Cacadu District Municipality has identified ten key regional agro-processing sectors which present opportunities for significant economic impact in the region.

 

This follows a thorough investigation, through the district’s Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI), into a wide range of agro-processing opportunities in the region. The investigation was informed by a consolidation of spatial planning policies, sector and sub-sector analyses and extensive industry consultation.

 

Nelson Mandela Bay and the wider Cacadu region are perfectly positioned to drive innovation, and could become global leaders in finding innovative solutions to some of the continent’s most pressing problems.

 

This was the message from Ravini Moodley, CEO of the Johannesburg-based Institute of Inventors and Innovators (III), at a recent networking meeting of the Regional Innovation Forum in Port Elizabeth.

 

The Regional Innovation Forum (RIF) is extending its footprint with a vibrant new online presence aimed at maximising the number of innovators it both connects with, and those it manages to link to each other.

 

The RIF’s new website, http://innovationeasterncape.co.za is an easy-to-navigate portal into the work being done by the Forum while also serving as a platform for Forum members and those interested in the work being done by the Forum, to connect.

To this end, the RIF has issued an appeal to anyone working with or interested in stimulating, supporting and promoting innovation in the Eastern Cape to log onto the website to join the Forum.

 

To assist in unlocking this potential, the Development Bank of South Africa has launched the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) in partnership with Cacadu District Municipality, a multi-pronged collaborative and capacity-building initiative which promotes strong strategic relationships between municipalities and local and regional stakeholders.