To resurrect the Eastern Cape, we need to capitalise on our abundance of unique features, fix our infrastructure and transport conduits as well as speed up our decision-making.
To achieve that we need to stabilise our local government or better still elect a single party with enough votes “so we know who to cr*p on” when progress falters.
These were some of the many points that emerged at the “navigating the Eastern Cape’s renaissance” business breakfast at Gqeberha’s PE Club on Thursday, hosted by Bowes Loon and Connellan attorneys.
Heavyweight businessmen and event panellists Adrian Gardiner and Loyiso Dotwana pulled no punches as they called for an end to “cheap talk from politicians” and for residents to be given a stronger voice to expedite sound decision-making.
Gardiner, founder of ecotourism giant Mantis, started his presentation by playing a minute of a 1947 film about then Port Elizabeth, which was at that stage being hailed as SA’s premier city.
He said the first problem lay in the decision to rename the city Gqeberha and the airport Chief Dawid Stuurman rather than simply stamping on both the name of Nelson Mandela, in honour of his stature as a leader and his Eastern Cape roots.
“Besides that, it’s all about the products that make us special. We need to identify them, care for them and use them to promote our distinctive brand.”
He said 90% of tourists visiting SA came for the wildlife, and 90% of them also went to Cape Town.
Yet Nelson Mandela Bay far outstripped Cape Town in terms of easy access to top-class game reserves.
“Supporting that massive asset, we have some of the best wildlife, in terms of species variety, in the world.”
He said while Cape Town counted its waterfront among its key infrastructural offerings, the same vision had never materialised in Gqeberha, despite endless promises.
“Our waterfront should have been launched 20 years ago, but there is still nothing. It boggles my mind.”
He said within the metro, the green lung provided by the Baakens River Valley was a huge asset.
“Five years ago, the municipality contracted Mantis to do a master plan, which we delivered, but nothing has happened since.
“The first thing I would do if I could, is put in a team of Black Mambas to protect the valley, along the lines of the team of women rangers deployed in the Kruger National Park.”
Gardiner said fuelled by imagination and passion, each positive step would result in the growth of tourism and other industries, investment and visitors.
“With each seed planted, with the right publicity, the people will come.”
Dotwana, executive chair of the Nako group and former president of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, said decaying infrastructure and unstable local politics scuppered the possibility of the metro winning new investments.
“Our positives include the Hive green ammonia investment at Coega, which promises a potential 20,000 new jobs. But we need to push for that to happen soon.”
He said the Eastern Cape also played a pivotal role in SA’s massive citrus industry — which saw export volumes rise 22% in 2025 to exceed three-million tonnes for the first time.
“But we can do more as far as agro-processing is concerned. In Sicily, for instance, they use their citrus to make the liqueur limoncello. We need to explore our own possibilities.”
He said one of the major hurdles to an Eastern Cape renaissance was the short turn-around between elections, resulting in “survival mode” decision-making by politicians.
This was in contrast to politicians in a one-party state such as China, who could afford to have “a 100-year view”.
“Our situation relates, of course, to us being a democracy.
“But we do need to find a different way to give people a voice, because the current way is not working.”
He said linked to that, the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber was seeking to introduce a strict annual performance appraisal for local politicians which would result in them being fired if they did not perform.
“However, at the same time we need to organise ourselves including, for instance, to resurrect township tourism, which is currently not happening because it is too dangerous.
“We need to say, enough is enough.”
Gardiner said coalition government was a major hinderance to resurrection in the Bay, because it retarded decision-making and obscured accountability.
“We need to get a single party in, that can make decisions, and that we can cr*p on if they are not doing their job.”
The Herald
