SERVICES
The Eastern Cape provincial government, through
its Department of Economic Development,
Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEDEAT),
offers various services that:
1. Promote the creation of jobs in the province
2. Manage and protect the natural environment.
BUSINESS SUPPORT
The hub supports ICT MSME innovators in Duncan Village and Buffalo City and provides co-working space with connectivity, business development support, coaching, mentorship and business advice.
Download the 2024 edition of the DEDEAT services brochure which includes more services here.
The Department provides MSME business support through its implementing agency, the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC). The nature of this assistance is non-financial pre-investment and post-investment support.
It is provided by the Department to help Eastern Cape MSME owners improve how they run businesses and improve MSME’s survival rate, sustainability, and growth prospects.
These include:
- Business advisory support services and business counselling
- Business plan development
- Feasibility studies
- Due diligence
- Mentorship and coaching
- Quality management support
- Marketing support
- Intellectual property registration support and management
- Development of pre-commercialisation studies (where applicable)
- Skills development training
- Information workshops and seminars.
Business assistance, in various forms, is integral to the ECDC’s Development Finance and Business Support services. Similarly, small business support, in various forms, is provided by DEDEAT and all its entities.
Also see:
- Trade and Investment Promotion: For businesses that aspire to export to markets beyond South Africa
- Various funds: Imvaba Co-operative Fund; Jobs Stimulus Fund; Local and Regional Development Fund and Risk Capital Fund
- MSME financing.
Download the 2024 edition of the DEDEAT services brochure which includes more services here.
Specialised business sector support
The Eastern Cape government has prioritised six sectors to build and expand the provincial economy:
• Agriculture and agro-processing
• Creative industry (arts and crafts, for example)
• Green economy (bio-fuels and renewable energy, for example)
• Business process outsourcing (like telecoms)
• Information and communication technologies and film production
• Manufacturing (timber industry, textiles, chemicals, automotive activities, metal processing)
• Tourism activities
• Retail services
• Textiles and craft (job creation and protection)
• Oceans economy.
Sector managers have been appointed at the Department’s head office to grow these sectors through various tools including policy.
In addition, sector specialists at various entities, the ECDC, Coega, and the East London IDZ, assist clients or potential investors in these sectors with important services that aid the investment process and investor operations.
As part of these efforts, the Department has also partnered with sector organisations to support the development of the priority sectors. It includes various entities, incubators, or clusters that assist specific industries:
- Agro-Industry Manufacturing (AIM) Cluster buildings relations among the players for improved sector efficiencies by creating linkages to develop local value chains.
- AIDC Eastern Cape for automotive support.
- CHEMIN, chemical incubator: Chemin is the country’s technology incubator that is dedicated to supporting the growth and sustainability of technology-based businesses in the chemical sector.
- The Eastern Cape manufacturing hub is being established at the East London IDZ.
- Furntech, a furniture manufacturing incubator has an operating space in Mthatha.
Download the 2024 edition of the DEDEAT services brochure which includes more services here.
Trade and investment promotion
The province’s trade promotion activities are led by DEDEAT’s implementing agency, the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, which has wide-ranging access to foreign trade destinations through preferential trade agreements at a regional and bilateral level.
The services provided to export-ready businesses include:
- Help companies assess and evaluate their ability to service international markets (export readiness assessment analysis)
- Assist Eastern Cape-based companies in accessing national export incentive programmes offered by the Department of Trade and Industry Competition (dtic), Export Marketing and Investment Assistance (EMIA) and Sector Specific Assistance Scheme (SSAS)
- Provide opportunities to be part of national and provincial international trade missions
- Advise and assist with marketing products to prospective regional and international buyers
- Provide regional networking opportunities
- Provide international networking opportunities in overseas markets
- Provide linkages to prospective international business partners and investors.
These services are provided in cooperation with the dtic.
Download the 2024 edition of the DEDEAT services brochure which includes more services here.
DEDEAT, through the ECDC and in partnership with the USAID Trade Hub, assists companies that intend to export textiles and apparel to the United States market.
The partnership provides financial assistance to companies who want to comply with the USAID import requirements and includes Eastern Cape companies on Amazon as an indirect marketing platform. USAID covers 70% of the cost. The ECDC has committed to covering the balance of the onboarding costs of qualifying companies.
Download the 2024 edition of the DEDEAT services brochure which includes more services here.
FUNDING/FINANCING
- Eastern Cape Economic Development Fund
- Eastern Cape Investment Film Fund
- ECDC Global Business Services Fund
- Export Development Programme
- Export Market Access Fund
- Imvaba Co-operative Fund
- Job Stimulus Fund
- Local, Regional and Economic Development (LRED) Fund
- MSME finance
- Small Towns, Township & Rural Enterprise Support Programme
Eastern Cape Economic Development Fund
In response to its economic development challenges, the Eastern Cape Provincial government has established the Economic Development Fund as an instrument geared towards activating industrial development and economic growth, which will yield financial, economic, and developmental returns in the medium to long term.
The fund’s key objectives include reducing unemployment and alleviating poverty, stimulating the economy, and industrial development.
Download the 2024 edition of the DEDEAT services brochure which includes more services here.
Eastern Cape Investment Film Fund
The province realises the investment promotion potential value of promoting the Eastern Cape as a destination for hosting national and international film and television productions.
This is funded through the Eastern Cape Investment Film Fund and managed by the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC).
Eastern Cape Global Business Fund
The government established the Global Business Services (GBS) Fund to enhance the province’s investment attraction efforts, particularly within the global business services sector.
The fund aims to support financially viable investment propositions that create youth employment opportunities in the Eastern Cape through servicing offshore activities.
