The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber (NMB BC) has entered into a three-year strategic partnership with agricultural group BKB, aimed at strengthening the work of the chamber’s projects desk, which acts as the implementation arm of its Local Economic Reinvention Think Tank.

BKB is one of South Africa’s largest and oldest agribusiness companies, operating across a range of agricultural value chains.

Through the partnership, BKB will join banking group ABSA in providing support to the projects desk.

The projects desk is responsible for proactively identifying and developing potential projects and undertaking prefeasibility studies for initiatives that could potentially create investment and employment opportunities in the Eastern Cape metro.

It serves as the central platform for identifying high-potential investment projects that can contribute to the metro’s long-term economic strategy.

Its role is to move beyond high-level concepts by actively researching, structuring and advancing future-focused, investment-ready opportunities.

NMB BC CEO Denise van Huyssteen says the partnership with BKB demonstrates the importance of collaboration between the private sector and organisations committed to the long-term growth and prosperity of the metro.

“This partnership with BKB represents an important investment in Nelson Mandela Bay’s economic future.

“At a time when the metro requires a deeper understanding of its economic potential and the opportunities that align with a future-orientated vision, partnerships of this nature strengthen the work of the projects desk and enhance our ability to generate ideas that can be developed into projects capable of unlocking investment and stimulating economic growth.”

BKB corporate marketing and public relations GM Jacobus le Roux says the company views the projects desk as an important mechanism for translating ideas into tangible economic outcomes.

“We believe its work is essential in identifying future-focused opportunities, undertaking the necessary prefeasibility assessments and building a pipeline of credible, investment-ready projects that can contribute meaningfully to the growth and diversification of the local economy.”