The Department of Trade and Industry will be hosting its annual Investment and Trade Initiative (ITI) in the Chinese cities of Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, which will culminate in a national pavilion at the China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) 2009 in Xiamen, from 27 August to 12 September 2009.
Economic and trade relations between South Africa and the People's Republic of China have grown rapidly since the formal establishment of diplomatic relations in 1998. This ITI is part of the department's export promotion investment strategy to focus on China as a new high growth export and investment market.
Participation by 33 exporters and 17 South African companies seeking investment partners from the following sectors will provide an excellent platform for identifying trade and investment opportunities in the two countries: agro-processing, beneficiated metals and mining, electro-technical, bio-fuels and alternative energy (solar power, waste recycling and wind energy). The expo will also include activities such as the investment seminar, wine tasting event and South African food tasting event.
The mission is aimed at creating market penetration for South African value added products and services in China; promote South Africa as a trade and investment destination; promoting technology transfer and encouraging business collaboration, including the flow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into South Africa.
Eighty percent of those in the South African delegation are funded by the Department of Trade and Industry (dti), through the Export Marketing and Investment Assistance (EMIA) scheme. The purpose of assistance under the EMIA scheme is to partially compensate exporters for costs incurred in respect of activities aimed at developing export markets for South African products and services and recruiting new FDI into South Africa.
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Thandi Tobias-Pokolo, will deliver a keynote address at the trade and investment seminars in Beijing on 31 August 2009. The seminars will be attended by business people from South Africa and China, who will be given an opportunity to share ideas on business and export opportunities within diverse economic sectors of the two countries.
The delegation will also consist of the following Provincial Economic Development Agencies:
* Western Cape Growth and Development Agency (Wesgrow)
* Mpumalanga Development Agency (Mega)
* Invest North West
* Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC).
For further information contact:
Bongani Lukhele
Tel: 012 394 1643
Cell: 078 526 8572
E-mail: BLukhele@thedti.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Trade and Industry
26 August 2009
Source: Department of Trade and Industry (http://www.dti.gov.za/)
