Johannesburg - The Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) will lead a group of South African companies to the 2014 Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), taking place in Bulawayo from April 22 to 26 2014.
The fair will be held under the theme “New Ideas, New Heights”.
The companies have been assisted by the dti through its Export Marketing and Investment Assistance Scheme (Emia), which aims to develop export markets for South African products and services and to recruit new foreign direct investment into the country.
This is done through the provision of marketing assistance to develop new export markets and grow existing export markets and identification of new export markets through market research, amongst others.
Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Elizabeth Thabethe said export sales resulting from the participation in the fair as reported by South African companies amounted to R6.6m in 2011, R7.1m in 2012 and R55.6m in 2013.
Last year, South Africa was voted the best foreign exhibitor stand due to its quality and design.
South African firms took up the largest single exhibition space of 800m² followed by China with 600m².
Thabethe said the department is looking forward to assist the companies to come back with increased market knowledge about the Zimbabwean market, regional and international business contacts and export orders of more than R10m amongst other things.
According to Thabethe, the fair is an important mechanism to pursue intra-Africa trade as well as to strengthen relations between South Africa and its SADC counterparts and the rest of the world.
Thabethe described Zimbabwe as one of South Africa’s key strategic countries in the region.
Countries represented at the fair include China, Brazil, Congo Brazzaville, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Poland, Bangladesh, India and Nigeria.
The US will also participate this year.
This year’s exhibition will feature product groups such as machinery and expertise for infrastructure, manufacturing processes and equipment, innovation, automation and supplies for agro-processing, among others.
The fair will be held under the theme “New Ideas, New Heights”.
The companies have been assisted by the dti through its Export Marketing and Investment Assistance Scheme (Emia), which aims to develop export markets for South African products and services and to recruit new foreign direct investment into the country.
This is done through the provision of marketing assistance to develop new export markets and grow existing export markets and identification of new export markets through market research, amongst others.
Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Elizabeth Thabethe said export sales resulting from the participation in the fair as reported by South African companies amounted to R6.6m in 2011, R7.1m in 2012 and R55.6m in 2013.
Last year, South Africa was voted the best foreign exhibitor stand due to its quality and design.
South African firms took up the largest single exhibition space of 800m² followed by China with 600m².
Thabethe said the department is looking forward to assist the companies to come back with increased market knowledge about the Zimbabwean market, regional and international business contacts and export orders of more than R10m amongst other things.
According to Thabethe, the fair is an important mechanism to pursue intra-Africa trade as well as to strengthen relations between South Africa and its SADC counterparts and the rest of the world.
Thabethe described Zimbabwe as one of South Africa’s key strategic countries in the region.
Countries represented at the fair include China, Brazil, Congo Brazzaville, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Poland, Bangladesh, India and Nigeria.
The US will also participate this year.
This year’s exhibition will feature product groups such as machinery and expertise for infrastructure, manufacturing processes and equipment, innovation, automation and supplies for agro-processing, among others.