GQEBERHA – Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber CEO Denise van Huyssteen has issued a clear challenge to local businesses and consumers alike to back local manufacturing or risk weakening the Bay’s economic backbone.
Speaking at the Chamber’s Annual Banquet at the Boardwalk Conference Centre on Friday, 05 December 2025, she said the time for talk has passed and what the Bay needed now was deliberate, collective action in order 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. Every job, every small business, every community in our metro is tied, in some way, to our manufacturing base,” Van Huyssteen said. “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 local economy, one that many are relieved to see end, but also as a year that reaffirmed the collective will of Nelson Mandela Bay’s business community to push forward with determination and hope for 2026.
“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, and underpins every other industry, from banking and auditing to security, retail and hospitality.”
Van Huyssteen highlighted that over 40% of South Africa’s automotive employment is concentrated in Nelson Mandela Bay, while more than 53% of the country’s vehicle exports originate from the Eastern Cape. She said the automotive industry remains the anchor of the local economy, and when it thrives, the benefits ripple across all sectors. When it struggles, the impact is felt everywhere.
She cautioned that the sector is facing mounting challenges, particularly the influx of cheap imported vehicles and components. The Chamber, she said, has been actively lobbying and leading conversations to promote Complete Knock-Down (CKD) assembly using local components, rather than Semi-Knocked-Down (SKD) operations that rely on imported components.
To emphasise the importance of local manufacturing, the Banquet featured two locally assembled vehicles, one from Volkswagen Group Africa and another from Isuzu Motors South Africa. Volkswagen’s Polo uses around 3 000 local components and assemblies, supports 3 700 direct jobs and impacts approximately 50 000 indirect jobs, most based in the Bay. Isuzu’s double cab models use between 1 800 and 2 200 local components provided by 906 suppliers, depending on the variant. They create around 1200 direct jobs and thousands more indirect jobs in the ecosystem.
“These are tangible examples of local value creation,” Van Huyssteen said. “It is in our collective interest to support CKD assemblers. So, when you buy your next vehicle, think local – because your purchase sustains families, communities and the future of our city.”
She credited the Chamber’s achievements in 2025 to the unwavering support of the local business community, describing the Bay’s strength as its people, resilient, committed and innovative.
Van Huyssteen noted that these achievements are not the end, but the beginning.
“The role of the Chamber has been completely reinvented and will continue to evolve so that we remain ahead of the curve,” she said. “Our interventions are not short-term fixes. They are long-term strategies to attract and retain investment and jobs in the Bay.”
She encouraged the business community to continue contributing through volunteering, technical expertise or financial support.
“Our success is built on partnership and participation,” she concluded. “By supporting local industry, nurturing our manufacturing core and working together, we can unlock the full potential of Nelson Mandela Bay. Let’s make 2026 the year of action, collaboration and growth.”
