The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Elizabeth Thabethe, will lead a group of handicrafts exhibitors to the third edition of the International Handicrafts Exhibition in Cameroon to showcase their products and services to the Central Africa market. Among these exhibitors would be cooperatives, funded by the department of Trade and Industry (the dti). The exhibition will be running from 23 January to 3 February 2012.
The exhibition also offers an opportunity for an exchange of skills and innovative advances by the craftsmen and women who will be participating. A South Africa day is planned for 24 January 2012 focusing on the opening of the South Africa exhibition as well as deliberation on areas for mutual co-operation.
The enterprises accompanying Ms Thabethe include cooperatives like the Limpopo-based Hi Hlurile Cooperative, consisting of 27 members producing handmade beads, the Gauteng-based Imfundiso Skills Development Training Institute which produces high-end jewellery and offering learners technical skills in jewellery designing, as well as Itlhabolole Waste Management Cooperative from the North West where they are trading in waste recycling. In addition to this a group of women has been considered through South African Women Entrepreneurs’ Network (SAWEN), a women initiative of the dti.
Thabethe says that interactions between the two countries are maturing and must be deepened through joint ventures and high impact investments.
“Part of our reasons for attending this handicrafts exhibition is to further strengthen ties between the countries and allow our exhibitors to take advantage of trade agreements that may arise,” she said. There will also be meetings held at bilateral level by officials to finalise technical cooperation arrangements in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Development, Industrial Research and Technology Transfer, Agriculture and Agro-processing, Mining and Tourism. The meetings will also finalise modalities on establishment of the Joint Trade and Investment Committee.
The visit by the South African delegation is a continuous programme of deepening bilateral relations between the two countries. It also builds on previous engagements and exchanges of government and business delegations. Deputy Minister Thabethe led a business delegation to Cameroon in January last year, which focused on infrastructure, energy, agro-processing and manufacturing. In December 2011, she again led another delegation of small and medium enterprises (SME) to the Promote 2011 International Trade Fair.
During these missions, she engaged with the Cameroonian Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development as well as the Ministry of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts. This was largely informed by deliberations held in South Africa by government with the Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Mr Louis Paul Motaze in October 2010. These discussions were on facilitating market access and increased investment by South Africa to Cameroon.
Enquiries:
Sidwell Medupe
Departmental Spokesperson
Tel: 012 394 1650
Mobile: 079 492 1774
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
