Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber chief executive Denise van Huyssteen has issued a clear challenge to local businesses and consumers to back manufacturing or risk weakening the city’s economic backbone.
Speaking at the chamber’s annual banquet at the Boardwalk Conference Centre on Friday, she said the time for talk had passed and what the Bay needed was deliberate, collective action to strengthen its manufacturing base and to retain investment and jobs.
“If we do not actively support local manufacturing, we risk eroding the very foundation of our regional economy,” Van Huyssteen said.
“Every job, every small business, every community in our metro is tied, in some way, to our manufacturing base.
“If we want a stronger, more resilient Bay, then we must build local, buy local and promote local.”
She described 2025 as a year that tested every part of the economy.
“We don’t need to list every challenge — they are well known to all of us,” she said.
“What is vital now is that we refocus our energy on strengthening our local economy, especially the manufacturing sector, which underpins every other industry, from banking and auditing to security, retail and hospitality.”
She said the automotive industry remained the anchor of the local economy and cautioned that the sector was facing mounting challenges, particularly the influx of cheap imported vehicles and components.
The chamber, Van Huyssteen said, had been actively lobbying and leading conversations to promote complete knock-down (CKD) assembly using local components, rather than semi-knock-down (SKD) operations that relied on imported components.
She credited the chamber’s achievements in 2025 to the business community’s unwavering support.
Awards were also handed out.
The first, the Reconciliation Award, went to Hannes de Waal, chief executive of the Sundays River Citrus Company, for his support of the chamber’s task teams and clusters spanning logistics, safety and security, and various advocacy initiatives.
The next award recognised Mandla George and Dawn McCarthy, two former municipal officials whose dedication was instrumental in supporting the chamber’s contributions.
The Shifting Boundaries Award was presented to Stellantis SA and Jendamark Automation for their work with the chamber on an industry-led youth empowerment programme addressing critical technical skills shortages in the manufacturing sector.
Top honours went to NC Upholsters, led by managing director Lucille Bosman, a family-owned upholstery and furniture manufacturing business founded in 1999 in Nelson Mandela Bay.
The company has distinguished itself by blending traditional craftsmanship with modern design to serve both residential and commercial markets.
The Herald
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