Africa trade fair in September offers platform to expand export markets – Patel

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s department of trade, industry and competition on Monday invited companies to participate in the 2nd Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) set for September in Rwanda’s capital Kigali, Rwanda.

The IATF provides a strategic platform to access an integrated African market of over one billion people joined together by the African Continental Free Trade Area, trade, industry and competition minister Ebrahim Patel said in a statement.

“We aim to increase, expand and diversify markets for the export of South African goods and services, and importantly, position South Africa as the partner of choice in Africa,” he said.

“This we can do through profiling of the South African goods and services, and positioning and rebranding South Africa as a value added partner of choice. The IATF is a perfect platform for us to achieve this.”

He said South Africa’s participation would not only expose companies to continental and global players, but would also emphasise the country’s commitment to intra-African trade and investment and the increase of intra-African trade from the current 16 percent.