At Sovereign, we are proud to serve Nelson Mandela Bay as a major local employer and play a significant part in strengthening the regional economy. Our latest partnership with the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber will help us drive economic growth in the area even further.
As South Africa’s third-largest poultry producer, we produce nearly two million chickens per week, exporting to Southern Africa, Mauritius, the DRC, the Middle East, and Hong Kong. We were also recently selected by the Japanese External Trade Organisation to participate in a reverse pitch to Japanese investors at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) to extend our business into new markets.
As a proudly South African company, we’ll never forget our roots and we want to do our part in giving back to our community. That is why we have joined the Trade and Investment Desk of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber. This strategic partnership will see us joining forces with the Desk’s founding members; BDO South Africa, Rand Merchant Bank, and the Eastern Cape Development Corporation.
The Trade and Investment Desk is part of the Chamber’s ‘Bay of Opportunity’ initiative. Its purpose is to attract investment, broaden access to markets and resources, stimulate trade locally and internationally, and create much needed employment. Strengthening the coalition between private sector players and development institutions bolsters our shared drive to unlock the region’s full economic potential for the benefit of all.
Being part of this initiative stays true to Sovereign’s commitment of promoting regional development and investment. By joining the Trade and Investment Desk, we aim to drive growth through meaningful partnerships and targeted projects. “We see this initiative as a vital opportunity to play a hands-on role in helping to sustain and grow the local economy,” said our Sovereign CEO Chris Coombes. “Nelson Mandela Bay has immense untapped potential. This partnership is an important step in aligning our efforts with regional development priorities.”
The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber CEO, Denise van Huyssteen, expressed her enthusiasm for us joining the Desk, “Sovereign’s involvement is a clear vote of confidence in the metro and its long-term prospects. What we’re seeing with the expansion of partnerships behind the Desk is the power of collaboration between various local and international stakeholders. It’s about building something greater together.”
We are honoured and excited to be collaborating with the Business Chamber to act as a catalyst for sustainable growth: driving investment, building an inclusive economy, and creating shared opportunity across the region.