Gqeberha, South Africa – 8 December 2024, the Mandela Bay Development Agency, operator of the NMB Stadium, on behalf of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, is pleased with the momentum and succeeding implementation of the stadium’s commercial turnaround plan. This past weekend saw fruits of proactive lobbying and bidding earlier in the year when CEO, Anele Qaba, and stadium management engaged several rugby franchises for the opportunities to bring topflight rugby to the Bay.

The Investec Champions Cup feature that saw the much-loved DHL Stormers facing RC Toulon, with nearly 30 000 enthusiastic fans, is an outcome of these bold initiatives and has proven to be a hit, both on the field and for the economy of the Bay. The stands of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium shook with the excitement of enthusiastic rugby fans as the Frenchmen closed the day, winning 24 to 14.

“The event was a commercial triumph for the city and the stadium,” said Qaba, who leads the management of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

“The success of events like this brings much needed tourism and hospitality revenue into the city as well as present us with an opportunity to showcase what we can do for teams and fans alike at this majestic multipurpose stadium. This is important for us as we rebuild market confidence with the aim of attracting even larger events and test matches into the Bay.”

The Investec Champions Cup event follows closely on the heels of the recent Home of Legends Cup soccer tournament, showcasing the stadium’s ability and capacity of the team to host major sporting events back-to-back.

Qaba added: “Adding to the fan experience of the day was the opening of the revamped Royal Lounge, designed to enhance the fan experience at the stadium. The new lounge offers premium viewing experience, ensuring that fans can enjoy the game in style and comfort, and we intend to activate this space as a permanent onsite restaurant and entertainment facility that is accessible for seven days a week.”

The stadium and the fans were commended for their warm reception and hospitality by both John Robson, coach of the DHL Stormers, and RC Toulon coach, Pierre Mignoni. Speaking at the post-match press conference, both coaches pointed to the spirit and enthusiasm of the fans who came out to support the game as a highlight of their visit to Nelson Mandela Bay.

Also complementing the stadium experience was the activation of the “Fans Village”, a collaboration between media partners and the sponsors.

The excitement didn’t end after the final whistle as Bay Executive Mayor, Babalwa Lobishe, accompanied by Provincial MP, JP Pretorius, MMC for SRAC, Bongeka Mankahla, and  the MBDA Board Chairperson visited both teams in their change rooms to much jubilation, especially from the winning Frenchmen.

Mayor Lobishe’s visit to the French team was met by jubilant celebrations and dancing as the mayor thanked the team for gracing the Bay, wishing them well for the rest of the tournament and encouraged them to stay longer in the Bay.

To conclude the team visits, the mayor and her delegation went on to visit the DHL Stormers’ change room for words of encouragement and an open invitation to the team to consider the Bay Stadium as an alternative home ground.

Mayor Lobishe commented: “The success of this Investec Champions Cup underscores the Nelson Mandela Bay’s potential as a premier destination for international sports and entertainment. With events like this, the city of Gqeberha can shine as a vibrant hub for sports enthusiasts and visitors alike.”

Issued by Luvuyo Bangazi, MBDA Spokesperson luvuyo.bangazi@mbda.co.za. (041) 811 8200.

For more info, please contact Nicole Klokow, MBDA Communications Manager at Nicole.klokow@mbda.co.za (041) 811 8200.

Saturday 16 November marked a historic and memorable achievement for Nelson Mandela Bay and the Eastern Cape Province as the inaugural Home of Legends lived up to expectations. We are pleased to announce that the tournament that featured Betway Premier Soccer League greats Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, Lamontville Golden Arrows and the Eastern Cape’s own Chippa United, ran pleasingly well and ticked all expectations.

Heading to the event, the MBDA had four major objectives, to (1) establish the Home of Legends Cup brand as a viable and sustainable project for years to come, (2) generate interest in sponsorship, (3) bring the Eastern Cape back into the lead in sports and entertainment, and (4) to offer spectators a memorable experience, on and off the field.

