Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies
Photo by: Duane Daws
In the hope of creating new food processing plants in South Africa and developing existing ones, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will host an Italian business delegation this month, through which to introduce investors to local firms to encourage partnerships.
The delegation to participate in an inward investment mission from June 21 to 24 will comprise businesspeople in the agroprocessing and agromachinery sectors.
In a statement on Friday, Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies said: “We believe this mission will assist to strengthen linkages between South Africa and Italian companies in the agroprocessing sector and to create awareness of the opportunities existing in [the South African market], encouraging [these companies] to invest locally rather than just look at exporting their machinery.”
Davies highlighted that the mission would also facilitate face-to-face contact between Italian investors and potential local partners as well as provide different perceptions and in-market knowledge on the existing products in South Africa. It is also expected to enable the country’s food producers and exporters to establish international networks.
The DTI noted that the mission followed an outward selling mission to Italy in the agro-food sector in March 2014 and the DTI-Confederation of Italian Industry initiative in December 2014.
The latter had identified opportunities to link Italian machinery producers and industrial consulting groups with South African small and medium-sized food producers and exporters to increase the number of food-processing plants in South Africa and add more value to the country’s exports.
The coming Italian inward investment mission would include a business seminar, site visits and business-to-business meetings. The mission would also coincide with the Africa Big Seven Exhibition in Johannesburg from June 21 to 23, giving delegates the opportunity to attend Africa’s largest food and beverage trade show.