Michael Georgiou

Operating a Chamber of Business in a small town dominated by the Tourist Industry is no easy task. We face a daunting task of trying to raise awareness amongst fellow business colleagues that a well financed Chamber will inevitably benefit them in more ways than one. A shortage of funds is our single largest problem, and perhaps the self-financing of Chambers throughout the country is a serious mistake by the Govt's horizontal thinking guru's (or is it a case of convenience for them). At the end of the day we offer the best service we can in terms of what we have got.

We have our regular annual functions, namely the Business Awards Dinner and the Summer Street Carnival, the former a cost to Chamber, the latter a good source of income. We host Business Breakfasts on a regular basis and invite speakers who generally speak on topics affecting Knysna and its surrounds. We also keep a watch on new legislation such as the promotion of Access to Information Act; a workshop on this topic was attended in JHB and reported back at a business breakfast in February. We have representaion on EXCO by the municipality and this assists us to tackle issues such as the labour problem on Main Street, parking, crime and so on. High on our priorities for 2003 is the establishment of a Business Centre, showcasing the products of Knysna to the business community both locally and internationally. We also plan to work on a data base of all businesses in Knysna, so that potential investors wanting information will get it promptly and accurately.

There is a saying that international tourists visit 3 places most in South Africa. These are (in no particular order) the Kruger Park, Cape Town and Knysna. A strong Chamber can assist our businesses to become leaner and meaner, and all we ask for are annual subs that amount to less than R40 per month.