On the first objective, we are ecstatic that a whopping 20 600 tickets were bought and in circulation throughout the day. We do not remember any new event initiative in the province that was able to draw tickets sales of more than 20 000. We recognise that the crowd build-up was slow and gradually improved towards the close. Ticket sales and the sold-out hospitality (suites) is also historic for the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

Ticket sales are the foundation of the commercial model; however, for sustainability reasons, securing profitable commercial partnerships is the second major objective. Commercial partnerships made it possible for us to deliver a high-calibre event as many will have noticed several sponsorship engagements by Africa’s largest mobile telephone network operator.

Other commercial partnerships came in the form of advertising inventory, community tickets distribution and branding, bringing colour and excitement.

The third objective was to ensure we bring spotlight back to the Eastern Cape to regain its glory days of sport and entertainment in South Africa. We achieved this objective thanks to the great partnership developed between the MBDA, Eastern Cape Provincial Government and particularly the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture.

The honourable MEC, Sibulele Ngongo, pulled out all the stops in ensuring the success of this event, not only for Nelson Mandela Bay, but the province. The Premier of the Eastern Cape, honourable Oscar Mabuyane, threw his weight behind us, lending the entity the permission to leverage the provincial trademark, Home of Legends brand. Our city, led by the offices of the Executive Mayor and Deputy Executive Mayor were instrumental in ensuring the event went ahead successfully.

Early reports from the hospitality industry indicate that major establishments had improved occupancy over the weekend, a welcome boost to the tourism industry. We have appointed a team of economists to provide us with a detailed economic impact assessment as well as stakeholder feedback that we intend to study towards improving the offering for years to come.

The final objective was about delivering a memorable experience, which we believe was achieved through the exciting match-ups, two thrilling semi-finals and the dream final featuring two of the biggest clubs in Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs. We could not have asked for a better outcome than the best football brand in Africa and carrying the honour of being the inaugural Home of Legends winning team. The concert closed off a historic and momentous day with perfect weather and the best well-behaving supporters.

With over 20 000 tickets sold, and sold-out hospitality, we have taken notes on areas to improve in the coming years. Our partners and spectators suggest that we consider splitting the one-day event into a multi-day event, something we had already committed to at the launch in October. By splitting the days, we should be able to unbundle the ticket and thereby reduce the price per day without losing the overall value. The positioning during the month is also very important, choosing a date closer to month end is a priority. We are listening and we plan to take all the advice, process it and make the necessary improvements for 2025.

Finally, on the Home of Legends Trophy, we understand that creativity and arts can be polarising as, by nature, art is a subjective subject. Our brief to the trophy design team was to produce an art piece that is unique and captures the spirit of the Eastern Cape, carry the names of the legends that shaped South Africa from a pre-apartheid era to the current. Stalwarts such as tata Nelson Mandela have their names on this cup. Barely 24 hours later, big corporates are signalling interest in being part of the tournament, from airlines to telecoms, and that is exciting news.

Issued by MBDA Spokesperson, Luvuyo Bangazi, on behalf of the MBDA CEO, Anele Qaba.

The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (NMBS), operated by the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA), is one of South Africa’s iconic landmarks and a multipurpose venue that hosts local and international sporting events, concerts and conferences.

Committed to innovation and community development, the NMBS continues to play a vital role in promoting sustainability and environmental responsibility, and on Friday, 25 October, through a strategic partnership with the Automotive Industry Development Centre Eastern Cape (AIDC-EC), the NMBS welcomed the first stadium-located electric vehicle charging station in the province, signalling an important milestone in the life of the NMBS. The Bay stadium is now part of a global community of linked electric vehicle charging stations.

This innovative step positions the NMBS as a forward-thinking, eco-conscious facility, committed to reducing its carbon footprint and embracing the future of transportation. As electric vehicles become increasingly popular in South Africa, this docking station will serve as a vital resource for the community, visitors and event attendees, encouraging the use of greener alternatives.

