The Eastern Gauteng Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EGCI) has ushered in a new chapter with the appointment of Richard Miller as president, following the conclusion of Dr Rodney Ndala’s tenure.
Miller is a senior engineer at Enstra Paper Mill. He brings years of hands-on experience and a strong focus on improving service delivery and collaboration between business and government.
He has been a part of the chamber for the past six years after joining in February 2020 when the JVA bulk substation burned down.
“New Era industries were crippled by no power for almost a month. At the time I worked for Mpact Paper in New Era and was nominated for a position on the EXCO,” he explained.
As an electrical engineer, he was part of the subcommittee that liaised between industrial customers and the Springs municipal electrical supply service. He was then appointed as the chamber’s vice-president in 2024.
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Miller spoke about how his role as an engineer prepared him for his new role.
“I have been an electrical engineer in industry for many years. I have seen how good municipal service delivery and maintenance can be, and I believe that the same is achievable for Ekurhuleni,” he said.
He adds that as the president, he would like to address service delivery issues and see the current plans being carried out.
“I also want to see service delivery levels picking up, just to have the services that you pay for will be a good start.
“I would also like to see the Memorandum of Understanding that was recently signed and agreed, rolled out further,” he said.
Outside of his professional roles, Miller is a single parent to his son and daughter.
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“My son lives with me and is in Grade 11. The daily grind starts with good coffee, and thereafter it’s off to school and work. We enjoy riding our mountain bikes on the weekend through the open areas between Springs and Nigel,” he said.
He adds that his daughter is carving out a life for herself in Cape Town. He said being appointed as the new president means a great deal to him.
“I relocated to Springs in 2019 from Cape Town. I hope that the Springs commercial and industrial businesses build on the partnership with local government and the Ekurhuleni Metro,” he said.
Miller concluded by stating his vision for the EGCI is to see the relationship between private business and the local authority improve.
“Springs is an area rich with history and culture. If we all work together, we can make Springs great again,” he said.
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