SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS DELEGATION IN RUSSIA TO EXPLORE EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES

SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS DELEGATION IN RUSSIA TO EXPLORE EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES

A business delegation led by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) arrived in Russia to participate in the 6^thInvestment and Trade Initiative (ITI) to that country. The ITI takes place from 23-27 March 2015 and will be held inMoscow and Novosibirsk. The delegation consists of manufacturers and emerging exporters in the agro-processing and food-related sectors.

Welcoming the delegation to Russia, the Ambassador of South Africa to Russia, Mr Mandisi Mpahlwa said it was a good time for the companies to have come to Russia. He highlighted that Russia was looking at establishing new relationships and looking for new suppliers of food products.

“We are taking the opportunities presented and are fulfilling the cooperation signed on by President Jacob Zuma and President Vladimir Putin for South Africa and Russia to deepen relations and cooperate with each other,” said Mpahlwa.

He also said Russia was trying to boost its local productions but at the same time attracting new suppliers to ensure that the food security needs of its citizens are met. He encouraged the South African delegation to learn as much as they could about the market and informed them that the ITI had attracted a huge interest from the Russian business community.

The Head of Investment Promotion at the dti, Mr Yunus Hoosen who is also leading the delegation, told the businesspeople that Russia was an important market in terms of its membership in BRICS and that the South African government had made inroads into the country to allow for increased trade between the two countries.

“Working together with the Russian Federation, we have been able to unlock the seafood and fruit protocols in this market. South Africa has a strategic partnership with the country as Russia is looking to it as a source of products,” he added.

He said Russia was a dynamic market both economically and politically.

The ITI will commence with investment seminars, business to business meetings with potential importers and visits to various business sites to learn how Russians conduct they business.