These are qualifying activities that are performed by a registered South African entity on behalf of an entity or organisation based in an international geography (outside the borders of South Africa):
- Finance and accounting services
- Human resource functions
- Contact centres
- Back office processes
- IT and technical services
- Specialised services.
In partnership with the Nelson Mandela Business Chamber, companies are invited to the 12-month training and coaching programme from various provincial economic sectors.
Download the 2024 edition of the DEDEAT services brochure which includes more services here.
The fund has been established as an incentive for companies that must prepare for export markets and effectively respond to export trade orders. The fund covers the compliance costs of packaging, labelling and legal services.
Download the 2024 edition of the DEDEAT services brochure which includes more services here.
Imvaba Co-operative Fund
The fund promotes the viability of co-operative enterprises in the Eastern Cape. It serves as a revolving fund for supporting primary co-operatives in the manufacturing and services sectors.
Download the 2024 edition of the DEDEAT services brochure which includes more services here.
The Jobs Stimulus Fund provides support to distressed businesses operating in key sectors as outlined in the Provincial Economic Development Strategy to ensure the retention of employment by affected companies.
Download the 2024 edition of the DEDEAT services brochure which includes more services here.
Local, Regional & Economic Development (LRED) Fund
The LRED Fund seeks to provide grant funding to enterprises that are unable to access funding from commercial banks and other developmental funding institutions to start up new enterprises or expand existing enterprises.
The fund encourages new sources of economic activity in small towns, townships, and villages, for example, and supports job creation.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT LRED IS AVAILABLE HERE AND FROM DEDEAT’S REGIONAL OFFICES.
Download the 2024 edition of the DEDEAT services brochure which includes more services here.
DEDEAT through its entity, the Eastern Cape Development Corporation offers various finance options to qualifying businesses.
- Contract-based bridging loans
- Construction projects or contracts
- Term loans (up to R500k)
- Medium-term loans (between R500k and R5m).
Download the 2024 edition of the DEDEAT services brochure which includes more services here.
Small Towns, Township & Rural Enterprise Support Programme
The implementing agency for DEDEAT’s Township and Rural Entrepreneurship Programme (STTREP) is the ECDC. The programme is dedicated to transforming and integrating opportunities in townships and rural areas into productive business ventures.
Download the 2024 edition of the DEDEAT services brochure which includes more services here.
INVESTOR SERVICES
InvestSA One Stop Shop Eastern Cape
The InvestSA One Stop Shop Eastern Cape initiative provides investors with services to reduce the government’s red tape when establishing a business.
The Eastern Cape Development Corporation is the provincial One Stop Shop operator, which streamlines the investment value chain for medium to large companies looking to invest in South Africa, making it easier and faster to invest in the province.
The centre provides services in six areas:
INFORMATION SERVICES
Information and network opportunities on trade and investment in the Eastern Cape, South Africa and Africa.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Includes intellectual property protection, applications for national and local incentives, and applications for work visas.
REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS
Temporary and permanent residence, registration for tax purposes, and any other requirements (licenses, authorisations and registrations, for example) to do business in the Eastern Cape.
LEADING TRACKING
A lead tracking system to ensure that prospective investors receive quality services until their respective projects reach the point of commercialisation
PRE-APPROVAL INFORMATION
The provision of pre-approval information to investors (market data, costs, incentives, project approval, visits, and local partners, for example)
FACILITATION SERVICES
The provision of facilitation services to investors (permits, approvals, import equipment, raw materials, and work permits, for example).
The centre hosts relevant government departments and state-owned entities to help investors and exporters negotiate the regulations and administration to obtain various approvals, licences, authorisations, registrations and/or permits.
Download the 2024 edition of the DEDEAT services brochure which includes more services here.
The SEZs at Coega and in East London offer a range of world-class investor and other services including an optimal purpose-built environment, innovative industrial solutions and incentivised business environment, and tailored industry assistance and support services. The SEZ programme benefits may include a building allowance, employment tax incentives and customs controlled area.
Services differ from SEZ to SEZ and include:
• Facilities and estate management
• Safety, health, environment, and quality
• Commercial services
• Customs and control area
• Relief from customs duties and VAT trade services
• Logistics.
Coega also offers business services which include:
The Department, through the ECDC, offers three core services to micro, small and medium enterprises or labour-intensive entities.
These services include:
• Facilitating commercial and industrial activity
• Assisting new investors who may be looking for suitable premises
• Facilitating MSME development, particularly in underdeveloped areas.
Other programmes include:
• Project management
• Asset management
• Facilities management
• Leasehold.
SOCIAL AWARENESS
DEDEAT and its related entities run awareness campaigns on a range of
services to help educate citizens on a variety of issues ranging from
preventing alcohol addiction to celebrating various environmental
issues and other days of national and international interest or focus.
REGULATORY SERVICES
Gambling licensing
DEDEAT, through the Eastern Cape Gambling Board, is responsible for regulating the gambling industry. Consequently, it is responsible for issuing all licenses related to this industry.
Download the 2024 edition of the DEDEAT services brochure which includes more services here.
The Eastern Cape Liquor Board regulates the liquor industry. Hence, it is also responsible for issuing all licenses related to this industry.
Download the 2024 edition of the DEDEAT services brochure which includes more services here.
Office of the Consumer Protector
Citizens unhappy with services received from businesses in the Eastern Cape or require consumer information can use the Consumer Protector hotline to register a formal complaint or source more information.
The Office of the Consumer Protector’s two primary services are:
- Consumer education and awareness
- Consumer complaints.
For more information, contact the office on the hotline (telephone) 08000 7255 or (email) consumer.protector@dedea.gov.za.
Download the 2024 edition of the DEDEAT services brochure which includes more services here.