The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) invites companies to participate in the 2nd Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) that will be held in Kigali, Rwanda from 1-7 September 2020. The closing date for submission of application forms is 2 April 2020.
The dtic will set up the South African National Pavilion at IATF and will provide financial assistance to qualifying companies through its Export Marketing and Investment Assistance (EMIA) scheme to participate and showcase their products. The objective of the scheme is to develop export markets for South African products and services and to recruit new foreign direct investment into the country.
According to the Minister Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Ebrahim Patel, the South African manufacturers and service providers will get an opportunity to introduce their products and services to the rest of the African continent and beyond. He adds that the IATF provides a strategic platform to access an integrated African market of over one billion people with a GDP of US$2.5 trillion, joined together by the African Continental Free Trade Area.
“We aim to increase, expand and diversify markets for the export of South African goods and services, and importantly, position South Africa as the partner of choice in Africa. This we can do through profiling of the South African goods and services, and positioning and rebranding South Africa as a value-added partner of choice. The IATF is a perfect platform for us to achieve this,” says Minister Patel.
He noted that South Africa’s participation at IATF will not only expose companies to continental and global players, but it will emphasise the country’s commitment to intra-African trade and investment, and the increase of intra-African trade from the current 16%.
Minister Patel says the fair will enable companies to explore business and investment opportunities in other parts of Africa through their interaction with other business people from the rest of the Continent.
The Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) consists of a seven-day trade show that provides a platform for sharing trade, investment and market information and enabling buyers and sellers, investors and countries to meet, discuss and conclude business deals. It provides an opportunity for exhibitors to showcase their goods and services, engage in business-to-business exchanges, and conclude business deals.
IATF 2020 follows a successful inaugural edition held in Cairo in December 2018. IATF2018 attracted over 1000 exhibitors and 2500 conference participants from 45 countries and generated over US$32 billion in trade deals.
