Chinese manufacturers seek new buyers at this year’s sourcing fair

28th November 2014 By: Sashnee Moodley - Senior Deputy Editor Polity and Multimedia

The fifth yearly China Sourcing Fair (CSF) was held at Nasrec, in Johannesburg, earlier this month, and provided a platform for local entrepreneurs to source products from Chinese manufacturers, further increasing trade between the two countries.

The CSF exhibitors showcased the latest products in electronics, home products, textiles, hardware and building materials, as well as gifts.

The fair also provided a platform for African entrepreneurs to source high-quality products directly from Asian manufacturers and enabled importers to gain a competitive advantage in the African market in terms of economic consumer goods.

Business-to-business media company and CSF host Global Sources developing markets GM Bill Janeri told Engineering News at the CSF that many smaller and medium-sized buyers could not travel to Asia for the larger fairs, prompting Global Sources to take the manufacturers to source of market demand.

The show provided face-to-face interaction between manufacturers and buyers and aimed to ensure the meeting of manufacturers and new buyers, orders being placed and local representation being sought through exclusive distributors.

“For South Africa, a lot of the local companies that attended the fair are buying from China on a smaller scale and are aiming to increase that. There is an opportunity for Asian companies to set up assembly factories in South Africa, import some of the products and finish them here under their own brand. The benefit is, of course, domestic employment,” Janeri said.

Further, South African companies are afforded the opportunity to be the first to introduce specific products to the local market.

The fair also helps to increase trade, as Chinese companies are willing to venture into developing countries to establish their businesses. Subsequently, this provides them with an opportunity to take the lead in certain markets, which also helps with country relations.

Janeri noted that China and South Africa had entered into a comprehensive strategic partnership to strengthen political and economic relations, as well as to improve the current trade structure between the two countries. The trade volume between China and South Africa has increased from R205-billion in 2010 to about R270-billion in 2013.