OPENING new markets on the African continent for KZN companies was the positive spin-off from a recent Trade and Investment KZN (TIKZN) mission to Ghana.
The trip to the Ghana International Trade Fair in Accra followed a fruitful visit by TIKZN to the West African country in 2016, which served to promote KZN as an attractive investment destination.
The aim of the trip was also to assist local companies in accessing international markets and intensify efforts to promote foreign trade.
Endorsed by the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA), the objective of last month’s trip was to meet organisations that previously expressed an interest in KZN products and to consolidate tangible leads that would turn into lucrative export orders.
Several criteria set out by the Department of Trade and Industry’s Export Market and Investment Assistance unit influenced the recruitment and selection of companies exhibiting at the TIKZN stand. These were BEE status, at least two years of being in operation and at least six months of demonstrated production and capacity to produce for the export market.
Seven KZN companies participated.
As a direct result of the Ghanaian trade mission, Leo Garments, a manufacturer of protective outerwear, is engaging with two distributors.
Other companies, including a furniture manufacturer, also gained tangible leads.
‘The marketing of our Trade, Investment Promotion and Economic Development Programme initiative also received a major boost during our discussions with the Ghanaian Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), which falls directly under the Presidential Office,’ said Neville Matjie, Acting Chief Executive Officer at TIKZN.
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