South Africa business people search for trade and investment opportunities in Australia
A group of 25 South African business people is in Perth, Australia in search of trade and investment opportunities as part of the Outward Selling Mission (OSM) organised and funded by the Department of Trade and Industry, the dti.
The businesspeople, who hail from five of the country’s provinces, will also get an opportunity to showcase their products and services at the 17th annual Africa Down Under International Conference and Trade Show.
The companies are operating in the mining, technology, capital equipment and services; steel fabrication and steel tubing, engineering and services; as well as electro-technical equipment and services sectors.
The Chief Beneficiator of Kulani EC, a Pretoria-based women-owned engineering company, Ms Palesa Naka, the OSM will provide her with an opportunity to network with companies from different parts of the world, particularly Australia.
“Australia is one of the leading countries in mining and the cutting-edge technology that they are using in their industry is much sought-after. I want to get connected with companies that have a vast experience in the industry and which are willing to invest in South Africa. As a company we are now confident and are ready to venture into mining and also expand our mineral beneficiation side of our business,” says Naka.
The Director of Business Development at the North West-based Beake Africa, Mr Kealeboga Seleka says he is also looking forward to interacting with businesspeople from across the globe that descend on the annual event.
“We are looking for companies that can invest in our future mining projects in South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo. We would want to network with the Australian companies with the aim of getting an opportunity to partner with them and to learn more about their mining technological innovations that can be beneficial to our business,” adds Seleka.
The Strategic Marketing Analyst of the Durban-based company, Inspired Interfaces, Mr Tom Phillips, hopes to attract the attention of international companies to his cutting-edge software tools which are used in mining.
“We will particularly be targeting electrical consulting engineering and mining companies in Australia. The country’s mining industry is big and thriving. We are optimistic that our products will attract attention in Australia. Energy and the quality and security of supply are two of the largest operational expenses for mines as mining is an ever-changing environment where complex what-if scenarios are played out on a daily basis,” says Phillips.
According to the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Fikile Majola, the OSM forms part of the dti’s objective of exposing South African businesses to international markets with the goal of creating employment when they increase their production to service the newly-acquired markets.
