Cooperatives leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) will gather in Cape Town for the third BRICS Cooperatives Meeting that will take place at the International Convention Centre from 26-27 October 2013. The Meeting will be hosted by the South African National Apex Cooperative (SANACO) in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti). The Meeting will be held under the theme: Partnerships for Development, Integration and Industrialisation Through Cooperatives.
According to the President of SANACO, Mr Lawrence Bale, the aim of the Meeting is to facilitate bilateral and multilateral cooperation amongst co-operative enterprises in BRICS countries.
“The meeting will provide an opportunity for cooperatives to exchange ideas, experiences and information on enhancing cooperatives development, possible collaboration and joint ventures amongst cooperatives in the Brics countries and Southern Africa,” says President Lawrence Bale. This meeting takes place during an important period in the development of co-operatives in the country. This is a period when the country has just completed its review of the co-operatives legislation, with a view to strengthen support for co-operative development.
The objectives of the meeting include facilitating and announcing concrete business collaboration between and amongst cooperatives in the BRICS countries, sharing information on the latest cooperative, trade and economic policies.
“Collaboration on capacity building, skills development, technology transfer and funding models for cooperatives are also some of the issues that cooperative leaders will brainstorm at the meeting,” adds President Lawrence Bale.
He says cooperatives leaders at the meeting will also discuss the implementation structure for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was signed during the second BRICS Cooperatives Leaders Meeting in Beijing, China in 2011.
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies says that given the importance of cooperative development as a preferred instrument to reduce poverty, unemployment, high levels of inequality and to accelerate economic empowerment it is imperative for South Africa to host the 3rd BRICS Co-operatives Leaders Meeting as one of the support events for the 5th Summit of BRICS countries that took place in Durban in March this year.
“The meeting will be the first for South Africa and we are not sparing any effort to ensure that the historic occasion does not only become a success but also produce positive spin-offs for our cooperatives. We want to make certain that South Africa’s membership of the BRICS block also benefits our cooperatives,” says Minister Davies.
He adds that the meeting will provide cooperative leaders with a platform to brainstorm ways and means in which cooperatives can take advantage of trade and investments opportunities presented by our Brics membership and extend their markets to other countries.
Enquiries:
Sidwell Medupe, Departmental Spokesperson
Tel: 012 394 1650
Mobile: 079 492 1774
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
Follow us on Twitter: @the_dti
Thulane Mabuza – SANACO Secretary General
Tel: 012 323 5069/73
Mobile: 082 677 2146
Email: mabuza.thulane@gmail.com
