A local company is keen to participate in a trade and investment mission to Mozambique that gets underway today.
Nyamezela Metering is seeking to expand its customer base when it participates in the Department of Trade and Industry’s (dti) trade and investment mission to the neighbouring country.
The Gauteng based company, which provides metering hardware and services to the water and power sectors, employs 50 people.
“Currently, we supply Eskom and some municipalities with our products and services and outside South Africa, we supply to Zimbabwe and are confident that Mozambique will be our next market,” said the company’s Project Coordinator, Hazel Kahari, ahead of the start of the trade mission.
The company intends to meet potential suppliers or agents for their products as well as to conduct the market intelligence and most importantly to know more about the current challenges Mozambique is facing in the energy sector.
Knowing these challenges, she says, will help them custom make products that can meet customer needs as opposed to suggesting a one size fits all.
“We are particularly excited about the business-to-business meetings that are being arranged for us. We are optimistic that this mission will yield positive results for our company,” says Kahari.
The company is among the companies who received financial support from the dti to participate in the mission encompassing companies from the electrical and renewable energy, architects and engineering services, built environment, telecommunications, and mining services, among others.
The mission, which will run until Friday, will include a trade and investment seminar, targeted business-to-business meetings and sector-specific site visits.
Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said the mission grants the South African government prospect of continued economic collaboration and partnerships with African countries for the realisation of higher levels of industrialisation through sustainable trade and investment.
“The mission is expected to contribute towards increased trade and investment between South Africa and Mozambique, strengthen existing relations between the two countries and increase the formation of commercial partnerships and joint ventures between the businesspeople,” said Davies.
SA’s investment in Mozambique
The Minister said South African companies have invested in Mozambique across a broad spectrum of sectors.
“The Industrial Development Cooperation (IDC) has since been acting as a catalyst for investment and development in Mozambique. About 40% of Industrial Development Corporation’s growth in terms of investments are infrastructure, tourism, fisheries, agriculture, extractive and electricity. There is potential for South Africa to export products and services in these sectors,” he said.
In 2017, 30% of Mozambique’s imports came from South Africa which puts it in the first position in terms of the market share in the country.
Total trade volume in 2017 stood at R51 billion and the trade balance between the two countries in 2017 was R 26.6 billion in favour of South Africa.
“Mozambique is a strategic and important partner to South Africa and is amongst the top five of our trade partners in the Southern African Development Community region,” said Davies.
The mission will take place in the provinces of Pemba and capital Maputo. – SAnews.gov.za