This new installation is designed to support various electric vehicle models and is equipped with the latest technology to ensure fast, efficient and reliable charging services. As more consumers shift towards eco-friendly transportation options, the NMBS remains committed to providing the infrastructure needed for a sustainable future.

The EV charging station is strategically located within the stadium’s parking facilities, ensuring ease of access for all electric vehicle owners from across the world. This development is a crucial part of Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium’s sustainability strategy and its efforts to support the city’s broader environmental goals, allowing the tourism sector to capitalise on a new market entering the city. While charging at the stadium, visitors can do a tour at the stadium museum and enjoy a breakfast bun at the coffee shop. The partnership with the AIDC-EC is bearing fruit, and we look forward to a longstanding and exciting future ahead.

Issued by MBDA Corporate Services Executive, Luvuyo Bangazi.

On Wednesday, 16 October, the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA), operator of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (NMBS), on behalf of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM), unveiled the Home of Legends Cup, a four-team tournament to be played at the iconic stadium on 16 November 2024. The tournament is only part of the Home of Legends Week concept, featuring concerts, summits and sports development initiatives.

The inaugural tournament will feature giants of South African and African football in Lamontville Golden Arrows, Chippa United, Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs. 

MBDA CEO Anele Qaba, announcing the initiative, said: “The MBDA has a mandate to make the NMB Stadium sweat and this initiative, a part of a broader Home of Legends Weeks concept, is exactly what the city needs to boost the tourism economy. We expect that we will have a sold-out field with a cap of 38 000 tickets for operational reasons.”

He added: “Members of the public will have an opportunity to have a say in terms of who plays who in the elimination matches to determine the final matchup. In the coming days, we will be asking members of the public to vote to determine the draw.”

Opening the launch was the NMBM Council Member of the Mayoral Committee, Bassie Kamana. The councillor welcomed all and quickly pointed out the significance this initiative will have for football development.

Providing a word of support was NMBM Executive Mayor Gary Van Niekerk, who first led those present with a happy birthday message to Kaizer Chiefs founder, the legendary Kaizer Motaung. Van Niekerk also used the opportunity to raise the possibility of honouring a Bay legend, Dr Danny Jordaan, who has made a significant lifetime contribution to South Africa through many ventures, most notably for leading the charge in bringing the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

“We must consider renaming this facility to the Dr Danny Jordaan Stadium as a fitting gesture to honour his legacy and contributions,” said Van Niekerk.

The keynote address was provided by Eastern Cape Provincial Department of Sports and Recreation MEC Sibulele Ngongo, who praised the initiative as a contribution not only to football but for the arts and culture of the Eastern Cape. “Thanks to this initiative, our people of the Eastern Cape do not have to travel far to witness great events of this kind.” Ngongo added: “This event will go far in making the Eastern Cape a sporting destination of choice.”

The MBDA is already planning for 2025, to fully implement the Home of Legends Week concept that will include a dance music concert, as well as a jazz concert adjacent to the North End Lake. The Home of Legends Weeks is to also include the third annual NMB Sport Summit.

Tickets for the 16 November event are available via Webtickets and various Pick n Pay and Boxer stores across the city. TICKETS ONLINE HERE: Home of Legends Cup 2024 (webtickets.co.za)

Quick facts about Home of Legends Cup:

• The Home of Legends Cup is a premier football event as part of the Home of Legends Week concept aimed at celebrating the rich football heritage of South Africa, providing an opportunity for fans to experience high-level competitive football in a festive and engaging atmosphere.

• The Cup event will be a mid-season break competition between four Premier Soccer League outfits competing for football superiority in what is the first mid-season tournament ever launched and played at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

• The Home of Legends Week will be an annual showcase of African arts, culture and primarily focusing on football that will take place at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in November 2024.

Teams going into the draw.

