CAPE TOWN: South Africa is keen to invest in international trade and investment missions in order to attract new business opportunities. This is according to Nomasonto Sibanda-Thusi, South African Ambassador to Russia. “As representatives of the government of South Africa, we are entrusted with the task of enhancing political and economic relations between the countries we are posted to. “Our task is to promote cordial mutual bilateral relations that will enable us to position South Africa as a country of choice for bilateral trade and investment,” said the country’s Ambassador to Russia. Sibanda-Thusi was speaking to South African businesspeople, who were attending the last day of the Investment and Trade Initiative (ITI) in Novosibirsk, Russia, on 26 October 2017.
Organised and funded by the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) the ITI, which got underway on Tuesday, was aimed at increasing exports of agro-processing and clothing and textile products, among others, to the Russian market. Twenty South African companies participated in the mission. Ambassador Sibanda-Thusi said government invests in trade and investment missions because companies that participate in these missions are able to contribute to growing the economy of South Africa and creating jobs that the country needs very much. “We identify markets where opportunities exist for the South African value-added products in particular, to be exported to. Once the companies find new export markets for their products, they increase their production which assists in saving jobs, and creating new job opportunities. “That is the reason why we as government invest in these missions because their positive impact on our economy is far-reaching,” she said. Businesspeople in the agro-processing, and clothing and textile sectors spent the last day of the ITI visiting two supermarkets with the aim of identifying opportunities of supplying them with products from South Africa. Fresh Produce Exporters Forum Anton Kruger said he is confident that more produce could be exported to more supermarkets in the Novosibirsk region of Russia.
