INTERVIEW
Randburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry Promoting and representing businesses in the economic powerhouse.
Linda Blackbeard, RCCI CEO
What is the geographic footprint of the Chamber? The areas we cover are: Randburg, Sandton, Fourways, Lanseria and Midrand. What are the key functions of the Chamber? The key functions of the Chamber are primarily to promote business, to facilitate introductions, to be the voice of business in the municipal local and government levels, in defending business in areas of poor decision-making or unintended consequences of various acts that are passed.
BIOGRAPHY Linda Blackbeard ran her own interior design and hospitality businesses before taking up the task of CEO of the RCCI. Having started as a receptionist, she quickly moved through the ranks and gained experience in marketing, sales and function coordination with a large corporate and then two hotel groups. Her hospitality business took her to Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique and Malawi. Linda serves on a number of forums, including being an elected council member of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry. GAUTENG BUSINESS 2017/18
One of the Chamber’s main focus areas is the development of SMMEs, finding opportunities for them, business enhancement with regards to training, helping with business plans, company registrations, giving direction to ideas that entrepreneurs might have and actually building them up so that they can run businesses of their own. Teaching them to form joint ventures with other small businesses to actually grow and have an opportunity then to tender for works that may be available through City of Johannesburg. We promote our local businesses getting the work that needs to be done here. We are trying to focus on supporting businesses, especially our small businesses within our space. Does the RCCI interact with the municipal government on issues relevant to business?
The Chamber is represented at the Johannesburg Business Forum, which is a platform to speak at a municipal level with regard to things like potholes, Pikitup, service delivery, electricity, power outages, etc. We also sit in the Community Policy Forum Committees and we are active partners on the committees of LDAC (Local Drug Action Committee), which is the local organisation driving crime prevention, so we look at all areas of safety and security for the people within the area.
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LINDA BLACKBEARD COURTESY OF OCDMP, A DIVISION OF OWONDO CORPORATE
What does the Chamber do to support SMMEs?