1. Kaizer Chiefs

2. Golden Arrows

3. Chippa United

4. Mamelodi Sundowns 

With the first quarter of our financial year done, ie, July to August, we’re starting to see the fruits of a concerted and proactive approach to getting the iconic Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, the city’s pride, humming again. The improving events calendar and development initiatives taking shape at the Bay Stadium is what the city needs. The measure of success for multipurpose facilities like the Bay Stadium is not only through what is collected at the tills, but also about the stimulus effect they have on the economy. The events economy is mainly a downstream value creator, meaning the impact is seen through economic activity and incomes generated.

When 40 000 spectators fill the Bay Stadium, with a quarter having travelled from across the province and country, those fans must sleep somewhere. They go out for entertainment, they shop, they also visit places of interest and, most importantly, they help to sustain jobs in the tourism and hospitality sector. This economic impact model is the driving force behind several initiatives that we are now fully implementing. Earlier this year, we indicated that we had commissioned a pre-feasibility and business plan to activate additional tourism products in and around the North End Lake and stadium grounds. We are now able to report on these exciting initiatives on the progress we have made to date. The overarching objective for developing additional tourism products around the lake and stadium grounds is to incentivise visitors and leverage the growing events calendar, while generating sufficient financial value to keep these initiatives sustainable.

Starting with the bulging events calendar, to date, the Bay Stadium hosted multiple non-bowl and inner-bowl events, specifically focusing on seminars, workshops, conferences, music events, high-end celebrations as well as on-field competitive football games.

Working with the South African Football Association, the financial year started off on a solid footing, having hosted seven official COSAFA CUP games, including the final, which was eventually won by the Angolan national team.

The stadium’s longest anchor tenant, Chippa United, hosted the launch of their Betway Premiership campaign from the newly revamped Bay Stadium state-of-the art press conference room. And, as fate would have it, Chippa United ushered in a new era with a pulsating 2-1 victory against Mpumalanga-based outfit, TS Galaxy.

The big news that broke in the latter part of September was the announcement we made regarding the successful pitch to host the next Bafana Bafana crucial AFCON qualifier against Congo Brazzaville on 11 October 2024. Bafana Bafana make a welcome return to Gqeberha since their last encounter against Sao Tome and Principe on 16 November 2020. This game brings about direct commercial revenue streams that will contribute to the facility’s bottom line as well as positive downstream economic spin-offs for the city, specifically in the tourism and hospitality sectors.

In pursuing an economic boosting events calendar, we also took a proactive approach to initiate and take charge of our own events. The province is positioned as the home of legends, and there is no other facility in the region more fitting than the Bay Stadium. The MBDA has initiated the inaugural Nelson Mandela Bay Home of Legends Cup aimed to be an annual showcase of African arts, culture and primarily focusing on the best football. This new iconic event will take place at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in November 2024. The Home of Legends Cup is an MBDA propriety event and an initiative that has been long in the making in terms of increasing the profile of football in the region.

This tournament is scheduled for 16 November 2024 and will showcase the finest Premier Soccer League clubs in country, which are Kaizer Chiefs Football Club, Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club, Chippa United Football Club and Lamontville Golden Arrows Football Club.

With the teams secured, we are now working hard to finalise plans to unleash an arts and culture component to showcase the best in local talent and expose their repertoire on a national stadium and platform in front of a packed Bay Stadium.

In addition to the Home of Legends Cup, we did not take our eyes off the other important bowl sport, rugby. After months of planning, lobbying and pushing, we finally secured one of the most anticipated international rugby tournaments, the Investec Champions Cup, where the DHL Stormers will face France’s RC Toulon on 7 December at the Bay Stadium. We are confident that this tournament will get a sold-out crowd as we have observed encouraging interest from partners all around. To grow our rugby portfolio, we are in discussions with various national rugby franchises as well at the national federation to bring back national Springboks fixtures back to the Bay on a continuous basis. We are confident that soon we will witness the Boks back at the Bay Stadium, a venue they have never lost in.

