Look to southern Africa and the rest of the continent for expansion, Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa urged South African business on Tuesday.
Opening the Export Africa 2005 show, he advised small businesses and those with little international experience to enter into regional trade relationships.
They could use that experience and knowledge ”as a basis on which to delve into the global marketplace”, he said.
”This expansion contributes not only to the growth of individual firms but contributes to economic development of the region as a whole.”
Export Africa is an initiative of his department, which aims to build the capacity of potential, new and experienced exporters.
”I believe there are many opportunities that the South African business community have lost by not sourcing products from our neighbouring and other countries on the continent,” Mpahlwa said.
”It is in all of our interests for us to grow the levels of trade between African countries, and use trade as a means to further develop our continent.”
He said the Southern African Development Community trade protocol would further promote economic integration and regional economic co-operation.
Mpahlwa acknowledged difficulties in moving goods across borders, including high transport costs, backlogs at ports and delays in ensuring compliance with regulations.
”These problems exist, but we are working to overcome them. Regular feedback from organised business formations helps to identify specific bottlenecks, which we can then start to address.
”Regular feedback from organised business formations helps to identify specific bottlenecks, which we can then start to address,” he said.
Dovetailing the show is Export Week, during which practical export workshops for interested companies are held, including:
- Export training workshops in marketing and logistics;
- Export market workshops, designed to assist exporters to identify new business opportunities in important global markets;
- Export finance workshops, covering such key issues as export finance and export risk as well as briefings on marketing assistance offered by the Department of Trade and Industry to exporters.
”In line with our commitment to regional economic growth and having balanced trade patterns within the region, we have included a workshop for businesses from other African countries on exporting into the South African market.” – Sapa