Established in 1804, the Cape Chamber of Commerce, is the oldest member-based organisation in Africa. Before slave trade was abolished, before wooden pencils were invented, before Shaka became King and before the Great Trek. In 1861 we became the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce. The fountain pen was invented in 1884. In 1891 we were incorporated by an Act of the old Cape Parliament.
We proudly look back at the 218 year history of the Chamber. Organised business in Cape Town has been a major driving force of progress. In the globalised world we find ourselves in today, business require advanced capabilities and strategic partnerships. We are thus modernising our service offerings to support our members accordingly. Our purpose remains to facilitate cooperation to unlock opportunities for economic growth.
We facilitate cooperation to unlock opportunities for economic growth. Networks unlock opportunities.
The aim is to grow the economy of the Western Cape, sustainably. Join us to shape a better future.
Our modernised service offerings increase value for members small and large. It does so by strengthening competitiveness and growth of:
- Enterprises,
- Value chains,
- Industry sectors
- Precincts, and the
- Western Cape economy
We do this by working with the other organisations that share the same goals, of realising faster economic growth. The strengthening of public-private dialogue processes will strengthen the competitiveness of the business eco-system and steer us towards a smarter network economy.