In addition to the events calendar, management has received the first draft presentation of the business plan for new initiatives and tourism products. The plan looks at the feasibility of establishing jetty in the North End Lake, securing a small vessel to run boat tours, a sports hero’s acres to complement the museum a sporting academy and boutique hotel. The interim business plan indicates that there is a gap in the market for these initiatives with careful prioritisation and planning. We will engage with the city and stakeholders on this plan, and we look forward to taking steps towards implementation before the end of the year.

* This press release first appeared in The Herald newspaper on Friday, 4 October.

A study published in 2019 by authors Heinz and Neil Klug through Wits University on Community Land Trusts and Inclusion reveal insights to the issues that lead to a state of bad buildings in cities like Nelson Mandela Bay. 

In the study, the authors imply that abandoned and illegally occupied buildings are a usual feature of run-down and declining urban spaces, perpetuating the downward spiral. Often referred to as ‘bad” buildings, they reflect multiple failures, including outdatedness and declining property values that negatively affect property owners, leading to reduced maintenance of buildings, and often resulting in exploitative landlord–tenant relationships contributing to the further decline of the urban spaces.

The authors also allude to the decline by broader trends, such urban migration, population shifts and resulting capital flight, in South Africa attributed to political changes and ‘white flight’ based on racial prejudice pre- and post-1994. 

Although the circumstances leading to the ultimate abandonment of properties by their owners vary widely, urban planning solutions fall into the sphere of urban regeneration, a task the MBDA is geared for, and has been championing since establishment. 

No one can argue that gains that were made in the early days of the entity had been reversed through several regrettable decisions and actions. Instead of pointing fingers, we recently committed ourselves to become part of the solution by leading rejuvenation initiatives, including the purchasing of properties in mandate areas so we can walk the talk. 

In addition, we recently established a new model for keeping our inner cities clean as a top up service with 220 recruits, and that programme is bearing fruit judging by feedback from stakeholders.

To complement the cleansing programme, we recently rolled out a network of surveillance cameras to detect and combat crime in the inner city and beach front, doing so as part of a collective with business-supported SRA programmes. The installation of CCTV cameras has enabled the restoration of other related infrastructure such as traffic lights. In Central and in partnership with Munelek, the installation of cameras has enabled the electrification of much-needed traffic lights in Rink Street, Russel Road, and others. These gains are due to the mutual benefit accrued through collaboration. 

We are now at the final stages of installing a satellite CCTV monitoring room at the MBDA premises to improve security response rates in combating crime in the inner cities.

What remains a sore point is the state of bad buildings dotted across the inner city. These bad buildings are an eyesore, daily contributing to the degradation of the inner city, and urgent solutions are needed. 

One tool that is available to local government is the enforcement of the existing bad building bylaws. Enforcement alone will not yield results, what the city needs is a common vision, a single plan of action and drive from all key stakeholders to get on board. The reality is that government at various levels also owns bad properties either through entities, parastatals or through abandonment. Private property players own an equally sizeable chunk of these bad buildings.

The prevalence of bad buildings or absent owners also induces another social challenge, such as elevated levels of homeless people sheltering inside or outside these abandoned properties. The mushrooming of homeless citizens found on pavements across central and the inner city is heartbreaking and harmful to the social fabric of the city. These vulnerable citizens become easy prey for drug peddlers, illicit trade, and exploited to commit rampant vandalism. 

The MBDA, though with a sole property in the inner city, is stepping forward to be part of the solution. We will in October convene a property development roundtable with all key role players. The objective of the roundtable is to co-develop a road map to dealing with bad buildings in the inner cities of Nelson Mandela Bay.

We are extending this invitation to all property owners, property management entities, rental agents, non-governmental organisations, local government and other national entities to come and craft solutions. 

The time for blame is behind us; we are collectively losing much-needed tourism revenue due to declining visits because of the state of our inner-city properties. These bad buildings are not only affecting the tourism industry, but education institutions are also losing potential students, the municipality is losing valuable revenue that would otherwise go towards service delivery, and jobs are shed when small businesses close due to untenable trading conditions.

