Twenty South African companies from various sectors will showcase their capabilities at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) that will be held in Houston, Texas, from May 6 to 9.
Companies from the steel and fabrication, engineering and services, electrotechnical and services, and oil and gas sectors are supported by the Department of Trade and Industry through its Export Marketing and Investment Assistance Scheme.
The objective of the scheme is to develop export markets for South African products and services and to attract new foreign direct investment into the country, while facilitating market access for exhibiting South African companies.
The 20 companies will showcase their products at the South African National Pavilion during the OTC conference, where energy professionals meet to exchange ideas and opinions to advance scientific and technical knowledge for offshore resources and environmental matters.
Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies said in a statement on Monday that the South African National Pavilion was an ideal platform for the South African companies to meet international oil and gas companies, equipment suppliers and engineering services providers.
He added that the pavilion would assist in exposing South African businesses to international markets with the objective of making them competitive at an international level.
“The conference will assist the South African companies identify opportunities within the US’s up, mid and downstream value-chain integration. The US is one of South Africa’s key trading partners in the world today, and the bilateral trade relationship has maintained a consistent pattern of expansion since 1994.
“The US currently represents an export destination for between 12% and 15% of all South Africa’s exports,” the Minister noted.