The Department of Trade and Industry will from this weekend host a 10-member delegation of buyers from the Middle East.
Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said the primary objective of the Inward Buying Mission (IBM) is to focus on marketing South Africa’s capabilities, with the view to position the country as both a supplier and investment destination of choice.
“The mission will also lay the foundation to expose buyers, manufacturers, distributors and key decision-makers from the agro-processing sector to source new products and services as well as increasing imports on fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sectors,” said Davies ahead of the IBM that will get underway on Saturday.
In a bid to optimise the programme of the mission, the dti has arranged for the buyers to undertake site visits and meetings to companies in the food and beverage sectors in South Africa.
The delegation will be provided with the opportunity to source new products, establish networks and explore potential for joint ventures.
The IBM to South Africa coincides with the Africa Big 7 International Food and Beverages Exhibition 2018 that will get underway on Sunday.
South African exports to the Middle East have been on an upward trend, increasing from R32.3 billion in 2015 to R42.9 billion in 2016 and further gained momentum to reach R47.9 billion in 2017.
The growing population of the Middle East requires an increased supply of food supported by the fact that 90% of their food is imported from across the globe.
This approach, said the dti, aims to give credence to the Export Promotion Strategy focusing on the Middle East as a high growth export market.
In addition, the agro-processing sector has been identified by both the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) and Integrated National Export Strategy (INES) to have the potential to exploit opportunities in global markets like the Middle East, while generating employment opportunities in South Africa. The IBM will run until 27 June. – SAnews.gov.za
