The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber president, Mr Mandla Madwara, today addressed delegates to the Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa (NIASA) conference taking place at The Boardwalk in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Speaking on behalf of organised business, Mr Madwara encouraged local businesses to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the proposed nuclear build programme, at their discretion. “As the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, we remain neutral, but we will play our role in educating our members and local business,” he says. “We welcome the NIASA conference as a means of educating local companies about nuclear power, leaving them free to make their own decisions.”
“That South Africa is in need of reliable and affordable sources of energy is not up for debate. Neither is the fact that local business is in need of new avenues of exploration to expand the region’s industrial base, to develop skills and increase capacity, to encourage job creation, and to maximize the sustainability and competitiveness of business in Nelson Mandela Bay. We know that the demand for power generation is growing, and that it will continue to grow. We know that Africa’s growth is hampered by a lack of reliable energy, and that this puts us at a disadvantage on global investment platforms,” Madwara said.
It is in this challenge, Madwara believes, that local business is presented with an opportunity. There are a number of opportunities presented in a number of sectors, in terms of an increase in skills and capacity. Nuclear opens up a wide spectrum of opportunities, including those in Technology, Engineering, Manufacturing, Civil engineering, Security, Catering and hospitality, and many other services.
“We see opportunities in joint ventures that contribute positively to the province’s GDP, the transfer of knowledge and the development of skills towards the economic sustainability of existing businesses, and the growth and development of new,” says Madwara.
Business in Nelson Mandela Bay advocates a strong focus on the localization of procurement as benefits Eastern Cape business. Each stage of the development of this new industry presents an opportunity for the development of the delivery capacity of all types of local business.
Madwara concluded by saying; “We will insist that the risks related to the management of a nuclear plant are managed to the highest of international standards of safety in technology, health, safety and environmental regulations. We insist that the relevant mechanisms be put in place for citizens and business representatives to participate in an ongoing evaluation of health, safety and environment.”
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