CEO Column: Reflections on our Path

In June 2022 the Cape Chamber shifted strategic direction to add more value to members and make a greater impact on our local economic ecosystem. 

Plagued at the time by rolling power outages and loadshedding, logistical bottlenecks, failing government institutions and stifling crime, we articulated a new vision of standing up together to shape a better future. Our message: take ownership and tell the public sector what is needed, and how problems can be overcome by working smarter. Instead of being angry, passive victims shouting and complaining, we mobilised collective action by building networks to strengthen collective capacity and influence.

Our slogans launched in June 2022, “Shape a Better Future” and “Networks Unlock Opportunities”, are today evident in the work we have done.

We united all the industry associations to establish our Network of Industry Networks. Our business environment impediment survey identified key priorities to address. 

We promoted core ideas such as: 

1) Being clear about priorities; 2) Improved cooperation across institutions; 3) Government should allow the private sector to solve many of the problems where the public sector is struggling.  

And we are delighted to see these ideas now almost common practice and deeply imbedded across institutions.  Number one and two on the list of priorities, stable electricity supply and port bottleneck, are no longer key constraints.

For two years we’ve added structure to realise this vision, introducing new platforms that give effect to our mission statement. In July we launched our Systemic Dialogue Network, an initiative with huge potential for addressing impediments to growth across the economy. We leverage the vast intellectual capital embedded in our extensive Network of Networks, collectively representing 120 000 enterprises, to access the key stakeholders needed to address specific problems.  

Already, the SDN has spawned two project interventions, one for reducing crime in industrial areas and the other aimed at increasing investor confidence by creating industrial parks which enable > 20% reduction in unit production costs for light industrial manufacturers.  

A key ingredient of this whole society approach is public-private partnership, of the kind now proving effective in the energy and logistics sectors. We’ve also seen promising partnership in the transport space, notably the Chamber-led Taxi Cluster.  

By seeding the idea of active partnership around specific challenges, we are promoting a narrative of hope and collaboration. The more our partner organisations promote this same idea, the more it will gain traction, hopefully at every level of society.

John Lawson
CEO of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry