The Isle of Man Government has appointed its first dedicated business representative in South Africa.
Cecilia Albertyn, based in Joannesburg, has taken up the role of business development consultant, with responsibility for building on the strong relationship between the two jurisdictions in financial services.
She will also liaise closely with South African trade associations and businesses to raise the profile of the island and highlight opportunities offered by the Isle of Man’s diverse sector.
The relationship between the Isle of Man and South Africa is a longstanding one. More than 35 South African businesses already have operations in the Isle of Man, and South Africans are the Isle of Man’s largest overseas population outside of the British Isles, with over a thousand residents.
There are already numerous institutions that operate across both jurisdictions, including Nedbank, Standard Bank, Derivco, Microgaming and Capital International.
The Isle of Man is home to an award-winning financial and professional services sector that includes banking, fiduciaries, insurance, pensions, professional services and wealth management. As a leading international jurisdiction the Isle of Man’s stable and secure environment provides balance for business and individuals alike. It hosts a diverse ecosystem of global companies in innovative sectors including; finance, tech, e-gaming, engineering and manufacturing along with new and emerging sectors including, biotech and esports.
Albertyn has spent the past seven years serving as vice president for International Networks at the British Chamber of Business in South Africa. In that role she was responsible for taking the pulse of the business environment and strengthening local and international networks. Fluent in English and Afrikaans, she will play a key role in developing business opportunities between the two jurisdictions. She will be part of the Finance Isle of Man team, an Executive Agency of the Isle of Man Government.
Albertyn, said: “I am looking forward to driving even stronger business links between the Isle of Man and South Africa. A large number of South African companies have already successfully internationalised their businesses in the Isle of Man, a move which delivers growth and benefits to the economies of both countries. I look forward to working with South African entrepreneurs to help them to understand the scale of opportunity the Isle of Man represents.”
Michael Crowe, CEO, Finance Isle of Man, said: “I am delighted that we have appointed Cecilia to this important new role. The Isle of Man already has an excellent trade relationship with South Africa – with trade between our two jurisdictions helping to drive economic growth on both sides. We have long had ambitions to build on this position of strength – Cecilia’s skills and experience mean that she is ideally placed to help us do that.”
