South African cuisine is set to tantalise the taste buds of the world at the SIAL China International Trade Fair for Food, which gets underway in China on Wednesday.
The Department of Trade and Industry (dti) will lead 23 local companies from the agro-processing sector to the largest annual Asian food fair that will take place in Shanghai.
Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said the three-day fair offers South African companies, which are keen to promote their products and services in foreign markets, the best platform to boost their visibility in the region.
“China ranks as the largest consumer of food and beverages with an estimated value of over one trillion Euros. It is projected to grow rapidly over the next two-decades. The rising levels of Chinese disposable income, increases in retail sales of consumer goods and remarkable growth for South African products such as wine puts us in a unique position to make inroads into this lucrative market,” said Minister Davies on Tuesday.
The Minister said companies showcasing at SIAL will be in a position to establish contact with food manufacturers, distributors, importers, wholesalers and retailers, as well as representatives of institutional and commercial catering companies.
“SIAL China will offer our businesspeople a unique opportunity to meet market leaders of the food, beverage and hospitality industry in China, where they will establish new contacts and identify suppliers and business partners. The accompanying conference will also cover knowledge and information exchange between industry experts on current issues, trends and future prospects,” said Minister Davies.
SIAL China is a leading platform for international producers and manufacturers of food products, wines, spirits and food service equipment.
The trade fair will conclude on Friday. – SAnews.gov.za
