For an Eastern Cape business with a product ready to grow beyond its home market, the distance between a local customer and an international buyer can appear daunting.
Finding buyers, understanding new markets, securing finance, navigating export requirements and establishing the right commercial partnerships can all become barriers to expansion.
This week’s Eastern Cape Export Symposium and Exhibition in KuGompo City aims to bring many of those connections together under one roof.
Running from August 19 to 21 at the East London International Convention Centre, the seventh edition of the symposium will connect export-ready businesses with buyers, investors, financiers, government institutions and potential commercial partners from South Africa, elsewhere on the continent and international markets.
At the centre of the programme is a Hosted Buyer Programme designed to connect businesses directly with verified international buyers, investors and strategic partners.
Business-to-business matchmaking sessions will provide further opportunities for companies to explore potential deals and partnerships, while a 60-stand exhibition will showcase products, services and investment opportunities.
For Eastern Cape businesses, the proposition extends beyond traditional export promotion.
The province has an established manufacturing and industrial base, three commercial ports and two Special Economic Zones, while sectors ranging from agriculture and automotive manufacturing to energy and electrotechnical industries offer opportunities for increased trade.
This year’s symposium is also being co-hosted with the Continental Energy Infrastructure and Investment Forum, bringing energy and infrastructure into the conversation about expanding trade.
It reflects a simple commercial reality: businesses cannot become globally competitive without the energy, transport, logistics and infrastructure required to produce goods efficiently and move them to market.
The symposium has consequently drawn together a broad group of strategic partners, including the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay metros and the South African Electrotechnical Export Council.
ECDC acting CEO Thobile Buthelezi said the intention was to connect opportunities with the institutions and investors capable of turning them into projects and commercial activity.
“CEIIF and the Export Symposium reflect ECDC’s commitment to creating platforms that connect policy with implementation, opportunity with investment, and ideas with delivery.
“By bringing together government, industry, investors and development partners, we are moving from opportunity to implementation, and from dialogue to delivery.”
Africa’s expanding marketplace
Another opportunity for Eastern Cape businesses is closer to home.
The African Continental Free Trade Area is progressively creating a larger integrated African market, opening opportunities for businesses capable of expanding beyond South Africa’s borders.
The symposium will examine market access and regional value chains as businesses consider how they can position themselves to participate in increasing intra-African trade.
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said strengthening relationships between government, business and international markets was central to the province’s ambitions.
“The Eastern Cape has established itself as one of South Africa’s leading destinations for trade and investment.
“This year’s Symposium reflects our ambition to build stronger partnerships between government, industry and international markets, and to move from dialogue to delivery on the opportunities before us.”
For a small or growing Eastern Cape business, however, perhaps the most tangible opportunity will simply be access.
Instead of having to individually find prospective buyers, financiers, export organisations and development agencies, businesses attending the symposium will have representatives of those markets and institutions gathered in KuGompo City.
The conference and exhibition take place on August 19 and 20.
Attendance is free, although registration is required.
Daily Dispatch
Daily Dispatch Correspondent
www.dailydispatch.co.za