DURBAN – The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) held their annual gala dinner on the newly launched MSC Musica cruise ship.
The event which was held in partnership with the Chamber's platinum sponsor the Mediterranean Shipping Company had important people from the business community and government in attendance.
The President of the DCCI Musa Makhunga highlighted the importance of government and business working with communities in South Africain to build a shared future.
According to Makhunga, small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) make up 90 percent of the businesses in sub-Saharan Africa and some of the challenges that they face include a lack of attention from the government.
"The plea is that we create an environment for the SMME sector that is supportive like the Special Economic Zones."
Huawei and Vodacom were also sponsors of the DCCI event. Likun Zhao, the vice president of Huawei Consumer Business Group Southern Africa also spoke at the event.
Zhao called Durban a city that is bursting with opportunities and a city that is fertile ground for startups and businesses. He said Durban had become a platform from which technology can strike.
The vice president said: "We need to see the opportunities for growth and long-term prosperity for South Africa."
Ross Volk, the Managing Director for the Mediterranean Shipping Company Cruises South Africa rounded up the list of speakers for the night.
Volk touched on some of the forthcoming highlights for the MSC including the R200 million cruise terminal that will be built at the Durban Hrabour and the launch of the MSC Orchestra which will take place next year.