A 20-member South African business delegation will on Friday travel to Russia, where they will showcase their products and services at the 2017 World Food Moscow International Food Exhibition.
The exhibition is scheduled to take place from 11 - 14 September 2017.
The participation of the South African companies in the exhibition is funded by the Department of Trade and Industry through its Export Marketing and Investment Assistance (EMIA) scheme, with the aim of increasing exports of South African manufactured products to Russia.
The objective of the scheme is to nurture export markets for South African products and services and to recruit new foreign direct investment into the country.
Managing Director of Thandi Wines, Vernon Henn, said his company is on a mission to explore opportunities in Russia and beyond as the exhibition attracts international clients from diverse markets.
“The World Food Moscow International Food Exhibition will present us with opportunities whereby we will be in a position to acquire distributors for our wines and form partnerships that will allow our company to obtain new business and infiltrate new markets,” said Henn.
Managing Director of the Mpumalanga-based JAB Dried Fruit Products, Corne Barnard, said he is optimistic that his products will make a positive impact at the exhibition.
“We are ideally looking at having our products marketed to Russian retailers and wholesalers and are looking at exporting one container per week to the country and use this platform as a stepping stone towards our goal,” he said.
Barnard said the opportunity provided by the Department of Trade and Industry to take part at the international exhibition will open more doors for his company.
The company is currently exporting to the United States of America, Germany, the Netherlands and Israel.
He said exploiting the Russian market would mean the creation of more jobs.
The Managing Director of Continental Biscuits Luis Murillo is keen to penetrate the Russian market and believes showcasing his products at the exhibition will be a gateway to the Russian market.
“Showcasing at this massive exhibition will serve as an indicator on how receptive the Russian market will be to our products. We have a wide range of products from sweet and savoury biscuit, assortments, sandwich creams, wafers and chocolate enrobed products and we trust that it is within this wide range we would find suitable products that will soon reach the Russian market,” said Murillo.
According to the Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies the objective of the South African participation in the exhibition is to promote South Africa’s agro-processing industry in order to consolidate and establish market presence of South Africa in Russia.
He said this will also generate greater returns for the South African agro-processing and related industries at the show and within the Russian market in alignment to the department’s Market Diversification Strategy. – SAnews.gov.za
