Limpopo's young entrepreneur Eunice Managa Digangoane will get an opportunity to introduce her precious and appealing handmade jewellery and corporate gifts to the broader African market when she travels to Zimbabwe as part of the Investment and Trade Initiative (ITI) organised by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti). The initiative, which will take place in Harare and Bulawayo from 15 to19 October 2012, will comprise about forty businesspeople from various provinces and will be led by the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Elizabeth Thabethe.
The ITI is part of the dti's Export and Investment Promotion Strategy that focuses on targeted high growth markets with the objective of creating investment and export opportunities for South African companies and promoting South Africa as a trade and investment destination.
The ITI’s programme of activities includes exhibitions, business seminars and business-to-business meetings, providing opportunities to create market penetration for South African value-added products and services in Zimbabwe.
"I'm looking forward to the trip. It will be the first time that I’m going to exhibit in an African country other than South Africa. I'm hoping that the trip will assist me establish a market for my products in Zimbabwe. I'm confident that visitors who will pass by my stall at the exhibitions in both cities will find my products very appealing as they are beautiful and unique. It would be good to receive bulk orders but my real target is being able to establish a long-term partnership or contract that can enable me to supply my products to the Zimbabweans on a regular basis," says Digangoane.
Digangoane's company, SFM Jewellers has already benefited from an annual international exhibition that the dti, through its Export Marketing and Investment Assistance Scheme has assisted her to participate in in 2011 and this year. She clinched a deal to supply a group of United Kingdom people with her products at the annual International Jewellery London Exhibition this year.
She started her business in 2009 after completing a National Jewellery Diploma at the University of Johannesburg. She had always wanted to do something with her own hands and was influenced by her grandmother, Managa who specialised in beadwork. One of Digangoane’s most unique and popular products is the jewellery made from livestock bones which she has already sold to international clients from countries such as Holland and Germany.
Digangoane operates her company from the Seda Jewellery Incubation Centre in Polokwane but runs a small workshop from home in Seshego. At the moment she occasionally employs four people whenever she has big bulk orders and hopes her Zimbabwe trip will result in more orders so that she can create more employment for other young people.
Interview request should be directed to Bongani Lukhele on 079 508 3457/074 299 8512 or via email BLukhele@thedti.gov.za
Enquiries:Sidwell Medupe
Departmental Spokesperson
Tel: 012 394 1650
Cell: 079 492 1774
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