It is our intention that the property development roundtable will make credible resolutions and recommendations that the MBDA will champion through the relevant governance structures. We have seen how change is possible when business and civil society come together, whether in clusters or special rating areas; however for the change to last, we require long-term solutions, not temporary fixes. We require tangible commitments from those who have the authority to get things done. 

For Nelson Mandela Bay to thrive, the inner city must come alive and be an attractive place to live, work and play in a safe and clean environment, and until we achieve that goal, we will remain a city of unfulfilled opportunities. The property development round table discussion scheduled for October is the kickstart platform for all role players to have a say. To secure participation, stakeholders can contact us via rsvp@mbda.co.za and we will add them to a database of invitees.

The original article was first published by The Herald, 6 September 2024.

On 2 September 2024, the MBDA welcomed two new senior staffers in line with the entity’s strategy and structure. Tembela Bacela, a seasoned public sector Internal Auditor, has a BCom in Accounting and an Honour’s degree in Monitoring and Evaluation. Bacela has 18 years’ experience, starting out in Internal Audit in the Office of the Premier, Eastern Cape Government, and later pursued performance management and monitoring at various municipalities; she joins the MBDA as its first Internal Audit, Risk and Compliance Manager.

“Bacela’s appointment is to strengthen the agency’s controls and processes that are geared at improving our audit outcomes and operational efficiencies. Her experience in organisational performance improvement will be key to meet our lofty goals of achieving near 100% KPI performance in the next three years,” says MBDA CEO, Anele Qaba.

Re-joining the entity after several years working at national government is Isabel Vumazonke, qualified with a BTech in Construction Management; she re-joins the MBDA as a Special Projects Manager. Vumazonke has 16 years’ project management experience, including four years at the MBDA and more than six years at national government departments, where she headed up special programmes and projects.

“I am pleased to welcome back Isabel to the MBDA as it shows that the MBDA is on a resurgence and can attract top talent back to the Bay. Bela has a huge task ahead, that of driving the entity’s Special Projects as a revenue and sustainability initiative,” concluded Qaba.

The two appointments follow a comprehensive two-phased recruitment drive to fill vacant posts and is guided by the MBDA’s Recruitment, Selection and Promotion policy.

Issued by MBDA Spokesperson and Corporate Services Executive, Luvuyo Bangazi.

info@mbda.co.za | www.mbda.co.za | www.mbdaengage.co.za Tel. (+27) 41 811 8200

On 16 July 2024, the Mandela Bay Development Agency management team, contractors and consultants hosted the board of the MBDA for site visits across the agency’s operations. The site visits are an opportunity for board members to acquaint themselves with progress on sites and to gain first-hand accounts from all the key stakeholders to inform future decision-making.

The tour of MBDA projects started at Bayworld, where demolition works are nearing completion. Once completed, the area that was the old entertainment dolphin pools will be turned into a landscaped outdoor event emporium to host a variety of events, while plans for a future oceanarium are still in the works. A fully functional animal sanctuary is located at the back of the museum incorporating an animal rehabilitation facility with state-of-the-art filtration and water supply systems.

After Bayworld, the tour moved to Helenvale’s extension 12, where a park development is preparing to move into phase two of construction. The project was delayed by the discovery of hard rock, which required significant excavation and filling. The facility is the city’s counter-funding contribution to the SPPU programme by German development bank, KfW.

Other sites visited include the old St Peters Heritage Site – South End, where a new tourism offering above St Mary’s cemetery overlooks the old Port of Gqeberha harbour. The visit concluded at Fort Frederick, a planned site for the Baakens zipline project.

The MBDA, an entity of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, spearheads urban renewal through a three-pronged strategy that includes (1) total precinct management; (2) project management services; and (3) game-changing catalytic programmes.

Projects such as Bayworld are catalytic in their nature as they tend to stimulate development of an entire precinct and related job creation sectors such as tourism and hospitality. The current works at Bayworld are due for completion by the end of September and residents can look forward to a multitude of events planned for the summer season.

