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South African businesspeople who participated in a week-long trade and investment mission to Ghana and Nigeria have expressed satisfaction with the mission and are optimistic of tangible results in the near future.  The mission, which took place from 20-25 March 2017, was organised by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti).

Ms Olivia Fuka of GET Mining services, expressed satisfaction of both legs of the mission. She says she had successful meetings with big credible companies from both Ghana and Nigeria. According to her there is a market for her products in both countries and setting up a plant is in their future plans.

Fuka described the Nigerian market as massive, and says the meetings she had through her participation in the mission will unquestionably yield positive results when the company seals the leads that emanated from the mission. She adds that the company is determined to take full advantage of opportunities she identified in huge Nigerian market.

The Marketing Manager of Tarch Chemical, the distributors of cosmetics, food and pharmaceutical ingredients Ms Getrude Makamure says Ghana was the main highlight of the mission.

“As a company we have been trying to enter the West African market with no success. I got to meet a potential client that I have been trying to contact on my own with no success.  The client is a big player in the market in Ghana and have showed huge interest in working with us. We will be making follow-ups in making sure that the deal is signed and sealed,’’ says Makamure.

According to Mr Vaughn Duke of Sound Mining Solutions, the mission was a success as it provided the companies an opportunity to meet with their potential partners. He is happy that he made good contacts that he is going to follow up and make sure he concludes the deals.

Abkom Engineering’s Mr Barend Steyn says they participated in the mission to further penetrate the west African market, and they have since met with a big player in the industry whom they have been trying to meet for some time.

The Director of Export Promotions at the dti, Ms Seema Sardha says she is pleased with the overwhelming response received during the business forum, business-to-business meetings and site visits from both Ghana and Nigeria. She added that this demonstrated the enthusiasm from both sides towards building partnerships and value-chains across Africa.

“We came here with an objective to promote South African products, and service offerings, and to create business partnerships between business communities of the respective countries and we have done exactly that.  Going forward, companies need to take the necessary steps and follow up on the leads they accrued in making sure they translate them into economic benefits,” says Sardha.

The programme of the mission included trade and investment seminars, business-to-business meetings and site visits.

Sectors targeted for the mission were agro-processing, electro-technical, infrastructure, mining, services and capital equipment.

Issued by Department of Trade and Industry