The fifth Investment and Trade Initiative (ITI) to Brazil hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) was a good foundation for increased trade between the two countries. Business people who participated in the ITI attested to its great success after participating in numerous business to business meetings organised as part of the programme.
According to Ansie Truter of Lutzville Cape Diamond Wines, the ITI was a good one filled with a lot of opportunities for growth for her company.
“I had twelve meetings with Brazilian companies and most of them were promising. I am excited about two of the meetings in particular whose outcome was an order for us to supply our wines to a big retail company,” she said. Truter said the negotiations for supplying this retailer were initiated at an ITI her company participated in two years ago.
“I am happy that an order was generated as an outcome of this meeting. They have now ordered a container and will be ordering more soon after expansion of their business, which is in the pipeline,” she added. Mr Wahed Khan of Cape Dreams who is also in the wine making industry says the business people he met were very interested in his product.
“Unfortunately due to the paper work that is involved, it will take a few months before we can supply them with our wines. However it was very fruitful. I am particularly grateful to the dti for providing us with this opportunity, because if we were to do this on our own the costs would be too high,” he added.
A Limpopo business woman Ms Evelyn Sinthumule, who produces dried fruits, fruit juice and Achaar also attested to the success of the meetings. She said the meetings were very good and promising. “I believe something positive will come out of it,” she gladly added.
According to a Director at the dti’s Trade and Investment South Africa (TISA), Ms Annelize van der Merwe, the ITI was a huge success. Van der Merwe said the investment meetings that she and her team had were quite promising.
“Most of the investors we met were keen to come and invest in South Africa. They enquired about the different regulations we have in the country with regards to operating their businesses there. They also requested us to start looking for companies which they could possibly go into joint ventures with to expand their businesses in the country,” she added.
The business delegation was led by the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Elizabeth Thabethe and focused on the agro-processing and mining sectors. The investment sectors covered were automotive components, transport equipment and alternative energy sources. Deputy Minister Thabethe with some of the South African delegation at the ITI in Brazil.
Enquiries:
Sidwell Medupe, departmental spokesperson
Tel: 012 394 1650
Cell: 079 492 1774
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
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