Van Biljon was a businessman from Kempton Park and the founder of the Ekurhuleni Business Initiative, which was later rebranded as the Ekurhuleni Business Network. He passed away on August 1.

“This is a sad day for the people of Ekurhuleni, especially the business community. Van Biljon was a dedicated and hard-working individual who was passionate about the success of small business in the region,” Dr Mashazi said.

The CoE had formed a formidable partnership with Van Biljon’s EBN, because of a shared vision in terms of ensuring that that Ekurhuleni’s economy remains vibrant and advocates for the success of local business regardless of the size.

Van Biljon initiated the business network organisation over 15 years ago to serve the interests of corporate bodies and small, medium and micro-sized enterprises throughout Ekurhuleni. He believed in pushing the envelope in order to put businesses on the map and see them grow and prosper.

“His passion for growing small business overall cultures will always be remembered. As a metro we hope that in his absence the EBN will continue with his vision to empower all enterprises so that they thrive and achieve profitability and success within the current unprecedented economic environment,” Dr Mashazi concluded.