By Nangamso Mabindla
13 May 2005

NOT MANY people would have taken on the task of changing the face of the East London beachfront, but not so Gaster Sharpley, the man entrusted with its rejuvenation.

The recently appointed head of the Buffalo City Beachfront Development Agency is responsible for making the beachfront a site to behold for residents and tourists. The beachfront stretches from Gonubie to the West Bank.

Sharpley, 35, says one of the first things he is going to do is give the agency its own identity, and boost its visibility. "I want to establish an office to start my operations, preferably on the beachfront, where all the action will be taking place," he says.

Armed with a masters degree in public administration from Rand Afrikaans University, Sharpley began his career in the private sector, running his own business. "Although I did relatively well in the business venture, I was soon to realise some very important issues around small business that would make me rethink my line of work," he explains.

"I then became a councillor in Mthatha until 2000. I left the city council for the National Business Initiative to work in the local government unit, which mainly dealt with capacity building among councillors," Sharpley says.

Before taking up his current position, Sharpley was a public sector manager at Meeg Bank. Now he is ready to bring his expertise to the Beachfront Development Agency. "I want to make sure that our beachfront is attractive to visitors. I would like to have an African theme on the Esplanade because that is where most tourists go."

However, the agency also aims to boost the local economy and Sharpley wants to involve emerging entrepreneurs. "I have a soft spot for small businesses and I think things like craft and other small business initiatives need to benefit from the agency." It can also help the city become more competitive.

Not only a businessman, Sharpley has also written three books: My Small Business is a guide for small business owners based on his own experiences; Yesterday is a story of the struggle in Wentworth, in Durban; and a third on marriage.

He is man on a mission who wants to leave his own legacy. In his three years at the helm of the agency, Sharpley wants to achieve three things: to see the agency become more self sustaining; to see the beginning of physical construction on the beachfront; and to see ordinary people benefit from the agency.