The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Elizabeth Thabethe, will lead a delegation of South African businesspeople on an Outward Selling and Investment Mission to the cities of Istanbul and Izmir in Turkey from 20 to 23 November 2012.
The objective of the mission is to increase trade and investment between South Africa and Turkey. The mission will also serve as an ideal opportunity for South African companies that would like to export value-added products and services and for companies that are looking for foreign investment from Turkey. The targeted sectors for the mission are energy, mining and jewellery; infrastructure, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), capital equipment and engineering, and textiles and clothing.
“Participation in the mission will provide an excellent platform for the South African and Turkish businesspeople to identify trade and investment opportunities in the two countries in the targeted sectors, create awareness of the South African value-added goods and services, and increase exports to Turkey. It will also facilitate increased foreign direct investment into South Africa as well as joint ventures between the South African and Turkish companies,” said Thabethe.
She added that the mission also serves to operationalise the areas of cooperation agreed to by both countries under the ambit of the South Africa-Turkey Joint Economic Commission meeting (JEC). The JEC is an institutional mechanism that strives to strengthen commercial and economic relations between the two countries.
Turkey is South Africa’s 33rd export destination and 41st source of imports. Turkey is ranked as the 17th largest economy in the world with a Growth Domestic Product (GDP) size estimated at more than R8 billion in 2011. The Turkish economy is dominated by the services sector which contributes about 64% of the total GDP, followed by industry at 27% and agriculture contributing 10% in 2011.
One of the delegates heading for Turkey, Mr Preddy Msieleng of Bon Com, a Johannesburg-based ICT company, said he was hoping to secure a market for his products and services in Turkey, and negotiate possible joint ventures and partnerships with Turkish companies.
Ms Virginia Morule of Agro Tractor House Import and Export which is based in Benoni, Gauteng, said she would be focusing her attention on establishing a market for her products and learning about the technology that is used in Turkey to produce trailers.
“I have learnt that there are companies there that are manufacturing trailers using technology that is different and more advanced from what we are using here, and I would like to learn more about it. I will also be talking to potential investors as I have established that businesspeople there are interested in investing in South Africa,” says Morule whose company manufactures trailers and fertiliser spreaders.
Enquiries:
Sidwell Medupe
Departmental Spokesperson
Tel: 012 394 1650
Cell: 079 492 1774
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
