The ease of doing business differs from one municipality to the other, some municipalities are much more ‘businessfriendly’ than others. CMRA’s NGO Centre for Local Capacity Building (CLCB) is currently implementing a project funded by the Netherlands Embassy on Business Climate and Cooperation between local municipalities and (Dutch/South African) companies with the aim of identifying ‘good practices’ in providing a conducive business climate among 18 municipalities in South Africa that are host to a number of Dutch companies to interact and cooperate in identifying ways of improving the business climate that will support the creation of jobs and in turn grow the economy. This project started on the 1st of October 2015 and will take 18 months to implement, including piloting the identified good practices in some of the South African municipalities.

Results achieved:

• A total of three benchmark peer-to-peer learning sessions were held throughout the project, where municipalities exchanged ideas and practices regarding the ease of doing business, the reduction of Red-Tape and creating a conducive business environment in their local economies
• A close out business trade fair was held in conjunction with the Southern African Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (SANEC). Participating municipalities and Dutch owned, South African based businesses interacted and have since been in communication for possible collaboration in the future
• A Business Climate Benchmark Report was produced. The report profiles the outcomes of the benchmark questionnaire which was completed by all participating municipalities at the end of the first benchmark meeting. The report was approved by the project fundersthe Dutch embassy in Pretoria.