Nonprofit trade and investment promotion organisation the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (Taitra) hosted 25 Taiwanese enterprises in Johannesburg last month to assist in developing relations with local companies.

The three African countries which the delegation visited before concluding their tour of the continent in Johannesburg have distinguished economic advantages – Ghana and Burkina Faso are among the most productive West African countries, while Nigeria has great market potential.

South Africa has vibrant industrial and agricultural sectors, with this country and Nigeria also being the leading economies in Africa, ranking first and second respectively in gross domestic product.

Taiwan Trade Centre Johannesburg director Megan Liu says Taitra provides a platform for businesspeople from South Africa and Taiwan to engage with one another and become aware of products that are available in these countries. “Hopefully, in the future, they can engage more [as a result of the trade mission]”, she adds.

Attendance at the event was higher this year than at similar previous events, with 140 companies either promoting South African businesses or enquiring about Taiwanese products, says Liu.

She explains that businesspeople and enterprises in South Africa can benefit from business relations with Taiwanese enterprises, as they can offer good-quality products and customised solutions to meet local requirements: “Taiwanese enterprises are very cooperative and versatile in meeting clients’ needs.”

A broad range of high-quality, competitively priced products, which included automotive parts, electrical goods, industrial machinery, hand tools, food additives and textiles, was displayed.

Based on several economic assessment reports released by major international institutions, Taiwan has continued to feature high in the global rankings. For example, it is ranked fifteenth among 140 countries in a global competitiveness report released by the World Economic Forum, and sixth in the recent Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index.