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There are plenty opportunities to explore in Taiwan for the South African companies, particularly those operating in the agro-processing and jewellery sectors. This was said by the Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation in Taiwan, Mr I-Min Tong says

Tong was addressing business delegates at the Trade and Investment seminar organised by the Department of Trade and Industry, (the dti) in Taipei, Taiwan today as part of the second leg of the Outward Selling and Investment Mission (OSIM) that started yesterday.

“South African agricultural products, especially wines and grapes, are very popular in Taiwan. This has been the case for a number of years which has seen Taiwan increasingly importing most of these products from South Africa,” said Tong.

He added that the export of finished products from South Africa to Taiwan did not mean that Taiwan and South Africa could not collaborate in the food processing industry in particular.

“Taiwan has advanced technology when it comes to food processing and the exchange of skills and technology can assist South Africa to be on par with other countries and develop its agricultural processing industry further,” added Tong.

Tong said he believed that the OSIM would generate more bilateral cooperation that would create more trade and investment opportunities for South Africa and Taiwan.

The Chief Director for International Trade and Economic Development at the dti, Mr Victor Mashabela said the department was meeting with the Ministry of Economic Affairs in Taiwan during the OSIM to deepen bilateral trade relations.

Mashabela said the economic consultation meetings focussed on cooperation on a number of sectors including the ones represented in the OSIM, and strengthening investment promotion for Taiwan and South Africa.

“The economic consultation with Taiwan will give South African businesses more options and opportunities when they want to enter and explore the Taiwanese market,” said Mashabela.

The SA delegation will visit different sites tomorrow in and around Taipei covering various sectors which are represented by the delegation. These include ago-processing, jewellery and the automotive sectors.