Program Director
ANC Deputy President
Ministers Present
MECs Present
Your Excellencies Ambassadors and Head of Missions Present
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen.
A business person just like a politician embodies the reputation and image of the country of origin. Their conduct is the projection of the values and culture that their country espouses. Therefore, ones country’s reputation may be ruined or enhanced by ones demeanour in business.
So, what this means is that, business people are nothing less than ambassadors of their respective countries. Their deportment will, in many ways give away what their country stands for.
In a province like Gauteng, where economic activities of South Africa are concentrated, the business community is a valuable asset, which we strive to support through various government-sponsored instruments and initiatives.
It is for this reason that in Gauteng we have placed high premium on creating conditions that promote the ease of doing business. One of these initiatives is the Gauteng Investment Centre which is currently under construction in Sandton.
The centre is set to promote investment through the facilitation of the business start-up process, from the initial application to business operations. All investors can direct their applications to a single point of contact through various delivery channels that will be provided at the centre.
In addition to this, Gauteng has numerous opportunities which the business community can utilise to grow their businesses, while at the same time contributing towards the growth of the economy of the country.
Some of the packaged investment opportunities in the province include amongst others, the NASREC Smart City which is a development of multiple knowledge-economy and ICT manufacturing businesses.
The Gauteng Smart City also consists of residential, commercial, industrial, retail and lifestyle developments, all of which will be built in line with the international green standards and technologies.
We are also working on the Tambo Springs Freight and Logistics Hub. This project seeks to enhance the logistics capacity and efficiency of South Africa, and will have other significant economic, social and environmental benefits, including: creating business opportunities for large established companies and small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME); attracting foreign direct investments; acting as a catalyst for economic activity in the southern connector (connecting N1 to N3) surrounding areas.
There is also the OR Tambo IDZ programme which is scheduled to be a multi-site development consisting of several industry-specific precincts that will be developed in phases over time.
The first phase entails the development of a Jewellery Manufacturing Precinct (JMP) on an already identified 6.1 hectares of land currently owned by the Airports Company of South Africa.
In addition, we are also working closely with the Turkish community to establish relations that will promote the interests of the province and theirs. We are already cooperating in areas that range from education and trade to business in general.
However, this cooperation will only gain strength if there is active and meaningful exchange between entrepreneurs from both countries.
There is a lot that our business people and the Turkish business community can learn from each other. It is therefore in the interest of all of us to work together for the benefit of our respective countries.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We live in a province endowed with talent, skills and enterprising spirits. It is a province that is universally acknowledged as the economic powerhouse of Africa. It is the epicentre of South Africa's economy that compares equally with the very best in the world.
It boasts one of the best road, water, rail, electricity and communication infrastructures. It is home to headquarters of many information and communications technology companies, finance and mining as well as those of service sector.
The province is a first point of contact for businesses which need access to unlock new value in South Africa, the SADC region specifically and the African Continent in general. Gauteng accounts and contributes 35.6 per cent of the national GDP and 10% of Southern Africa’s GDP. It is indeed a province which any entrepreneur with a competitive drive will take advantage of.
Distinguished guests,
Tonight is about celebrating the awards in recognition of our fellow business persons who excelled in their entrepreneurial endeavours.
However, we should also keep in mind that the country needs more of the highly motivated business person who is driven above all by the love of the country and its people. It is this type of business person that is entrenched and in touch with the aspirations of our people and the country.
The challenges we face as a country today, the challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment, can only be defeated if business and government collaborate and work as a united force for the good of the country.
Having said that, I wish to respectfully remind you that Gauteng province is a highly contested space in all facets of society and many people will do whatever it takes to usurp authority and exert undue control.
But I believe that none amongst you would like to see Gauteng falling into the hands of federalists bent to turn the province into an enclave of the selected few privileged pillages, found in a colony that exist in the west coastline of our beloved country.
Sadly, the colony and its federalists are living on borrowed time. Because as we sprint towards twenty years of democracy, the masses of our people will ensure that nothing is spared in the battle for the heart of a united and democratic South Africa.
I have no doubt that with the general elections looming, all of you have a heart draped in black, green and gold. These are the colours of hope and the future.
Dankie, Ngiyabonga.
