Oceans economy our next gold mine: Ndabeni

Small Business Development Minister,  Stella Ndabeni says the oceans economy is South Africa’s next gold mine and it’s important that everyone, including those in the townships and villages, benefit from it.

She was speaking at the first provincial G20 launch taking place in Gqeberha over the next two days.

“You will know that my interest will be how small businesses get to participate in the oceans economy itself. We have a group of cooperatives from Gqeberha and other surrounding areas, who have been given fishing rights and we are tying to assist them because most of them will complain that they don’t have infrastucture. They are forced to go and fish, but they don’t have access to market and as a result, they are being exploited. Now, we are coming in to say that this is an opportunity that must not only be exploited by those who can afford. How do we step in? As the department, we can assist them with the infrastructure,” says Ndabeni.

Eastern Cape Premier, Oscar Mabuyane says the municipalities must ensure that their development plans align with maximizing the potential of the oceans economy.

Mabuyane says the oceans economy must not only benefit the elite, but the marginalized as well.

“We need our municipalities to be focused. We have developed an oceans economy master plan that talks broadly on their entire sector of the blue economy. We want municipalities when they do their early ED strategies to talk to it. So, it’s an opportunity of a lifetime. We are opening it up. We are exposed now to international markets, international business for trade as well as luring investors to come into our province. We are hard at work and we are using the oceans economy as one of our five frontiers. We want to push our GDP to double digits by using this golf mine the oceans economy,” says Mabuyane.