By Nangamso Mabindla
4 April 2008

THE Mdantsane Business Breakfast held at the township's Indoor Sports Centre was a great success, says Luntu Bobo, Buffalo City's Portfolio Head for Engineering Services.

The breakfast, which was held on Friday 28 March, was aimed at inviting business decision makers, nationally and locally, to Mdantsane to show them some of the opportunities the place presented as part of the Urban Renewal Programme.

"We had about 140 people at our breakfast and some of the business decision makers invited to the event showed a lot of interest. Some of the businesses we invited want to explore investment opportunities in Mdantsane and we will be in talks with them," said Bobo

He said that even those that could not make it to the event were also interested in looking at opportunities Mdantsane had to offer.

"We will be trying to arrange an opportunity to meet those different businesses that could not attend and impress upon them the many investment opportunities Mdantsane has to offer. We must also remember that these people are in different cities, so we will need to find a way to meet them and talk business."

Bobo was also happy with the presentations from the various participants including the National Treasury and the Department of Provincial and Local Government.

"The National Treasury presented on township regeneration and has committed R205 million to Mdantsane and Duncan Village. We applied for R128 million for Mdantsane from the Treasury and I'm pleased to say that we were successful," said a proud Bobo

The money from National Treasury will be used to upgrade the central business district to prepare it for potential investors. "We want to show business people that we are moving forward with Mdantsane - and we want to start with the CBD."

The breakfast also allowed business people to interact with the city's politicians and senior managers. "One of the concerns they raised was bureaucracy and we assured them that the Mdantsane Urban Renewal Unit will have people to assist whoever wants to know more about investment opportunities in Mdantsane. The won't have to go from pillar to post," added Bobo

With business people showing interest in Mdantsane, the city will be able to focus on one of its important mandates, local economic development. "We also want to help prepare our SMMEs for the eventuality of Mdantsane economic growth. We want big businesses to use available skills in Mdantsane so that the small business people are empowered. We will focus on SMME development so that big business people use local skills in projects done in Mdantsane."

Before the breakfast guests were taken on a tour around Mdantsane to place like Fort Jackson where there are opportunities for factories, the NU6 multi-million Rand mall built by Billion Group, the CBD and the Mdantsane Sports Precinct within the CBD area which includes a swimming pool, tennis court and a cricket pitch - these need to be upgraded.

Bobo thanked the National Treasury, the Mdantsane Urban Renewal Programme Unit and the Local Government Network Board for organising the event, and Sanlam, Cell C, Dimension Data and other businesses for attending.

He said R6 000 of the money raised from the breakfast would be given to an old age home in Mdantsane.

"I would also like to thank the South African Cities Network for the role they played in assisting us with the breakfast."