SOUTH AFRICAN COMPANIES GETTING READY TO SHOWCASE THEIR PRODUCTS IN CHINA

SOUTH AFRICAN COMPANIES GETTING READY TO SHOWCASE THEIR PRODUCTS IN CHINA

The Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) is supporting 51 companies to participate in the South Africa China Expos which will take place in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Shanghai and Beijing from 20-31 October 2014.

The aim of the Expos is to ensure that trade and investment between South Africa and China.is increased

The Chief Executive Officer of Bayede, a wine company that will be participating in the Expos in China, Ms Antoinette Vermooten says her main objective of going to China is to expand the company’s footprint in the Asian country and to get new importers and trading partners.

Vermooten says her company, which participated in the 2013 South African Expos in China managed to record sales to the total value of R5.2 million as a result of their participation in the expos and is optimistic that this year they will double the numbers.

The Director of Robinson and Sinclair Wine Company, Ms Tanja Robinson is also part of the delegation and says thanks to the previous South African Expos in China her company is now exporting their premium wines to the value of R10 million per annum to Xiamen. She says this year she would like to meet specialised wine importers and large corporates, and continue to expand their footprint in China.

One of the South African products that showcased at the expos is Rooibos tea. The founder and Managing Member of Blue Africa Trading which specialises in Rooibos tea Mr Charl Rudman says he would like to establish contacts with companies that would be interested in importing Rooibos tea products from South Africa.

“We are mostly interested in companies that are in the tea business or supply retailers. Companies that have the infrastructure and capabilities to import our tea to China and Hong Kong with the potential of exporting it to other Asian countries will be an added advantage for the company,” he says.

The business delegation departs tomorrow and will be led by the Director- General of the dti, Mr Lionel October for the first leg of the expos and then by the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Mzwandile Masina for the second leg of the expos. The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies, will be part of the Beijing leg of the expos.