Economic and Enterprise Development
Melanie Veness
Pietermaritzburg, the charming capital city of the Zulu Kingdom is perfectly positioned alongside the busiest highway in the country, the N3, which connects Johannesburg with the port in Durban. Our busy local airport offers several flights a day, between Pietermaritzburg and Johannesburg, making it easy to both connect and to conduct business.
Aside from offering a very attractive lifestyle, the city boasts some of the best schools in the country, and with near perfect weather all year round, it is no wonder that so many people choose to live and invest in our city.
Within an hour of the mountains and the sea, and set in breathtaking countryside, the city has an enviable leisure offering. We are also home to several renowned events, including the Comrades ultra-marathon, the Dusi Canoe Marathon, Midmar Mile, Royal Agricultural Show, to name but a few.
We have a great business community, and it"s a close one, which is why I"m privileged to run the country"s fourth largest chamber, and it"s no exaggeration to say that the people are lovely to deal with - passionate, driven and committed, but friendly and down-to-earth at the same time.
In addition, the business landscape of our city has changed quite significantly in the last few years as a result of some very nice investment in the Capital, both by government and the private sector.
The PCB motto, "Economic and Enterprise Development", gives recognition to the fact that the Chamber"s core focal areas are local economic development and the growth and prosperity of business enterprises. The two elements are inextricably linked, for without either, the other won"t occur. It is the mission of the PCB to promote better business, more and successful entrepreneurship, local economic development and the growth of business enterprises within the Msunduzi and uMgungundlovu municipal areas.
We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the KwaZulu-Natal Top Business Portfolio 2014, and congratulate you on the production of an excellent investment tool for the province.