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The Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) will lead a business delegation on an Outward Trade and Investment Mission to Accra, Ghana and Lagos, Nigeria from 19-23 March 2018.

The mission forms part of the dti’s objective to identify and create export markets for South African value-added products and services. It will also serve to promote South African products, and services, whilst creating opportunities for business partnerships between business communities of the respective countries.

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies says that the mission is aimed at advancing Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa’s trade and investment relations. Both Ghana and Nigeria feature as key strategic partners for South Africa in the West Africa region, and are pivotal partners towards advancing integration on the continent.

“We have prioritised engagements with these two strategic markets as part of our integrated national export strategy aimed at developing new markets for South Africa’s value-added and manufactured goods, and services with an emphasis on Africa and emerging markets. Furthermore, the mission is in line with the dti’s outcome-oriented goal of building mutually beneficial regional and global relations, in order to advance South Africa’s trade, industrial policy and economic development objectives,” says Minister Davies

He adds that the mission will also create a platform to facilitate networking and the obtaining of information on the dynamics of the industries, as well as availability of partnership opportunities in both Ghana and Nigeria. It will also provide opportunities for relationship building amongst business communities.

The total value of trade between South Africa and Ghana for 2017 amounted to R5.5 billion, while with Nigeria for the same year it amounted to R28.5 billion.

Sectors targeted for the mission are agro-processing and agribusiness, furniture and wood processing, infrastructure as well as the  built environment professionals.  The programme for the mission will include trade and investment seminars, site visits and business-to-business meetings.

Issued by Department of Trade and Industry