Palesa Phili: We need to align the business community and have one voice
Palesa Phili, CEO of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, recently spoke to Cape Chamber media about the importance of aligning the business community through the various chambers in South Africa, especially in times of important issues that affect it.
At the Association of South African Chambers (ASAC) meeting held at the Cape Chamber earlier this month, Phili emphasized the role of the Durban chamber, being a port city where the majority of the exports and imports of the country pass through its ports, making it a vital player in the country's economic activity.
“What is important for us is to ensure that economic activity happens and that there’s a conducive environment for businesses to be able to do business in the country,” said Phili.
Furthermore, she highlighted the significance of ASAC, which is different from the current national chamber, in that almost all of the chambers in the regions and the big ones have joined ASAC, and have decided to have one voice and do what is right for the country.
"The benefits are really about other chambers coming to join ASAC because we need to have one voice," said Phili.
“I think it’s important for chambers to be associated with a credible organization that has got other jointly credible organisations as well.
“If you look at the members of ASAC, it has the Cape Town Chamber which is the oldest chamber in Southern Africa and the Durban chamber which is the second oldest chamber… We are 167 years this year and the Cape Town chamber is over 200 years,” she said.
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Phili further stressed the need for the business community to have a voice, given the current challenges in the country and the importance of all coming together to collectively “collaborate for the issues that we have”.