Attribution: Luvuyo Bangazi, MBDA Spokesperson

Contact: luvuyo.bangazi@mbda.co.za or (+27) 41 811 8200

Find us online: web: www.mbda.co.za | www.mbdaengage.co.za

Since its establishment in 2003, the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA), an entity of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM), has sought, through its development programmes, to act as the primary institution behind the revitalisation of key precincts within the greater Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB). This precinct approach has entailed the MBDA undertaking several capital investment projects in dedicated and strategic geographic precincts of the Nelson Mandela Bay.

To quantify the impact of these projects, the MBDA engaged the services of Urban-Econ, an independent specialist’s agency to co-develop an economic barometer that measures the socio-economic impact of the MBDA. The purpose of this economic barometer was twofold. Firstly, it sought to quantify the economic impact that the agency’s various capital projects had, directly or indirectly, on local business activity, GDP and employment. Secondly, it sought to, via means of a survey administered to businesses and residents, determine what impact the MBDA’s activities had on citizens and business perceptions of the areas where these projects are under way or have occurred.

Outlining the process, Senior Economist Thomas Parsons says: “A process was undertaken for three of the MBDA’s focus areas, namely: Gqeberha CBD, Schauderville-Korsten and South End-St Peters. Based on this approach, a total of 75 responses were targeted across the three areas. This comprised 30 respondents in Gqeberha CBD split equally between businesses and residents, 20 residential respondents in South End-St Peters, and a further 25 residential respondents in Schauderville-Korsten. The 2023 dipstick survey was designed to provide a snapshot of the view of the MBDA’s activities in the respective areas through targeted inputs with businesses and residents.

“Based on the survey results, between 23% (Schauderville-Korsten) and 33% (South End-St Peters) of surveyed residents had made some form of improvements to their properties over the last five years, with the average value of these improvements varying between R25 000 and R87 000.

“Extrapolating the survey results to the broader areas suggests that total investment by residents in the Schauderville-Korsten and South End-St Peters areas over the last five years could be in the region of R104.2 million.”

In comparison, 29% of surveyed businesses in Gqeberha CBD indicated that they had made improvements to their properties, with an average value of R56 000. None of the businesses or residents surveyed, however, indicated that the MBDA’s activities in the area had influenced their decisions to invest.

Survey respondents across all three areas were also asked about their perceptions of the MBDA’s activities in the various areas. In Gqeberha CBD, both businesses and residents were somewhat positive about the MBDA’s permanent cleaners, with between 14% and 21% of respondents viewing their impact as positive. These same respondents, however, were less positive about the permanent security in the area, with 21% of surveyed businesses, 78% of surveyed residents perceiving their activities in a negative light.

Schauderville-Korsten residents expressed equally negative sentiment around the area’s multi-purpose recreational park developed by the MBDA. Over three-quarters of respondents viewed the development negatively, owing mainly to the fact that the park was inadequately maintained and unsafe.

South End-St Peters respondents, meanwhile, where very positive about both the MBDA’s upgrading of St Peters and the Baakens River Valley functional improvements. Approximately 33% of surveyed respondents were extremely positive about the St Peters upgrades, while 19% were extremely positive about the Baakens River Valley upgrades. The remaining respondents expressed positive sentiment, with no respondents expressing negative feelings about either of the upgrades.

Using a mix of results from the three surveyed areas and census data published by Stats SA, it was possible to estimate the potential contribution that the residential properties in these respective areas contributed to the NMB’s total annual rates revenue. Based on this exercise, it was estimated that that these three areas as defined, collectively contributed R299.0 million to municipal income in 2022. This includes both property rates income as well as revenue derived by the NMB from the sale of services (ie, water and electricity).

Parsons adds: “To date, the MBDA has invested approximately R24.8 million across the three areas, comprising a mix of capital investment (eg, upgrading of St Peters) and operational expenditure (eg, Gqeberha CBD cleaning programme).” Based on this investment by the MBDA, total production has increased by R66.2 million, increasing GDP by R19.2 million. The investment has also helped to create 80 jobs across the economy through the direct, indirect and induced effects of this investment. These jobs have helped to boost overall household income by R8.2 million.

