Cape Town - Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Mzwandile Masina will lead a delegation of businesspeople on trade mission to Ghana and Nigeria from August 17 to 21 2015.
According to the Department of Trade and Industry (dti), the objective is to increase trade and investment and deepen bilateral relations between South Africa and these two countries.
"The mission will serve as an ideal opportunity for South African companies to export value-added products and services to Ghana and Nigeria, and for penetration of companies that are looking for investment opportunities in these African countries," said the dti on Tuesday.
According to Masina, the mission will also provide a platform for South African companies to promote their products and services into the African market.
“The mission presents the dti with an opportunity to continue to pursue economic collaboration and partnerships with African countries. This as we continue crafting the way forward for sustainable economic development and the development of investment in the African continent,” said Masina.
He added that South Africa has taken a conscious decision to partner with Nigeria during their development phases and that Nigeria, like most countries in Africa, presents a wealth of business opportunities for South African companies.
Bilateral trade between South Africa and Ghana has experienced an upward trend between 2010 and 2014, growing from R2.6bn to R10.8bn, while bilateral trade between South Africa and Nigeria has experienced a fluctuating but upward trend from 2010 to 2014, growing from a total of R20.5bn in 2010 to R66.2bn in 2014.
Sectors targeted for the mission are agriculture and agro-processing, build environment professionals, infrastructure, furniture and wood processing energy and mining. The programme for the OSIM includes Trade and Investment seminars, mini exhibitions, business to business meetings and site visits.