Local entrepreneurs, corporate players and community leaders gathered at Mzingazi Golf Estate Porky’s on Wednesday, 19 November 2025, for a powerful Business Linkages Breakfast that put one message at the centre: if business wants to be taken seriously, it must be organised and speak with one voice.
The session created a relaxed yet focused platform for businesses to engage decision-makers, traditional leadership and government about inclusive economic development in and around Richards Bay.
Nellenie Naidoo set the tone by emphasising the importance of unity and structure within the business community. She stressed that for corporates to take local businesses seriously, there must be coordination, clear representation and a collective voice that can sit at the table and negotiate opportunities.
Dr Jeleni went deeper, unpacking what the G20 is and why it matters that South Africa is hosting the G20. He reminded attendees that global platforms like the G20 have direct and indirect implications for local economies, investment, and small business growth.
He drew a striking comparison: if you are in business and you do not belong to a chamber, it is like being a politician who does not belong to a political party. He urged entrepreneurs to affiliate with chambers of commerce so that they can be organised, represented, and heard.
Dr Jeleni also reflected on South Africa’s economic policy journey, from RDP and GEAR to AsgiSA, the New Growth Path, the National Development Plan, as well as local frameworks like IDPs, the District Development Model and Local Economic Development plans. His point was clear: policy and planning only come alive when there is a strong, united business voice engaging with them. He called for a strong and inclusive business community built from ward level and nodal points upwards.
The keynote address by the Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation zoomed in on practical opportunities around Richards Bay. She challenged the room to look at “low-hanging fruit” that can be unlocked when government and business work together.
One of her strongest examples was the question of school uniforms. She asked why School Governing Bodies still allow uniforms to be manufactured by large national retailers when they could be produced by local dressmakers and cooperatives, keeping money circulating in the community and stimulating township economies.
She also highlighted the role of RBIDZ in bringing investments into the area and encouraged local businesses to position themselves along these emerging value chains. Using Wellmart, a cooking oil company now operating in Richards Bay, she pointed out that through Amakhosi and rural communities, we should be planting what these companies need in order to process their products.
In the same vein, she referenced the Bobby Green Foundation, which produces medicinal products from cannabis, and called on traditional leaders to allocate land for cannabis cultivation so communities can benefit from the cannabis economy. The Deputy Minister committed to ensuring that more sessions of this nature are held, so that information continues to flow and opportunities are clearly understood at grassroots level.
INkosi uMbuyazi brought the perspective of traditional leadership, delivering some of the most hard-hitting remarks of the morning. He commended Grindrod for involving traditional leaders in their discussions and plans for port expansion, but strongly criticised Transnet for not being as open, even referring to them as “bullies”.
He reminded the room that Amakhosi play a key role in economic development and shared some of the work he has done for his community, including allocating facilities where women can run sewing and design projects. Inkosi uMbuyazi also challenged big industries that come to Richards Bay without hiring local workers, urging them to create structured skills transfer and training programmes. His plea was simple: if local people do not yet have the required skills, then let there be a deliberate arrangement to train and upskill them so they can fully participate in the job market.
After the formal speeches, the energy shifted into open networking. Business owners exchanged contacts, shared ideas and explored possible collaborations in a relaxed, scenic setting. For many, it was the first step towards being more organised, more connected and more intentional about building a united business voice.
The Business Linkages Breakfast not only sparked deep conversations about policy, investment and inclusion, it also reminded everyone in the room that real change starts when business, government, traditional leaders and communities sit together, listen to one another, and act collectively.
