An enterprising and award-winning Mpumalanga businesswoman Ms Eunice Mokoena is confident that she will find another international market for her wall coating products and expand her business into Angola.
Mokoena, a 50-year-old mother of three, who hails from Nelspruit, is currently participating in the 30th International Fair of Luanda Trade Exhibition popularly known as FILDA. She is part of a delegation comprising thirty three businesspeople who have been in Angola from Sunday, through assistance from the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti). The delegation is led by the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Elizabeth Thabethe.
‘I’m grateful for the opportunity that I have been afforded by the dti to participate in this famous international exhibition. I am exhibiting in Angola for the very first time but I am optimistic and confident that by the end of the exhibition I will have managed to obtain promises from people who are interested in buying franchises from my business. I am also planning to open a branch in Angola so that I can be able to sell my products here,” said Mokoena.
Mokoena’s company, B & J Gamazine, which has a warehouse in Pienaar and an office in Nelspruit, specialises in gamazine, glamour and brick wall coating. She started her business ten years ago after working as a salesperson for a furniture shop. After establishing herself in South Africa, she decided to expand her horizons by seeking new markets outside the country.
Through the assistance of the dti, Mokoena has already attended international exhibitions in Senegal, Mozambique, India, Guinea and Botswana in 2009 where she won an award as the Best Overall International Exhibitor romping home with 10 000 Pula. As a result of the contacts she established while in Botswana, she returned there last year opened a branch. She is also currently exporting 6 000 25kg drums of gamazine and glamour coating to Guinea.
FILDA is a multi-sectoral fair attended by exhibitors from different sectors including oil, banking, services, trade, communications, automobile, machines and equipment, and agricultural and farming products, amongst others.
The dti has already assisted hundreds of businesspeople through its Export Marketing and Investment Assistance Scheme (EMIA). The EMIA scheme develops export markets for South African products and services and recruits new foreign direct investment into South Africa.
Enquiries:
Sidwell Medupe
Tel: 012 394 1650
Cell: 079 492 1774
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