Welcoming the Economic Impact Report, MBDA Chief Executive Officer, Anele Qaba, says: “The report provides the entity with a clear line of sight in terms of its economic activity impact. It is critical for us to be able to measure the impact of our activities, not only on economic terms, but to see visible impact across the spectrum.

“The MBDA will in the month of July and August go back to stakeholders to engage on this report and to discuss ways to maximise the impact of the MBDA in these precincts. In addition, and after Council approving the city’s budget, the MBDA will now finalise its Annual Business Plan for the period 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025.”

Download MBDA Economic Impact Study 2.0 (June 2024).

The Mandela Bay Development Agency, an entity of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, unveiled an army of street cleaners, waste pickers, tree-felling and general waste collection workers to tackle the decay in the precincts of Kariega, Gqeberha and the North End as a top-up service to Metro initiatives. The 206 are part of a database of thousands that responded to the call for applications in April.

Anele Qaba, CEO of the MBDA, speaking at the launch of programme, emphasised its objectives: “To rid the inner city of dirt, to reclaim its cleanliness and to restore confidence in those who live, work and trade in those key economic hubs of the city. The benefit of this programme is that it also deals with rampant unemployment.”

The 206 recruits unveiled today will be easily recognisable through the distinct PPE and branding (The MBDA at work) complete with employment reference numbers on their ID tags. The event was attended by all MBDA board members, and key stakeholders such as Central SRA, Discover Mandela Bay and Nelson Mandela Bay municipal officials.

Speaking on behalf of the Deputy Executive Mayor, stand-in Chief Whip of Council, Cllr Wandisile Jikeka, welcomed the programme and urged the recruits to not let the city down. “Many will be looking at this programme with interest and it is up to you to be the ambassadors, do your job with pride. It is important that when that SMS rings on the 25th, you know you have earned it with pride.

“The city will be looking at this with the hope to find a way to incorporate its success recipe and extend to other areas. I also take pride that Kariega has good representation in this programme, and that is important because we area one Metro,” concluded Jikeka.

The Central SRA Chairperson, David Edwards, commented on the sidelines that they look forward to collaborating with this group and look for synergies in order to improve the coverage of all the programmes currently on the ground. “The Central SRA supports this programme.”

Quick facts about the programme

• Teams of general workers will be deployed into the three priority precincts to provide numerous services, such as tree cutting, street sweeping and other garden and maintenance-related activities.
• The workers have been sourced through an extensive open and public recruitment process that involved public advertisements and social media use.
• The workers will be placed at strategic areas and will provide the necessary services required to maintain clean and liveable spaces.

Deployment: The 200 general workers with six supervisors will be as follows:

1. Kariega/Uitenhage CBD = 75 workers
2. Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Precinct = 25 workers
3. Gqeberha Inner City/CBD = 100 workers

Operational hours: 8am-4pm daily, with workers assembling at specific points.

Oversight: The day-to-day oversight will be provided by an appointed team of supervisors and MBDA rangers.

Cost of labour: The initial costs of labour for the programme for two months is estimated at R2 million, funded from funds that would have been unspent due to the late arrival of MBDA tranches.

Start date: The recruits have started with induction and familiarisation and are expected to be fully deployed by Wednesday, 15 May; this will run for two months.

Future plans: Although the programme is currently funded for two months, the MBDA will, in the coming days, invite suitably qualified entities to partner in sourcing external training and skills funding in order to provide a pathway for these recruits to longer-term fixed employment opportunities. Funding opportunities exist from various SETAs and industry bodies, and with suitably skilled partners with demonstrable track record, we believe we can tap into these to support job creation.

Tools of trade: The MBDA has sourced various items as tools of trade to make it possible for the recruits to carry out their responsibilities, safely and effectively. Some of the items include: