The Advisory service of the Business Chamber will serve as a centralised point of contact to facilitate local investment facilitation and consultation. Please click on the attached document DRAKENSTEIN BUSINESS CHAMBER – BUSINESS ADVISORY REQUEST FORM to receive assistance.

Local investors are normally serviced through the existing services offered to members, by our subject matter experts, which can also be channelled through the Business Advisory Service Helpdesk, based on complexity and size of advice required.

Key services to be provided include:

1. Compliance & Regulatory Guidance
   • Permit and Licensing Support: Assisting investors with applications for building plans, land use, and business licensing.
   • Fast-tracking Approvals: Our platform offers expedited turnarounds for Export Certificates of Origin, Occupancy Certificates Enquiries, and Building Plan Approval Queries.
   • Zoning and Site Allocation: Identifying suitable industrial or commercial land and providing GIS-enabled site information.
2. Issue Resolution Assistance (Troubleshooting)
   • Unresolved Municipal Service Queries: Resolving operational disruptions related to electricity, water, sanitation, and roads.
   • Inter-departmental Local Coordination: Acting as a liaison between investors and various municipal departments (e.g., Roads, planning, water, electricity) to remove bureaucratic bottlenecks as well as red tape obstacles.
   • Policy Advocacy: Identifying systemic issues that hinder business and escalating them to city leadership for structural improvements.
3. Investment Facilitation
   • Accessing Incentives: Guidance from practising subject matter experts on available financial and non-financial incentives, such as electricity tariff reductions or fee waivers.
   • Introduction of Funders: Connecting and introducing investors with funding institutions, public-private partnership opportunities, and grant programs.
   • Market Intelligence: Providing economic data, sector profiles, and business opportunity reports to ensure that data-based business decisions can be made.

AI Sources Consulted: Nelson Mandela Bay University, City of Cape Town, Western Cape Government, Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, Invest Cape Town, WESGRO

Please explore our website further for more information about our Chamber and its Value Proposition.