The fourth Japan Seminar was held at the Sandton Convention Centre last month.
Under the theme Proudly South African, the event was hosted by nonprofit parastatal organisation the Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro), in cooperation with the Embassy of Japan and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, both in South Africa.
The seminar was aimed at celebrating South Africa’s strengths and the opportunities for Japanese businesses to grow and invest in the country, with marketing agency Brand South Africa an event partner.
The occasion also focused on the competitive strengths of the South African nation brand, with Institute for International Trade and Investment Japan executive MD Saburo Yuzawa attending in conjunction with senior representatives from various organisations, including South Africa’s Department of Trade and Industry.
The seminar also aimed to deepen mutual understanding and strengthen collaborative relations between the businesses and public entities of both nations.
During the event, Black Business Council president Dr Danisa Baloyi emphasised the importance of the seminar, especially for the Black Business Council, owing to the event being a platform for council members to showcase the capacity of black businesses.
“The ties between Japan and South Africa are so important . . . we would like to extend the confidence we have in South Africa to [interested parties in] Japan,” she said.
Baloyi noted that the members of the council, largely small and medium-sized businesses, could learn a lot from their Japanese counterparts in terms of ensuring that such enterprises benefit from value chains.