Local companies have expressed delight at the prospects of possible trade leads at the Africa Down Under (ADU) International Conference and Exhibition currently underway in Australia.
“We have managed to generate a few promising leads on the first day of this event. As a fairly small company, this has been a phenomenal opportunity for us to rub shoulders with the big guns of the mining industry that we are targeting for our cutting-edge software products,” said Tom Phillips.
Philips is the strategic marketing analyst of Inspired Interfaces, a Durban based company in the electrical engineering software industry.
Inspired Interfaces is among the 25 businesspeople who travelled to Perth to partake in the weeklong Outward Selling Mission (OSM), which coincides with the popular ADU through the Department of Trade and Industry (dti).
ADU is the world’s leading gathering for companies and organisations in mineral exploration and mining services from all continents. It is said to have grown to become the largest African-focused mining event held outside the continent itself.
“I am really excited about the good contacts that I have made and hope the follow-up meetings and interactions today will also bear more fruit. We are making gradual but significant progress and hope the leads will develop into deals,” said Phillips on Thursday.
The objective of the mission, which includes the companies participating in both the conference and exhibition, is to provide a platform for companies to seek an export market for their products and services in Australia and other countries.
Eliot Mnisi, the Chief Executive Officer of Rhimak Holdings -- a North West based engineering, procurement and construction management company -- said the event began on a high note.
“We came here to market our new product in our portfolio called minecrete. It is a proudly South African product which will improve safety in underground mining as it solves the problem of fall of ground by preventing oxidation underground,” said Mnisi.
Mnisi said he was impressed by the unexpected high interest in the product that has attracted mainly mining companies participating in ADU, including a CEO of a big Australian company.
The Managing Director of Gauteng-based Kama Coils & Transformers, Grant Rousseau, says he was inspired by the speeches and presentations that were delivered on the first day of the conference.
“There is a wealth of valuable information that we received from the CEOs of international companies themselves, and from various senior government officials and politicians. The information was very inspiring as the presenters and speakers provided us with multiple opportunities that are available in the mining sector in Austria and various African countries,” said Rousseau.
The Outward Selling Mission (OSM), which got underway on Sunday, coincides with ADU, which got underway on Wednesday.
The OSM will conclude on 7 September. - SAnews.gov.za
