Elegant, enterprising and full of energy, Enterprise iLembe boss Kanyi Gasa is passionate about making our North Coast the development hub of KZN. Garth Johnstone reports.
When I arrive at Enterprise iLembe, Kanyi Gasa is busy preparing for a gala dinner for the president of Equatorial Guinea, regarding investment in KZN and economic development in iLembe. When she walks in for our interview she is full of energy, with a bright smile and the quiet confidence of someone who knows her business.
Kanyi joined Enterprise iLembe in November last year and has already made her mark by upgrading some of the procedures and the image of the organisation, for example, in the appearance of the Enterprise iLembe building, now a very attractive and welcoming tourist centre.
“This was the most important step,” she says. “If you want people to work well, they must be happy in their work environment. We’ve created an arts and crafts hub and a beautiful meeting room. It’s imperative we make this self-sustainable. I previously worked at the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and knew that if I worked for a municipality it would have to be iLembe, because there is so much potential in the North Coast. I want to be part of the team that unlocks that potential. These are the guys who are getting things done. I enjoy being involved in development projects because there is nothing more satisfying than seeing it grow from the development stages to the successful completion phase.”
Development
I asked Kanyi what Enterprise iLembe is all about. “Enterprise iLembe was started two years ago on the back of much of the iLembe District Municipality’s infrastructure. The municipality is the 100% shareholder in the organisation but we have the independence to drive development. Local Economic Development (LED) in the area is our responsibility and we also have a trade and investment division, which is all about creating and developing promising business opportunities. The North Coast is our tourism arm.”
She adds: “We are more flexible. When we need skills, for example, we can go to the marketplace and get them.”
The body has a number of stakeholders, both local and provincial, and funding comes primarily from the iLembe District Municipality and the IDC.
“We focus on major projects. We will take on a project and see it through until it’s set up, so there are major advantages of the spinoffs for service providers, suppliers and small companies in the area.”
The primary sectors in which Enterprise iLembe operates are: agriculture; tourism; manufacturing; and information and communications technology (ICT) and services. Agriculture is a particularly promising area, according to Kanyi. Enterprise iLembe is driving major investment in four open farms, one in each of four local municipalities. The farms will be linked to processing facilities where products will be produced and packaged, ready for delivery
Some of the products include tomatoes and baby vegetables and the first prize is distribution to local customers, as this involves less cost, while there are plans to export items such as fresh cut flowers through the Dube TradePort. “We all need to realise that while we need to grow to eat, we can also grow to make a living. The older generation takes to this concept naturally because they have always grown for sustenance. But we need to produce high volumes to be profitable,” Kanyi says.
“In tourism, we are actively marketing the area for events, for the birding route and cultural tourism.”
She points out the huge potential for manufacturing and warehousing in the area. “There are exciting projects lined up and so much land available in this district.” In ICT, the installation of the Seacom cable has provided opportunities, in the networking of the various local municipalities in the area, for example.
Impact
I ask what the impact of 2010 has been on the region. “I think coming off the recession there is an opportunity this year for businesses to reposition themselves, to place themselves in the right spot to take advantage of the area’s growth and the recent development of the King Shaka International Airport and Dube Tradeport. It’s not all going to happen tomorrow, but over time this area is really going to take off and we are doing dynamic things here.
“It’s quite amusing but there’s really been a lot of curiosity about what I, ‘this new woman’, have been doing at Enterprise iLembe,” she says. “It’s rather simple actually. We’re all about driving development and improving the lives of our community, many of whom are desperately poor. Any project we work on must be a co-operative arrangement and must be built on the pillars of economic development and BBBEE.
“Business expansion and retention is a major part of our strategy. If you are an iLembe business, we are here to help you, to make sure you stay in the area.”
For info contact: Enterprise iLembe. Telephone: 032 946 1256, Fax: 032 946 3515
E-mail: info@enterpriseilembe.co.za. On the web
•This article first appeared in the Business in Durban magazine, Winter 2010 edition.
1 Comment
nice post. thanks.