great advertisement for everything we have to offer. At the same time it will be a challenge. The centre of the tournament will be the underused Good Hope Centre and it will be good to see the centre brought back to life, but the big challenge will be to improve the surrounding areas. This is a vital historic part of the City which has been much neglected in recent years. We have unfinished buildings, open spaces and a planning vacuum. I hope the City sees this as a challenge to deal with old problems and a sorry story of injustice. Perhaps it will even give it a new District Six or should we call it District Seven for luck and a future of renewal. Janine Myburgh President of the Cape Chamber

Featured Item Press Releases
8 Mar
The best that can be said about the new electricity tariff increases

The best that can be said about the new electricity tariff increases

The best that can be said about the new round of Eskom electricity tariff increases is that they are not as bad as they might have been. We are still looking at three years of above inflation increases with the bitter knowledge that every time we pay for electricity we are paying for corruption and incompetent management. Naturally we are pleased that Nersa has curbed Eskom demands but this does not solve the problem. It is now up to Eskom to cut its costs. It is time to ask questions about how many jobs Eskom has destroyed in the last decade when electricity tariffs were increased by about 300%. We know that that half the foundries in the country have had to close down because they could not afford the electricity. The aluminium smelters have closed down and how many mine shafts have been put on care and maintenance? Perhaps even worse is the number of mining and industrial projects that have been put on hold or cancelled because the price of electricity made them uneconomic. We also want to know why Eskom was unable to collect debts from many municipalities which together owed R38 billion for electricity. Some people pay […]

Featured Item Press Releases
6 Mar
Rail Enforcement Unit proves battle against vandals and copper thieves can be won

Rail Enforcement Unit proves battle against vandals and copper thieves can be won

In its first three months of operation the new Rail Enforcement Unit has already proved that the battle against copper thieves and vandals can be won. In the past 12 months the value of damage to the Metro Rail system was R107.7m but in the three months from November last year to February this year the amount of damage sustained was zero, according to a joint report by Metrorail, the City of Cape Town and the Provincial Government. This is due to the co-operation between all three organisations and private security. When we all work together we can win this battle and save Cape Town’s vital rail system. In fact, the joint effort gained ground as the value of goods recovered during the three months was greater than the value of goods stolen with the losses due to theft amounting to R858 000 while the value of goods recovered was more than R2.6m. It is successes like this which turn the tide. We have a long way to go but the knowledge that security staff are making a difference will give them more confidence and that, in turn, will improve their performance. The next step in the battle is to make […]

Featured Item Press Releases
27 Feb
City’s bid to buy renewable energy directly from independent power producers

City’s bid to buy renewable energy directly from independent power producers

The Cape Chamber has welcomed the attempt by the City of Cape Town to speed up its bid to be allowed to buy renewable energy directly from independent power producers. At present the matter between the City, the Department of Energy and NERSA is before the Gauteng High Court but the City now wants it to be treated as urgent. The recent load shedding and the threat of more to come makes it essential for all cities and the economy as a whole to have access to additional sources of electricity. New solar and wind power would cost about 80 cents a unit which is more expensive than the wholesale price the City pays Eskom for electricity but with the kind of tariff increases being demanded, 80 cents a unit will be a very good price in a few years time. Renewable energy will be entirely financed by the independent power producers and will not affect the City or Eskom’s borrowings. The plan is to limit the renewable energy projects to a total of 400 MW. This is a relatively small amount of power when compared to the 1 800 MW supplied by the Koeberg nuclear power station. In addition, […]

Featured Item Press Releases

ABOUT CAPE CHAMBER

Established in 1804, the Cape Chamber of Commerce is the oldest member-based organisation in Africa. The Chamber has remained contemporary and relevant with a wide range of services, including information, training, networking, trade facilitation and robust advocacy on behalf of our members. We are the voice of business.

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