SA BUSINESS DELEGATION ARRIVES IN ZAMBIA FOR THE OUTWARD SELLING MISSION

SA BUSINESS DELEGATION ARRIVES IN ZAMBIA FOR THE OUTWARD SELLING MISSION

A thirty-five member delegation of the South African businesspeople has arrived in the Zambian capital city of Lusaka to participate in an Outward Selling Mission (OSM) that is being led by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti).

Speaking at the welcoming session held last night, the South African High Commissioner to Zambia, Ms Sikose Mji said small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Zambia were enthusiastic to form partnerships with South African businesses. She added that small businesses were thriving in Zambia and were the backbone of that country’s economy. This, she noted, provided an ideal opportunity for partnerships between the South African and Zambian entrepreneurs.

“The enthusiasm of these SMEs offers the South African businesspeople a platform to partner and form joint ventures. We anticipate having a fruitful mission as the Zambian business community has shown great interest in the mission,” said Mji.

Mji said that the time to export raw material and import finished goods was over.

”Now is the time to forge relationships, cooperate with local businesses and beneficiate our raw materials. This will lead to a reduction in the trade deficit between South Africa and Zambia in a long run,” she emphasised.

The Director of Export Promotion at the dti, Dr Julius Nyalunga described Zambia as the perfect market for the South African firms.

“Zambia has had one of the world’s fastest growing economies for the past ten years, with real Gross Domestic Product growth averaging roughly 5.5% per annum. This clearly shows they are doing something right,” noted Nyalunga.

He added that African countries needed to acknowledge the importance of economic diversification and establishment of regional value chains, while increasing intra-regional trade and expanding markets within the regions and continent.

The mission which starts today will consist of business seminar, business-to-business meetings, round-table discussions and site visits.  The seminar, which takes place today, will be addressed by Ms Mji and the Zambian Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Ms Margaret Mwanakatwe  

More than 50 Zambian firms have confirmed attendance of the seminar and business-to-business meetings.