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Department: Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism There was a panel discussion featuring industry leaders from Mercedes-Benz South Africa, Isuzu South Africa, Acoustex Group, and the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, offering insights on becoming high-performing suppliers. SMMEs also participated in a plant tour of Isuzu Motors South Africa, gaining exposure to World Class Manufacturing practices. The Cluster expressed gratitude to ECDC and industry partners for supporting MSME development in the region. In respect of Eastern Cape Marine manufacturing, the planned meeting was not held as unavailability of key stakeholders and the session differed to February 2025. In support of companies in distress, a meeting was held on 22 November 2024. The outcome of the engagement resulted in a total of 6 cases registered through the portal with a potential job opportunity of 76 that were supported. Regarding the revitalisation of state-owned industrial parks, manufacturing unit facilitated an industrial park forum session on 5 December 2024 in Mthatha. The service provider was appointed for the Masterplan Review of Dimbaza Industrial Park and inception meeting was held on 22 of November 2024 and the project is in the implementation phase. The Komani Industrial Park Feasibility Study for Rail Utilisation did not procced due to budget shortfall and deferred to the 2025/26 financial year. Agro processing The Chamber of Agriculture and Agro-Processing Committee held on 30 October 2024 provided an update on the progress of the Agriculture and Agro-Processing Masterplan (AAMP) implementation. Research and development (R&D) facilities established by Commodity Associations have enhanced innovation and productivity, while investments by private companies in abattoirs and processing facilities have further strengthened the sector's value chains. At the local level, the revival of Fresh Produce Markets has been a notable success, with modernisation of infrastructure facilitating improved market access for smallholder farmers and promoting inclusivity. The quarterly review session for the Eastern Cape Agro-Industry Development Plan was held on 21 November 2024, focusing on the implementation plan, industrial development, and sectoral support. During the session, it was recommended to refine the implementation plan's objectives, ensuring alignment with current priorities, and to process the document for finalisation. Stakeholders were invited to provide inputs on the draft implementation plan for 2024-2029, with a submission deadline of 15 December 2024. The reports from the sectoral and industrial departments highlighted continued growth in investments and job creation, driven by strategic partnerships between public and private entities. The next physical review meeting was scheduled for February 2025.The Government Procurement of Agricultural Product (GPAP) quarterly meeting was held on 19 November 2024, where updates on the programme%u2019s progress were discussed. The proposed programme model had been submitted to the cluster with a recommendation to place the programme within the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC), highlighting the organisation%u2019s capacity and cost efficiency as advantages. The Project Steering Committee meeting held on 7 November 2024 to discuss the future of the project and strategies to ensure that the project is sustainable beyond the funding period. Trade and investment promotion The provincial investment forum was held on 9 December 2024. The forum is the middle-tier level of coordination within the broader provincial coordination framework, which sits quarterly. The forum is a feeder structure to the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) public sector workstream and will follow the PIC-public sector workstream's recommended agenda. In terms of investments initiatives conducted by DEDEAT, it resulted in 9 investor initiatives for the province with the geographical spread as follows: 2 from Buffalo City Metro, 1 from Sarah Baartman District Municipality and 6 from Nelson Mandela Metro. There is a continued support for 1 renewable 618