Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress and working together is success” As the Chairman of The Greater Knysna Business Chamber, I am blown away by the resilience of the business community in our area. As difficult as what COVID-19 is to manage, health-wise, and in an economic sense, our businesses are trading and making it work in some or other way. I am proud of our board directors that continue to give up their time and work as an efficient board despite having their own challenges and losses. They have managed to address and weigh in on local issues where possible and ensure that we have a voice and stay relevant. Our progress is starting to become visible and as a chamber, and that despite the hardships faced by locals we have still managed to grow over the last 2 months.
As challenging as the times have been, it hasn’t stopped us from fulfilling our duties and objectives as the Greater Knysna Business Chamber. Below is what we have been up to during the last couple of weeks –
- As Chairman, I have met with the newly elected Mayor and acting MM (Municipal Manager), Elrick van Aswegen, and offered our professional and business voice and input
- I have attended a virtual meeting with GRDM (Garden Route District Municipality) about further investment opportunities identified for the Greater Knysna. Once the official document is available, we will make it available to the public.
- As part of our vision to make the Greater Knysna an attractive investment destination, we are in support of the Knysna in Bloom project – Read more below about how you can get involved!
- We have been working closely with the Online Hub to develop a town app that will feature the Greater Knysna and everything that it has to offer! We look forward to launching the app which will be free for members and listing on our website.
- The Greater Knysna Food drive was a huge success and slowly but surely coming to an end – Read more about its success below – But starting in September the board is looking at a business support program. More to follow once details have been finalized.
- The highlight of the month was the opening of the George Airport, this has brought a huge relief to many in the area and we look forward to welcoming business travelers from around the country.
- GKBC AGM will be scheduled for October 2020, please save the date! We encourage any business owner who is eager to serve on the board, to please let us know- Please ensure that your memberships are paid up so that you can get nominated and voted for the AGM.
We salute our businesses and community for making it this far! The Greater Knysna is resilient and has faced more challenges than any other town has had to over the last 3 years, but what it has shown us is that as a community we can come together and help each other to rise above the chaos and adapt to the new normal.
And finally, I would like to wish all the women entrepreneurs a Happy Women’s Day for the 9th of August – Here’s to strong women: May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them!
Yours Faithfully
Elmay Bouwer
Chairman of The Greater Knysna Business Chamber
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Blu restaurant, Social Eatery, Fijnbosch Coffee Shop, Pili Pili and Tapa's are just some of the many restaurants that peacefully protested on the 22nd of July
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Million Seats On The Streets Greater Knysna Style
On the 22nd of July, under the advice and guidance from The Greater Knysna Business Chamber Tourism Pillar, restaurateurs, and staff peacefully called for the unbanning of alcohol consumptions with meals and the removal of the lockdown level 3 curfew that is destroying their business. This in support and collaboration with RASA (Restaurant Association of South Africa) Million Seats in the Streets movement. The approach that the Greater Knysna took was a virtual campaign so as to not cause unlawful disruption and further financial strain or loss of business to those small businesses that can currently operate under the strict protocols as set by the government. The build-up was bittersweet, as we met with restaurant, tavern, and coffee shop owners across the Greater Knysna speaking to them about how the strict and unreasonable regulations have affected them professionally and personally.
Across the board, it has hit the Greater Knysna food industry really hard and has forced the hand of business owners to let go of staff and even go as far as shutting their doors for good. Some business owners have even paid their staff out of their own pockets to ensure that they can put food on their tables as many businesses have not received any relief and staff are still awaiting their TERS UIF pay-outs from the Department of Labour. This situation has been incredibly stressful on the industry and the few establishments that are left, are defying the odds, by operating under the strict regulations the government has enforced on the industry that make it impossible to trade and hard to make a decent income for the day. Not only does the 9pm curfew limit the dinner service, but the alcohol ban has also crippled their turnover as it contributes to a large portion of their business. But what about the businesses that feed off the industry and how are they affected? All industries work hand in hand and the impact on the food industry will have a domino effect on all other businesses – from the laundromat to the wine farm, the list is endless.
The curfew of 9pm has since been alleviated to 10pm and we hope this will give the food industry some room to breathe, but this does not solve the thousands of trained and experienced individuals that have lost their jobs and their businesses, having to start from scratch. We ask members and the local community to support their local coffee shops, restaurants, and eateries because alone we are strong but together, we are stronger! #jobssavelives
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Knysna in Bloom's 72 pot plants adds a splash of colour to the main street of Knysna.
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Knysna In Bloom
Knysna in Bloom keeps our town "blooming beautiful" throughout the year with their 72 pot plants that line our Main street. Stella Sohn and her gardener Tim have been working hard since 2015 to brighten up the Main street of Knysna with large pots overflowing with lush’s natural beauty. But these pot plants are not only for aesthetic appeal but also a reminder for those that we have lost, to name a few – Nelson Mandela, Rosemary Theron, cancer victims, the Rheenendal children lost in the tragic bus accident of 2011 and for each of the victims and families lost in the Knysna fire of 2017.
However, the upkeep of these pots has not been easy for Stella and Tim, not only do they need the standard care of watering, trimming, composting, and refreshing the plants, but vandalism and breakage of the pot plants have become a regular occurrence. This has been a challenge for the pair, but over the years the community has come together and assisted them with the costs and materials required to keep the pot plants colourful and cheerful. For their efforts, they received the 2016 Sanlam Proudly Knysna Award.
In an effort to keep this project going the Greater Knysna Business Chamber is stepping in and assisting Knysna In Bloom with a donation of R3500.00 towards the upkeep these pots of joy, this for the month of August. As this will benefit the appearance of our little town, we call on all our members and the local community to also become a part of the project and assist Knysna in Bloom with the costs of upkeep. Any donation is welcome towards the project and dedications of pot plants can be arranged directly with Stella Sohn. If you would like to make a donation to this cause please email us on info@gkbc.co.za for more information.
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